The Process of Imagination: An Interview with Jay Dart

by: Raechel Bonomo

How many times have you gone to write a story or paint a picture to find yourself staring at a blank screen or canvas for what seems like eternity?

This process of an artists struggle to grasp a familiar but unique concept within their work is the underlying theme of Jay Dart: Greetings from Yawnder!, exhibiting at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

In order to further explain his creative process, Dart formulated words such as “Yawnder”, which describes a mystical place where ideas are born. This imaginative world sets the scene for the exhibit where we follow Jiggs, Dart’s lumberjack-esque alter ego, through lands riddled with Geist Trees and Foredad Clouds. These mythical elements seeded in Dart’s mind are brought to life through not only his illustrations, but through installation, allowing you to embody Jiggs as you walk through alongside the protagonist.

Viewing this exhibit left me in my own state of Yawnder, inspiring me to dig deeper into the artist himself and what creative process means in its most primitive and natural essence.

Raechel Bonomo (RB): What is your first artistic memory?

Jay Dart (JD): I drew a lot as a kid. I had a lot of time to myself. I often recall the floor plans that I made for imaginary estates and mansions – probably influenced by the blueprints that my dad had lying around. Those were some of my first paracosmic pieces.

RB: Has creativity been something you’ve struggled with or something that has always come naturally to you?

JD: There have definitely been times when the airwaves were silent. And quite often these days, I’m too busy to go over Yawnder. But it’s always been apart of my life. Lots of sketchbooks filled with ideas over the years. Nowadays, when I get time to work on a drawing, I have a log jam of ideas that are just waiting to get done.

RB: Explain your creative process, how do you reach your Yawnder?

JD: This is your toughest question for me to answer. Inspiration strikes all the time… driving to work, playing with my kids, listening to music, surfing the internets. I make a lot of scrawls in notebooks, sketchbooks and sticky notes. When it comes time to make a drawing, usually for a looming deadline, then I look over my scrawls and figure out how to translate them into an image. Sometimes, I use an old photo as a starting point and turn that world into my own. Other times, it’s like something I’ve never seen before so I have to rely completely on my imagination to create the scene. One thing’s for certain, there will be lots of erasing cuz if the line ain’t just right, erase er’!

RB: Have you always wanted to be an artist?

JD: These are the things that I remember wanting to “be”… ninja, hockey player, animator, photographer, filmmaker, art director, artist. In most of those cases, art is the common denominator.

RB: I read you’ve created more than 200 illustrations in the Wanderer of Yawnder series, when did you start this series and what initially sparked it?

JD: I began drawing again a few years after graduating from art school following many years of neglecting the medium I spent so much time with growing up. I believe my drawing of Barry the Mannalo, circa 10 years ago, set me on this path towards Yawnder. Following that, I was inspired by antique photos, my watercolour test swatches and the landscapes of north Durham. These are just some of the many influences that got planted in my mind and eventually grew into the various elements in the Wanderer of Yawnder series.

RB: Who is Jiggs and how do you and the viewer relate to him?

JD: Jiggs is my alter-ego, my muse and the main character of the WoY series. He’s a real good guy and very open to sharing his thoughts. He spends a lot of time by himself so he appreciates any visitors whether you’re a wonderer, an acquirer, a lumberer, an inspirer or a referrer.

RB: There are a lot of beards in this exhibition. What do they represent to you and why are they so prominent throughout your work?

JD: Whether you’re in the middle of the woods or the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a noble beard can represent a time of intense experience. But they can also represent a fashionable trend. For Jiggs, the magical mystery beard was the first idea that came to mind when he procured a geist from the Yawnder Lights. He wore the beard and contemplated the spirit that it bequeathed him. Eventually, he realized that this idea was too easy and he dug deeper, literally, into the ground and planted his beards to see what would grow.

RB: You discuss taking yourself away from technology and into more of a simplistic process of creating art, why is this and how do you feel it benefits you work? How does it hinder it?

JD: I just feel most comfortable with a pencil as my medium but it does work with my intention to tell a timeless tale relating to the nature of inspiration and creation. However, I’m very much interested in the ways that current technology affects the way creators make and share their work; this is a major theme of this series. Thus, I refer to photos from the past when settlers were forging their way on the frontiers of new found lands (to them at least) but I introduce magic realism elements that allude to cloud computing and social networking. To me, these innovations seem to present just as many challenges as opportunities. But I’m still learning.

RB: What are you hoping RMG visitors take away from your exhibition?

JD: Inspiration.

Expand your mind at the RMG!

