Familiarity, Intrigue, and Beauty: The Mundane Urban Landscape

December 06, 2015

Sunday, December 6:

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours roaming the streets around my neighbourhood. I walked along Corydon, Osborne, River, and Wellington Crescent. Although I am often inspired by my natural surroundings (don't get me wrong the trees in this area are large and beautiful), I found myself being drawn towards abstract shapes and lines found in the urban landscape.

The Royal Crest: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen — *The Royal Crest: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB,* Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

I began by walking along Corydon towards Confusion Corner when I found myself bored of looking at the storefronts on the main strip. Every time I walk down this street I find myself drawn to the alleys and spaces in between the buildings.

Untitled: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen — *Untitled: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB,* Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

The alleys and hidden sides of buildings are filled with bizarre imagery that make for interesting documentation of architecture. While photographing these types of images, my goal is to capture unique perspectives that juxtapose elements of nature and the man-made. Alternatively I also attempt to combine various shapes, textures, and patterns, that exist within the immediate urban environment.

Although these things often seem mundane and functionless, they are strangely interesting to me as I can read a sense of character, animation, and life within them. They're intriguing because they are uncanny elements of the urban landscape that seem unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time. These shapes/structures are repeated within various architectures within the urban setting. But we do not pay attention to these often hidden components, therefore making them seem unique to us when we eventually take the time to notice them.

For some reason I have always been fascinated with taking photographs of fire hydrants and fire hose connections on the sides of buildings. No matter where I am in the world these are two objects or shapes that are always present. They often look slightly different in shape or color, but it is something I immediately look for when travelling or visiting a new place. Now some may think this is totally strange and there must be something wrong with me right?! Wrong! The reason I do this is to feel connected to home as well as feel more comfortable in my current surroundings. There's satisfaction in knowing that these are things that connect all of us around the world. Some may think this is far fetched, but I truly believe in the power of these mundane signifiers as a way of bringing about a sense of comfort and belonging.

While on this photo walk I found myself discovering the mundane urban landscape by seeing things with a new and unique perspective. This meant I was looking up, crouching down, tilting sideways, and basically every other way of looking imaginable. Looking is a powerful thing, but sometimes you need to remind yourself that just because you can see does not mean that you see things.

Windows: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen — *Windows: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB,* Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

I was walking past this building when I noticed something beautiful. I walked across the street so that I could get a better angle of what I had just seen. The photograph above (Windows: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB) is what I had seen, a window within a window, within a window. The moment was filled with lines, windows, shapes, and all in all a very interesting pattern formed by architecture, design, and destruction. A man walking by the window looked up in curiosity and confusion. He asked me why I was photographing the window when it was cracked, old, and in his opinion not very beautiful or nice to look at. I simply answered that I thought it was worth photographing and that I'm not interested in what everyone thinks should be photographed, but rather things that get overlooked or forgotten. He seemed happy with my answer and continued on his way, while I continued photographing the moments in the urban landscape that I found intriguing, familiar, and beautiful.

Pattern Frenzy

November 29, 2015

Sunday, November 29th:

Pattern frenzy?! What does this mean?! Well I've been slightly more pattern obsessed than usual. It all started after one of my professors asked if I had ever thought of printing on fabric or creating wallpapers. That's when my mind went crazy I began making patterns in Photoshop with anything and everything that I had access to. So basically this meant making patterns from my paintings, drawings, and photographs.

Fire Hose, 8x10", Silver gelatin print, 2015, Mallory Donen — *Fire Hose*, 8x10", Silver gelatin print, 2015, Mallory Donen

My first experiment began when I cut out a fire hose from a photograph I had taken with my 35mm camera. I decided to scan the image since I found that the shape left behind looked interesting and I wanted to make a pattern from it.

Next I began making patterns using old photographs I had taken with my DSLR.

Here you can see how two photographs taken with my 35mm camera were combined to make a single pattern.

The next group of patterns were created using test strips from the darkroom. The test strips were then scanned and manipulated in Photoshop to produce the images below.

