Podcast Shownotes: Lacey Grey
Thanks to Roxann Yuen (@roxann.yuen.art) for hosting this interview!
find the episode here
(Political Puppet group) Bread and Puppet and their Museum
(Artist) Niki de saint Phalle Tarot Garden
(Writer, Academic) Sara Ahmed The Feminist Killjoy Handbook
(Artist) Kembra Pfahler “Availablism”
Libby Library App
Oologies Podcast by Alie Ward
(song) It’s called: Free Fall - Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Podcast show notes: Heather Jesson
Thanks so much for checking out the show notes for my podcast interview with Heather Jesson- find Heather on her Instagram @heatherjesson
Below are reference images of Heather’s work as well as a list of specific references we made throughout the conversation.
Part 1:
(Book) The Artist Way- Julie Cameron
(Artwork) “Witches Altar”- Heather Jesson
Part 2:
(Artist Resource) Fat Life Drawing
(Artist) Vanessa Rae (Kitchen Tarot)
(Textbook) The Visual Arts: A History Hugh Honor John Flemming
(Podcast one of our Instructors was interviewed on) All about Art interview with Laurel Johannesson
(Artist whose Studio practice I reference) Jo-elle Breit
(Course) Figuring the Witch- Acad 310
(Artwork) Self Portrait Soft Sculpture- Heather Jesson
Part 3
(Artist) Kiki Smith
Happy New Year! looking back on 2023
Happy last day of 2023! and Thanks for taking this moment to read my post!
There is so much to be grateful for and when I look back at the year so much rich stuff happened. It’s a good reminder that sometimes when you are in the mud of things, feeling the stress of what’s happening or not understanding how experiences might fit into a bigger picture it can skew your perspective, so it’s always great to reflect like this.
2023 marks Selim and I’s first full year in our home. We have spent this time settling in and noticing some of the strange “landlord-special” aspects of our home. I often feel humbled and privileged when I spend time in my basement studio, I know there are so many deserving and wonderful artists that just lack space and I try to remind myself to utilize it as much as I can.
I have been able to customize some of these spaces to make them feel like home. For example, at the start of the year, I painted my stairs rainbow and installed fake grass on the landing. I created a lovely reflecting space on our enclosed porch, I call it “the tree house” and seasonally use it as my morning coffee and journal spot.
It has been such a delight to live a block away from our family-we have made it a weekly routine to have home-school art class in my studio with my niece and nephew, I may be biased in how I see it but these two are artists deeply to their cores and I plan to continue to help them know this about themselves. We have had many more opportunities to have adventures, such as attending art shows, zoo visits, picnics on the porch, park visits etc etc - it fills my heart in a very specific way, to be able to contribute to the childhood of these two special little ones. I think my Auntie energy comes from the same place as camp counsellor energy, and pretty sure that is one of my best selves.
I am quickly approaching the end of my undergrad (Graduation in May 2024), which has brought about mass reflection on what I’ve taken away from this experience and what’s most important in finishing up. I had two-panel critiques in 2023 and participated in 5 shows! I collaborated with other amazing artists to curate the third installment of “Gallery of Bodies”. I have felt a large growth in self-trust in my artistic practice and started venturing into applying for more artist opportunities. I had a goal to collect “15 rejections” over the year, to get myself in the habit of applying to things- well I only ended up applying to 5 things and from that only got 2 rejections (so new focus for 2024 get more rejections!)
One of those opportunities that wasn’t a rejection, was a collaboration with “In and Out Theatre” where I was paired up with a Student to create their ultimate Halloween costume. This experience was a highlight. My student wanted an “AI robot” costume and I did my very best!
In the summer I was lucky enough to go on a Solo road trip to Ness Creek Music Festival, this was my first year as a volunteer and I was able to show some Art in their inaugural Gallery Space. This was my first time out of Calgary since lockdown life! and it felt so good to be in the forest with limited cellphone service. Also got to spend some time with some beloved family and new friends!
Selim and I also got really good at prioritizing a regular date time every week- It has been great to get out there together and try different things in Calgary. We have found a couple of Coffee shops we love (Shout out to Rosso Ogden! and Weeds Cafe)
Selim’s Mom was also able to come out for her first visit to Canada! it was a lovely time, very busy! My Mom was also here and I took the opportunity of them both being here to do some wedding dress shopping.
My Mom’s visit also consisted of a lot of quality time with our “first friends”, a family we knew well since childhood. While I feel weird about going into details it feels important to acknowledge that this time was marked by the loss of a beloved friend. It has had me thinking a lot about grief, how humans cope, whats most important, who you show up for and how.
A couple of other highlights:
-I successfully grew a sunflower (have been trying for many years!)
-we got a really amazing rainbow showerhead (yes this is a highlight!)