While the RMG is full of art classes and camps for kids, we haven’t forgotten about parents and adults! The gallery invites art enthusiasts of all ages – young and old – to learn something new with us! Our adult classes range from artistic to physical, and we’re positive you’ll find something that strikes your interest.

If you feel like winding down after a busy day, the RMG knows just what you need! Yoga in the Gallery is the perfect way to calm your nerves and settle your mind after a long and busy Thursday at work. Meg Cox, our zen-tastic instructor, opens the class up to people of all levels, from beginners to seasoned yogis. With her down to earth and approachable attitude, and the beautiful art surrounding you in the Isabel McLaughlin Gallery, anyone can feel welcome and relaxed in our spacious yoga studio – and what better studio than an art gallery? The current session is running until April 21, with drop ins welcome, and the next session will be starting on May 5, and running until June 23.

yoga instructor

Changing pace, we are offering a different kind of class dynamic with Open Studio Mondays. Starting May 2 and running until June 27, our studio will be open from 10am to 4pm for artists who are encouraged to bring their own materials and work independently and freely in an open studio space.

art studio

We are also hoping to expand your mind, create inner peace and connect you with the deeper parts of yourself with Mindfulness Mondays, a six week course starting May 9 and running until June 20 from 12pm to 1pm. With Randi-Mae Stanford-Leibold, explore meditation and reflective writing using inspiration from the gallery. This is a great opportunity to slow things down and take a minute for yourself.

We have a number of exciting and unique workshops coming in spring and summer. These workshops are a great place for beginners to learn some new techniques and for artists to finesse their skills.

On Sunday, May 29, join us for Found Drawings with artist Ruth Read from 1pm to 3pm. Using various found materials, this workshop focuses on serendipitous artwork – art that happens by accident. This unique approach to art will stimulate your creativity and challenge you to look at art from different perspectives, as well as encourage you to work harmoniously and collaboratively with other artists to stumble upon some found imagery.

art installation

Ruth Read; The Garden in Winter

A couple weeks later on Sunday, June 12 at the same time, we have another intriguing workshop, Cartography of Process with Jessica Field, which hones in the theory of creativity, helping artists examine their creative process and make the most of their artwork.

If you’re looking for a mini camp experience for yourself, from August 15-19, the RMG has an exciting NEW opportunity for 19+ artists, Intro to Video! Without any experience necessary, we will teach you the basics of video and film making so you can be on your way to the next big film festival!

This spring and summer, the RMG is the creative mind’s oasis! You can relax with yoga, open your mind with mindfulness courses, and learn some awesome new artistic skills! It’s everything the creative bug in you could want and more! For more information, call us at (905) 576-3000 or visit for a full list of everything happening at the RMG!

Interview with Gallery A artist Mike Drolet

Mike Drolet has is our Gallery A ArtLab artist is residence from November 3, 2015 to January 3, 2015. Prior to his artist talk on December 6, we sat down with Mike to learn more about his work and what he has been up to during his residency.

The RMG: Hi Mike, Please tell us about yourself?

Mike Drolet: Hello RMG blog readers! I am originally from Whitby, Ontario and studied Fine Art at the University of Ottawa. In 2014 I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a minor in psychology and a specialization in sculpture.

RMG: What materials do you work with?

MD: Although I don’t want to limit myself to a specific set of materials, generally I use materials that are traditionally sought after for construction, for example, wood, metal and concrete. I am always looking into expanding and incorporating new materials for new pieces to enable different compositions.

Art Lab

Mike Drolet, 2015

RMG: Why were you interested in Gallery A’s Art Lab residency? What have you made while working as an artist in residence?

MD: What first got me interested in the residency was the studio space that was available to work in to work in. The lab is quite large which for my work is essential. Additionally, the Gallery A space is a massive benefit for any artist to have. As many artists may know, documentation is almost, if not as important as creating/ having artwork. Having access to Gallery A allows for the opportunity to take great photos of the new pieces created during the Art Lab and even older pieces in case you don’t have any. The Gallery A space in conjunction with the Art Lab also provides a solid foundation for an artist to show their work to the public, which as an emerging artist is invaluable.

Besides the benefits the residency provides towards my artistic practice in terms of resume and documentation building, my stay at the gallery has also posed a unique set of problems, none of which I consider to be negative in any sense. Due to the nature of my practice, I produce a lot of aromatic “pollution” (dust, vapors, sparks etc) where generally the best place to run through these processes is outside. As my time slot for the residency was during the winter months it made nearly impossible to cast concrete or wield. These obstacles have forced me to change my approach towards creating works and from what I believe resulted in a unique set of sculptures I would have not done otherwise. So I encourage artists of all disciplines to apply, accept the rules and guidelines of the gallery, and push your creative practice further in new ways.