Negative scratching can come in various forms, some examples may include literally scratching a film negative with a sharp tool such as a push pin, paper clip, or even a nail. However, painting or drawing onto a negative is also a form of negative scratching. The photographs below were created by painting india ink onto blank negatives. The ink cracked upon drying which created a unique and intriguing naturally occurring pattern. The images were then scanned and digitally manipulated in Photoshop to create various patterns.

This next series of patterns were created using photographs from a new project titled Paper Sculpture series.

Here's a set of patterns I created using these ink drawings/paintings.

Untitled, 8x10", Ink and water-soluble pencils on rag paper, 2015, Mallory Donen — *Untitled*, 8x10", Ink and water-soluble pencils on rag paper, 2015, Mallory Donen

This photograph is of an object I created for my Print Media class in 2013. The sculpture was created with a styrofoam ball and pipe cleaners. I also used this image to create several patterns.

MFA Studio Sneak-peak

November 15, 2015

Sunday, November 15, 2015:

I know that I've been slightly MIA lately, but I promise it is because I have been working extremely hard in my studio at the U of M. I'm inspired everyday by my peers, faculty, and my surroundings. It seems like I'm constantly writing down new ideas for projects in my sketchbook. So here is a sneak-peak into my studio and what I've been up to these past couple of months. Enjoy and feel free to share!

Daydreaming is a series of painted photographs,
click here to see more of this project and the process of how they were created.

Daydreaming (series in-progress), 36x28", Acrylic on canvas photographic print, 2015, Mallory Donen — *Daydreaming (*series in-progress), 36x28", Acrylic on canvas photographic print, 2015, Mallory Donen

Remember my project Freedom Versus Control? Well I am currently recycling it into a new project. I've been cutting out shapes with an exacto knife and doing various things with them. I started out thinking I was going to use them to make collages, but then I began rolling them to keep them from curling and I discovered that they make interesting sculptural objects. That's when I started to glue them and create rolled paper sculptures. Here is a glimpse into what they look like, but you'll have to wait and see the photographs that I shot of them in the studio the other day (I need time to edit them).

I've also shot a couple rolls of film since I've arrived in Winnipeg. I haven't had a lot of time in the darkroom as they took a while to get everything set up in the new building. But here is a look at some of the photographs I've taken around downtown Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba campus. Some of the photos have been manipulated in either the darkroom or Photoshop.

Here are some photos I took one day in front of my studio mural titled Fiesta. Click here to watch a time-lapse video of how the mural came together.

That's all I am willing to show at the moment, until next time.

Check out my 2016 Calendars if you haven't had a chance!

Overdue Post: Open House (August 23) and Update

October 03, 2015

Among the craziness of making the big move to Winnipeg, I completely forgot to write a post about the wonderful Open House event which my parents hosted at their townhouse! It was a lot of hard work but thanks to my parent's passion and enthusiasm they were able to put together a wonderful day of art, family, and friends. My mom prepared an amazing arrangement of summer appetizers (with the help of Jillian and I) and desserts. Together my mom and dad both helped with the visual display and installation of my works all around the townhouse and even in the backyard. It really was spectacular! I am so thankful for everyone that was able to make it and come say their farewells before I headed off. The whole thing was so eventful that we forgot to take pictures of everyone who showed up! However, if you were unable to make it here's some of what you missed:

Things are going well in Winnipeg, again thanks to the support of my family here in town! I'm working hard in my studio almost every day whether it's painting, reading, or research. My studio space at the school is amazing and I can't wait to share it with all of you! Stay tuned for a post including a video showing the making of my newest mural!

Nuit Blanche - Winnipeg

September 27, 2015

Sunday, September 27, 2015:

Last night was my first Nuit Blanche Winnipeg and here are my thoughts on the experience. I found the concept of the event very intriguing, a night full of art and entertainment spanning across the various districts in Winnipeg including Downtown, the Exchange District, and St. Boniface.

I started my night out around 7:30pm at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The first thing I saw were some dancers in front of the gallery dressed in toga like attire. The dancing was done in silence and with the element of the wind, I'd have to say that the whole thing was quite beautiful.

