To come : documentation of opening and installation, and of classes and process.

“From ages 4-7, children’s homes fill the centre of their maps. [They] often describe the worms, chipmunks and pigeons on their blocks, and feel protective towards these creatures. As they grow older their geographical range expands rapidly.” Abstraction, aerial perspectives and social gathering points are inserted.

The Third Teacher ; UWP/P Architects + VS Furniture+ Bruce Mau Design; pub. Abrams, New York

ray-cam community centre. two little girls' colour choices; medium is gouache

Assemblage begins next week. We broke over Hallowe’en to avoid having the kids’ work dominated by jack o’ lanterns, witches and other seasonally specific imagery.

Each of the four groups favours different media and styles. The youngest kids work predominantly in colour, laying down broad, soupy washes of gauche. The older ones like a mix of markers and paint, and are learning patience when blending dry and wet media. Their images tend towards the more representational and detailed. The pre-adolescents in this group sometimes sulk in frustration when results don’t match an inner sense of how things should look. We’ve been discussing process; that they really do know what’s “right”, that sometimes one needs to get through the “bad” work to get to the good;  that it’s only time and practice before they get there.

The seniors’ class is all women, although recently someone brought a husband along , and he contributed a panel to her house. It’s the only early session, and participants arrive like a flock of little birds, chattering amongst themselves before settling to whatever task is at hand. The eldest participant is 90 years old, and amazingly hale. According to Anna M., our translator and assistant extraordinaire, the seniors always begin with ”I don’t know what to do…”  Anna kibitzes and cajoles a bit. She says they encourage one another, and make suggestions as to what to paint. Their work is quite different from that of the kids and families, often drawing on centuries-old painting traditions, such as the scholar-artists’ “bird and flower” scrolls. The exquisite 13th century work below, by Qian Xuan, is one stellar example.

Qian Xuan, "Early Autumn," 13th century, CE. The decaying lotus leaves and dragonflies hovering over stagnant water are likely a veiled criticism of Mongol rule.

Top : week 1, painted houses (photo by Anna Ma) ; middle : week 2, decorating panels; week 1, painting houses; bottom : week 3, painting panels. Note inkstone and block of ink in centre of bottom image.

The ink and inkstone are all that remain from a long-ago exploration of sumi-e, Japanese brush painting. Ink wash painting originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and was later adapted in Japan. Use of these materials was restricted to the elders’ classes, and used by only one person.

The first week of the project has come and gone, and has been an amazing and wonderful experience.

There are 3 weeks of creative work ahead of us, as well as planning for and staging the installation, its presentation to the community. The classes are no longer than an hour, excluding prep and clean up; one is only 45 minutes in length, and jammed between a fast lunch and afternoon classes.

As I thought through the initial presentation of the project to the kids, the greatest concern was out how to both explain and inspire in a few brief sentences.

Usually, I bring samples of work along; in this case, the original house from December 2010’s first Oikos installation in the Britannia Library Gallery’s showcase. (see “last winter...” 20th September 2011 post for image.)  I’ll also toss in a stack of resource books, images pulled from magazines, and, if appropriate, related articles. But some of these supports are too sophisticated for kids, and all of them require precious minutes to present in an enticing manner. Visual support seemed essential. So, at the last minute, loaded 4 images of my own work in process onto an iPad, threw that into the kit, (and here special thanks to my family for the wonderful birthday gift). This tool got every one’s attention, even that of one girl, who was initially a little dismissive as mine is not the latest model. And while there was a little guilt about turning to something so TV-like to attract and hold attention, participants’ responses were enthusiastic, and engagement with the project immediate.

Jill and the After School Adventures gang at Strathcona Community Centre

First picture of first class with first group. How to get all the people and houses into a single shot? I began stacking them, and the kids joined in. Apartment buildings can be constructed via collaboration with one’s neighbours.

The event has something for everyone; music, a scavenger hunt, food.

And a quick note about the Chinese character for home. A friend messaged this,”Jia1 does indeed mean “house”,  and it’s made up of two separate elements, the roof, along the top, and a pig underneath. EVERY house in China has a pig. So making an image of a pig with a roof over it is immediately recognizable as the generic house.”

This Is Strathcona Festival poster

Although most of the Oikos In Strathcona workshops are for the K-7 age group, we are running a few for other workshops. On October 9th, between  11AM and noon, we will be at the Strathcona Community Centre for a parent and child session. This will be the first of 4 workshops, and culminates in an installation.

One of the more interesting and exciting classes is one for seniors, which will run out of MacLean Park Housing. I’ve walked past this complex for decades, but have only been in a single unit, long ago, a birthday party for one of my daughter’s friends. Now I’ll be working with people with whom I share little language or history; and there are also issues of mobility and isolation, and steadiness of hand.

As I sort through which class plans are best suited to each group, I’m trying to imagine what it might be like to make one of these little houses with restricted mobility, and little cultural connect to the concept of community arts, installation, etcetera. How does one engage participants given these strictures?

The solution to date is, hopefully, simple and evocative. There’s a good chance many of the participants have at least a little background in calligraphy.

Here is the Chinese character for home.

Boots on, into the rain, to N & S Trading in Chinatown. The shop, at 122 East Pender Street, is a favourite destination. It’s one of the few traditional shops remaining on that block, the type that carries an amazing, inspirational and occasionally guffaw-inducing collection of sundries, from stationery to baskets to blouses, all falling under the umbrella of “Oriental gifts,” according to their business card.  This is THE best source for goody bag offerings.

They also have a nice range calligraphy brushes, papers and inks. Purchased a 1⁄2 dozen or so brushes with a lovely funky hand-made quality. Some are wolf hair and some goat hair; each has a particular way of absorbing and spreading ink.  For these classes, in addition to the standard acrylic and tempera paints, I’ll bring these brushes, and a traditional Japanese ink stone and block of black ink for grinding, ink properly. Hoping interesting memories are sparked. Hoping for spare, elegant and tender.

Next week, a meeting with Anna, the seniors’ co-ordinator, who is also my translator.

calligraphy brushes from N & S Trading, 122 East Pender Street

oikos arrives in Strathcona

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Version 1 of Oikos premiered in the showcase of the Britannia Library Gallery, in December 2010. The inspirational sparks were a little wooden house form discovered at Nicole Dextras’ studio sale, and researching the etymology of the word ecology.

oikos lighting test, see below for showcase

Please check this blog for updates, or call 604.713.1838 for more information