In terms of what I’ve made during the residency, I have completed a total of seven sculptures, possibly eight as one sculpture may become a part of a larger installation of multiples. I have also had much more time to work on maquettes for future projects and past ideas. I plan on completing two more works before my end date in the space at least, that’s my goal.

art project

Mike Drolet, 2015

RMG: Can you please tell us a bit about your exhibition on view in Gallery A?

MD: The exhibition Equipoise on view now in Gallery A is essentially a synopsis of my sculptural work that focuses on Precarious Balance. I use a minimalistic approach to comment and compose structures within the genre of abstract-expressionism. Every piece installed in the show uses its own weight to maintain the planned composition. The piece entitled Moon was actually the first piece that I had done in the theme of balance. All the other pieces in the exhibition were made just before I began my residency or during.

RMG: What inspires you? Is there a particular artist’s work that has influenced your practice?

MD: I can’t say that there is any one thing or person that has inspired me in terms of my artistic practice. My practice is more often the result of past experiences, research into various aspects of sculptural elements such as materiality and composition. Considering all these things applying them to two-dimensional drawings and realizing them in the third-dimension is where my ideas usually synthesize.

That being said, Chris Burden and his show “Extreme Measures” was definitely something that had some influence towards how I thought about composition and sculpture I would say. I still really enjoy his bridge works and his piece “Beam Drop, 2008.”

artwork

Mike Drolet, 2015

Interview with Gallery A artist Toni Hamel

“Hot Topics” blog posts come from the desk of Sam Mogelonsky, our Communications & Social Media Coordinator.

The RMG caught up with artist Toni Hamel. Her exhibition, The land of Id is, on view in Gallery A from March 3 to 29. She will speak about her work on Sunday 29 March from 1-3pm.

The RMG: Hi Toni! Please tell us a bit about yourself?

Toni Hamel: I am an Oshawa-based visual artist. I received my BFA from the Academy of Fine Arts of Lecce, Italy in 1983, but my career as a visual artist is still considered ’emerging’ in that my first public show took place only about six years ago, in 2009. However, in these short years I have been fortunate enough to achieve some level of recognition, having received three Ontario Arts Council grants and many other awards. More recently, one of my artworks has been purchased by the Archives of Ontario for inclusion in the Government of Ontario’s permanent art collection, certainly a great honour of which I am extremely grateful.

RMG: What materials do you work in?

TH: As an inter-disciplinary artist the material utilized in my work is varied. I am fond of vintage and recycled objects for instance, which I often use in my installations and sculptural pieces. Their inclusion is never gratuitous however, as these objects need to carry either an aesthetic or a semantic function. Thus far my practice has been focused on drawing, but painting will also be part of my oeuvre in the near future.

RMG: Why were you interested in Gallery A’s Art Lab residency? What have you made while working as an artist in residence for the month of February?

TH: Originally my intention was to create a large site-specific installation for Gallery A, and that was in fact the reason why I had originally applied for the Art Lab residency. Unfortunately scheduling oversights prevented me from utilizing Gallery A during that period of time, an event that forced me to revise my plans at the last minute. Eventually I decided to work on large-scale paintings that are part of “The land of Id” series, a body of work funded by the Ontario Arts Council. However, the three-week residency period was not at all sufficient to bring these oil paintings to completion, therefore I continued working on them while in Gallery A. It was also my intention to experiment with mechanical flip-book animations, but lack of time has prevented me from doing so.

RMG: Can you please tell us a bit about your exhibition The Land of Id, on view in Gallery A?

“The land of Id” continues my discourse on human behaviour, focusing on our misguided relationship with the natural environment. In a nutshell, It looks at issues of land exploitation and its repercussions.  For more information, please visit https://rmg.on.ca/gallery-a-toni-hamel.php.

RMG: What inspires you? Is there a particular artist’s work that has influenced your practice?

TH: Life inspires me – if not my own, then it’ll be that of others. I am unfortunately a news-junkie and also watch too many documentaries. I find it important for an artist to be knowledgeable and well-versed in the issues of the day, as I feel that Art must bear witness. I deal with the culture of my time, trying to raise awareness about particularly pressing topics which I feel are deserving of attention. ‘The land of Id’ is just an example of that.

There are many artists that have influenced my work or admire greatly. From contemporary figures like Victor Mann,  Adrian Ghenie and Michael Borremans, to historical figures like Velasquez and Goya. I am attracted to works that have something to say, rich in content and meaning. I’m definitely not interested in ‘pretty images’ or ‘decor art’.

 

Image: Toni Hamel

The artists acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council for this exhibition.

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