I entered through the VIP lineup as I have a student membership with the WAG. They checked my ID and I was given a blue wrist band to indicate that I was legal drinking age and could order an alcoholic beverage. This is when things got a little tedious. I then had to get in line to buy a drink ticket which was $6 for one drink. Next, I took my drink ticket to the bar where I attempted to order a drink. I asked for a glass of red wine, however I was informed that they don't serve red wine as the floor in the gallery is porous and would soak up the red wine if it were to be spilled. I then opted for a Screwdriver instead. Inside the WAG there was a DJ playing electronic music which was more enjoyable than I would have predicted as electronic music isn't usually my forte. I walked around the gallery, however the exhibitions on display were ones which I've already seen as they've been up since I got my membership 2-3 weeks ago.

Next I made my way down Graham Ave hoping to begin the bigger adventure of the evening. I came across several things which weren't as exciting or eventful as I thought they were going to be. I was quite disappointed at the crowd turn out, as I was expecting the numbers in attendance to be way more than it was.

Finally, I made it to the Exchange District and the area I believe people were calling the Cube. This was also a bit of a let down as I expected more excitement and activity happening in the centre of the Exchange District which I thought would be one of the more eventful parts of the night.

I hit up a bar called the King's Head Pub, which was quite an experience in itself. Ordering a drink from the bar was a whole new endeavour since there were two bartenders taking orders from either end of the bar and there were two lines of people waiting to order a drink. I've never "waited in line" for a drink at the bar. The lines were not moving quickly either which added to the list of let downs of the night.

From here I made my way over to St. Boniface where things were low key. There was an interesting exhibition in a gallery which I've shown some photos of below. I also came across a band playing some live music outside of a coffee shop. The music was dying down by the time I had gotten there but I liked the laid back aspect of the intimate mini concert setting with the band and small audience.

All in all I enjoyed roaming the streets looking for art and finding other things that the night had to offer. I only wish that I had seen more as I look back now and see the list of events and feel as though I saw only a glimpse of what there was to see. I only hope I am able to see more the following year!

Canada Day by the Bay 2015

July 02, 2015

Wednesday, July 1, 2015:

Today was my first time ever showing my art at a vendor booth. Canada Day by the Bay was a great experience and I learned lots about what to do and what not to do. First off location is key, the organizers of the event positioned my booth just west of the pier which is where the majority of the pedestrian traffic is concentrated. However, this section of grass has a fairly high ledge which takes a solid effort for people to actually step up and come into the booth. This definitely was a negative, as the demographic of White Rock is mostly seniors, and of course families with strollers and small children.

Another challenge was that the grass where my booth was located was on a slant. Therefore, I had to be make sure that my canopy and easels were set up so that they would not blow over when there was a large gust of wind. I was able to secure the canopy, but we had a couple moments of panic when paintings and easels went toppling over. Note to self: bring bean bags to weigh down the easels. The easels and paintings weren't the only things we had to worry about. Everything that I had laid out on the back table such as drawings, prints, and frames, would blow away when it was really windy. We ended up taping the drawings and prints to the table but this didn't work for long either. A better solution would have been to use some sort of paper weights.

My favourite part of the day was painting live in my booth. I started out a little shaky because I was a bit nervous painting where everyone could see me, but I'm almost positive that the wind had something to do with it too. Afterwards, I was able to focus on the painting and I really got into it. I would hear people walking by saying "Oh, look she's painting!". It was a pretty cool experience. Sometimes I could feel that someone was watching and I didn't want to be one of those anti-social artists so I would say hello. However, a lot of the time once someone knew that I knew that they were watching me paint they would scurry away as if they weren't supposed to watch.

It was a challenge working with paints in the heat and humidity since I had to work fast so that my paints wouldn't dry out. I brought a small travel container for some water, as well as a small syringe, which I used to add water to my paints when they needed to be rejuvenated. I finished the painting earlier than I had expected and I wish that I had brought other canvases with me to paint because I finished the painting before the biggest rush of the day. Once I finished the big painting I painted a couple small paintings on 6x6" cardboard. After that I drew a pen drawing on a postcard and painted it with watercolours.