Thursday, March 25, 2010

Book Launch Tonight, 25 March 2010

Yesterday afternoon I drove from my home to Porcupine's Quill in Erin, Ontario to pick up copies of the newly bound "Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971, selections of her work from the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University. On my way home from Erin, I imained Joyce sitting in the passenger seat and having a conversation. This is what I imagined.

Jane: Joyce, I think some of your drawings, which are actually cartoons, are extremely funny. I've looked at them dozens of times and I still laugh every time I look at them. Why did you use chickens as characters?

Jocye: You have to get to the point quickly in cartoons. Don't you think chickens are strange creatures and very funny? And I think they get to the point quickly.

Jane: You give them such humanity, but not in the anthropomorphic way of cute bunny-people.

Joyce: People take themselves way too seriously and I want to poke fun at people, all kinds of people, especially artists and politicians.

Jane: Well, you include "God the Father Devine" in this, too, you know.

Joyce: Yes, well those God drawings aren't chickens.

Jane: I like your irreverence, but it's lucky those drawings aren't chickens or a lot of offended people might show up at your door ready to lecture you, or worse... And so on.

You can hear all about this newly published book, and purchase copies, tonight at Ben McNally's Books, 366 Bay Street (south of Richmond Street) in Toronto.
416-361-0032 I will be there signing copies and talking about the book.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

MOVING TIME

After living in Eramosa Township on twenty acres for twenty-seven years, my husband and I are moving to Guelph, Ontario to a lovely stone house with a garden Initially the old house, which is at least a hundred and forty years old, will require some improvements. I think it will be fun to take the summer to work on the house and garden and make them our own. I have loved this place in the country with my large perennial gardens, and our greenhouse where we grew some cool-weather vegetables. Now it's time to say good bye to this place when we move in mid April. I look forward to a smaller perennial garden and growing a few vegetables.

Moving is an enormous amount of work, especially when you have a large studio-workshop building full of stuff. I am sorting through my paintings and sculptures I made over the years, and packing things up. This is my focus right now, and I’ll pick up my writing after a few months. My blog ideas - a series on Canadian women artists of the past - must wait.

Meanwhile, I have a few presentations to give this month on "Perfect Red," and on the 25th of March will be the launch of "Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971 at Ben McNally Books in Toronto, from 5 - 7 p.m.