LIVE!STOCK
Since artists choose the musicians they profile for Live!Stock, the results of the annual poster exhibition are typically pretty inspired.
This year, 15 artists were commissioned to create posters for the festival. While classic prints are fair game, some artists interpret "poster" more liberally. Shawn O'Keefe of the Woodpile Collective created prints on wood, for example. And Ryan Thompson printed a DJ Shadow poster inspired by a sundial.
At noon, the shadow points to the DJ's catalogue. Around 12: 45 p.m., an arrow points to where the first album ends and the next begins. And so on.
Participating artists are Shawn O'Keefe, Aimée van Drimmelen, Joey MacDonald, Ryan Thompson, Luke Ramsey, Laura Bifano, Caitlin Gallupe, Tim Huesken, Sean Brookes, Evan Pine, Morgana Wallace, Chris Campbell, Ahmed Sidky, Charmaine Verhagen, Carlin Bennett and Mike Deas.
HEADSPACE
You know those plywood cutouts that you can pop your own head into for a goofy photo? That's the inspiration for Headspace. Printmaker and Anteism
Publishing co-publisher Ryan Thompson curated the interactive art display this year, working with eight artists.
Sean Brookes, who is working on two this year, created a zombieinspired one last year, for example.
Participating artists are Caitlin Gallupe, Joey MacDonald, Luke Ramsey, Brookes, Ahmed Sidky, Caitlin McDonagh, Morgana Wallace and Charlotte Cynthia Walton.
Headspace will be featured throughout Royal Athletic Park during Rifflandia this year, after a few make an appearance at the Artlandia opening on Friday.
THE R&A LINE
This is a new one: a five-car, quarter-scale train comprising installations by various artists.
Five sets of artists were responsible for overseeing the design of each train car. The full, 13-metre stationary train will be constructed at Royal Athletic Park during Rifflandia - or check out a preview at Artlandia's opening on Friday.
Expect a wide variety of interpretations. Luke Ramsey has created a beautiful, angular engine that billows smoke, while audio-visual artist Scott Amos's car has large LED bars that allow audiences to interact visually with sound.
GROUP THINK Artlandia's group show is an opportunity to involve as many local artists as possible, split between the park venue and Souvenir Gallery. The work of more than 20 artists will be featured in one of Artlandia's tents at Royal Athletic Park. Following Rifflandia, the tent display will move to the Olio Co-operative through Sept. 24.
The second portion of Group Think, shown at Souvenir, has a more specific focus.
"It's about looking at the process of drawing," said curator Tara Hurst. "Some of the artists specifically work with drawing - it's a main theme in their work. And there are other artists where it's sort of the preliminary step in their work process, whether they're painters or sculptors."
Hurst opened Souvenir on Johnson Street with partner Cameron Kidd this summer. As a temporary pop-up gallery, it has been an innovative way to show contemporary art downtown, considering the barriers young artists often face in finding representation.
Though Souvenir will close again at the end of the month, the duo is looking for new ways to show work in the future.