-raised Butterflies with the kids and their cousins
-painted a big heart on the fence in my garden
-subverted the formality of crits at school by making a bubble party and making work with the “F” word
-had a lovely visit from my Cousin and took in a bovine orchestra
-purchased some amazing taxidermy art made with Magpie wings
-my bestie had his first Child! (and the cuteness is Epic)\
Happenings and Hopes for 2024:
-Selim is starting a new part time opportunity in addition to his current work
-We should be setting a wedding date! (ah)
-Moms will be visiting in May again (Celebrating Grad)
-Hoping for Ness Creek with Selim
-Hoping for a career shift for myself into more Arts based work
-Kind Trouble Making with the Artists Collective I belong too
-Continued Auntie Adventures and Art Classes
F*ck it, I’m a flower
My artist’s statement from Winter 2023
One time a train-hopping anarchist told me “When all the elements line up just right, a freight train can sound like the song of a humpback whale.” Years later when walking in the canal areas off Deerfoot trail, just out of sight of this area is a large trainyard, I heard the perplexing sound of a humpback whale and remembered the wisdom shared with me. Had I not known what the train-hopping anarchist had to share, maybe I would not have even heard this sound.
Using oil stick, a paper mâché mask and photo transfers, I try to draw lines around all the invisible intersections of “knowing”. It started, as it always does, through a dissection of observations of human behaviour, a wondering of what values are revealed through what is accepted, what is engaged with and responded to, and what is not. What is protected when there is an underlying belief and reinforcement of ideas of what is and is not true...meaningful...worthy...successful...Art. And what do you do if you find yourself on the other side of favour?
People put a lot of effort into getting rid of Dandelions, to maintain crisp edges, uniform height, and hue. They seem to think it means something if you do not. Regardless of all else that might need your attention, or how you appreciate the pop of vibrance and puffs of magic or the fact that dandelions are one of the first blooms of spring and provide an early food source to pollinator.
“A journey of knowing self, “other” and everything” is a 3-part series created with oil stick paint on mylar. It started as a personal affirmation and plunged into an expanse of darkness, not knowing your role within the context of the whole can feel like surviving in the belly of the whale. Proceeding with confusion is more than valid. What one might strive for might not be right for the other. Some might ask the value of artificial light while others are consumed by it. Understanding what you know, what your name is, what their names are, gives you the choice to find what you need and say “fuck it” to the rest.
john a. powell* is an African American law professor. He leads the UC Berkeley Othering & Belonging Institute. In his work he outlines “targeted universalism” which is the idea of universal standards of achievement, his work studies how these systems create “others”- he states that the way to counteract systems of othering is to create a culture of “Radical Belonging” which values multiple ways of knowing and being.
“A community of Radical Belonging” was created by photographing various people in a Dandelion mask I made with paper mâché, using photo transfer techniques I collaged the images onto wood panels.
Remember- The work is not instructions on how you should show up, its an invitation to something more.
john a. powell -spells his name in lowercase in the belief that we should be "part of the universe, not over it, as capitals signify"
Research Highlights:
Lecture: “Travelling with Feminist Killjoys” Sarah Ahmed
Podcast: “Nocturne” Vanessa Lowe
Exhibition: “Interiors” Margaux Williamson
Queer Methodologies 401
Results from AUArts equity survey
Artists:
Peter Doig
Kathrine Bradford
Katherine Bernhardt
Rocio Graham
Oh Hello there
Here I am reminding myself of life in the early Aughts by writing a blog! Nostalgia over a specific digital medium feels very Millennial.
I am Lacey Grey! Emerging Artist residing in Treaty 7 of so-called Canada. At the time of this writing, I can see the end of my fine arts degree in the not-so-distant future, and it has set me off into a dreamy space of imagining what my Artist life post-university will look like. I have a feeling the experience will be layered and a bit unexpected.
This blog space will be a grey area. I plan to use it to share personal thoughts and experiences, especially as they relate to art and creation. I hope to share about the research side of my artistic practice- getting into what I am reading and looking at. An incredible amount of thought and feelings go into what I do in my work, sometimes I am sad that people don’t know all the bits and pieces that go into each project. I am hoping that sharing some of this will give added depth for those viewing my work and that the written processing will also help me to continue to learn about creation, myself, and the world...Etc. Etc. Etc.
I am hoping to maintain this as a very authentic space. Often when art crosses over with capitalism, undercurrents of “influence,” branding, and marketing sneak into the way spaces like this function, rather than all that I would like more of a digital scrapbook vibe, or an archive of my experience, a virtual behind the scenes and hopeful invitation into further connection. Many creatives can relate to the experience of creating to post about it online, or the creation of the work is through the lenses of who and why they will see it, I know those types of thoughts played a role in my earlier blog life, but I will be approaching this as the “capturing” of things already happening, not creating so that I can capture it here.
In addition to sharing my own practice, I will highlight experiences with local art of all kinds and of all levels, I hate that there is a hierarchy in how we look at art, so this label of “levels” is not to re-enforce that dynamic but to establish that I will actively be looking outside of it. I'm interested in what can be learned from art, the way it can foster new thoughts, evoke emotion, and capture history... and I’m excited to capture some of that here.
I will end this post with a final bit of gutter poetry (which one day I will define) I wrote for a project earlier this semester.
I humbly believe I have something to offer this world
And I firmly believe that you do to
I want to know what you know, and if I don’t understand
I hope you still feel safe
I want you to know what I know and if you don’t understand
I hope you still make space.