Gravity and Other Myths just brought their ‘A (Eh?) game’… and you’re going to want to see them do it again.
Remarkably skillful, hardworking, risk-taking acrobats, this Australia-based team of performers is pushing physical limits and personal boundaries. Their featured tour, A Simple Space, is honest, genuine and viscerally infectious. With a small twist of playful humour and a touch of over-confidence, the cast of A Simple Space will tickle your soft spots just enough to distract you from the physical angst you feel for the performers.
On opening night, A Simple Space’s cast revealed their show (and a little bit more) to a mesmerized and fascinated full house. The York Theatre was the perfect sized space for Gravity and Other Myths’ performance aims. Cast only by a handful of spotlights, the room was no bigger than a modern sized Vancouver condo (kidding…we know condos here are smaller) and housed the cast to its maximum potential. With nowhere to go but up, that’s exactly the direction these performers ended up traveling.
The show started out with a game of trust. Accompanied by melodic pieces produced by live percussionist (and insanely talented musician), fellow Gravity and Other Myths member, Elliot Zoerner, the acrobats began a sequence of staged falls, one after another. Each acrobat moved with the music, exercising stealth, strength, and agility to quickly catch his fellow performer. Setting the tone for the rest of the evening, the opening act unveiled a truthful, trusting, raw approach to what could otherwise have been a flashy, over-the-top circus style scene.
Each following act only got better. Every cast member was given an opportunity to showcase her individual ability while being surrounded and supported by her mates. The team seemed prepared and ready to respond to any situation. Quick on their feet and graceful with their steps, the performers demonstrated cooperation, determination, and responsibility. Though silly and challenging games were played, every audience member watched with bated breath. The acts, ranging from a skip and strip contest to a front flip-a-thon, brought a unique set of skills to the stage but always kept the artists’ focused mindsets intact. The show was admirable, entertaining, and nerve-wracking all at once.
Undoubtedly, I’d go see this performance again. It’s family friendly, date night appropriate, and checks off all the boxes of ‘cool things to do in Vancouver’. Check out the individual bios of Gravity and Other Myths here and be sure to scope out the listings for the next show.
A Simple Space runs until October 24 at the York Theatre.
My friendship with Ben Garner goes back to 2007, when we met at a bar named Canvas Lounge. We were both hired to work as the VIP hosts for a New York influenced minimalistic and modern venue. Between dealing with drunks and interpretive dancing, Ben and I got to know each other better and became friends. A couple of years later, I moved out of the country and Ben and I took different directions in our lives and careers. Having returned home I’ve come back to chat with Ben and catch up on time lost. Sitting down at his home and studio workspace I get to hear what he’s been up to, learn more about his art and get crotched-sniffed by his new pure bread boxer, Othello.
Ben Garner at his home studio.
SAD MAG: It’s been a long time, Ben! It’s great to be here and catch up with you.
BEN GARNER: Yes, definitely! I’m excited to be chatting with you.
SM: It sounds like you’ve had several busy years while I was away. But before we get into any of that, let’s talk a bit about your background. How and where did the story of Ben begin?
BG: Well, I’m 34 years old and I was born in Phoenix, Arizona. I grew up in a place called La Quinta in California, which people commonly make reference to when I tell them that it’s about 20 minutes from Coachella. When I was in second grade my Mom, Dad, brother, sister and I moved to West Vancouver. Growing up I was involved with acting and modelling. I took modeling classes at Blanche MacDonald before it was even a thing. In my teens we moved back to California where I got heavily involved with theatre. Growing up I always knew I had to be creatively involved somehow…when I was 18 years old I moved back to Vancouver to attend Studio 58… this is where my life really started to take off in a whirlwind.
SM: Tell me more about that.
BG: Coming back to Vancouver I moved in with a total pothead chick named Elena. We lived downstairs while two lesbians and an East Indian dude who walked with one leg lived upstairs. Once I had settled into my new found freedom I started going to gay clubs. Elena and I were doing acid together-we did it every weekend for a month until we had a really weird trip in the Real Canadian Superstore and never did it again. I kind of felt like this was the initiation stage of entering into the ‘real’ world. It wasn’t that I had been detached from reality but I had finally birthed into my own perception of it. [And] this new perception-between hallucinations and hidings-would feed my desire to be somewhere else other than in the boring mundane 9 to 5 reality that I thought the world to be; I needed to believe the world I lived in was a magical place…
SM: So you had this awakening, you were trying to find your ground and make sense of the world and you realized you needed to be in a place that allowed your mind to expand. Am I hearing that right?
BG: Yes, absolutely. And even though I was sort of making some good progress in terms of coming into my own, into being Ben, I was going about it in a very disillusioned way. I began to have typical gay relationships and experience the highs of the nightlife combined with the lowest of lows… I struggled with depression and suicide many times… I was hospitalized a number of times and my personal life grew very difficult, especially as my sister was killed in a car crash only one month after I tried to take my own life…after traveling all over the states and experiencing more chaos in my life, I came back to Vancouver again. I was 23 years old and got into crystal meth with a friend who offered me a place to stay…I quickly relied on the drug as it proved to be the only way I could still believe that fantasy world I longed to live in…Looking back I was just afraid of life…and myself.
SM: So what happened next?
BG: [Well], after some time I was not [considered] safe to function in reality. I was picked up by ambulance several times and treated for psychosis…I very quickly became detached from any kind of reality. I truly was crazy…[and amidst all of this] everything around me was speaking to me. I was constantly trying to figure out some hidden meaning, some intricate formula for life…after months and month of manic behaviour I finally hit the bottom; there was nowhere else to go in my head. I began to pull myself into a different direction. I sobered up, got a job and went to back to college. I began taking classes again which sparked my interest in art and creativity. I went away on a travel abroad art history program for two months in Europe and upon returning I decided to enroll in Emily Carr.
SM: Wow, that’s quite a lot that you worked through. How empowering! So tell me about your project(s) with Emily Carr and how they came to be.
BG: My time with Emily Carr was extremely rewarding. I was commissioned to work with Sumac Ridge for the launch of one of their new wine labels, had a chance to work with Bob Rennie and the Rennie Collection in collaboration with the Union Gospel Mission to produce art for their new cafeteria which I ended up being the spokesperson for Emily Carr during that project. Most recently, I graduated and presented my grad piece at The Show, which has now become a continuing and well-received artwork…I have been exploring and referencing mandalas throughout my studies at Emily Carr as they best represent my worldly experiences-my grand psychosis. You see, I’m always going to be psychotic; now I just know how to live in the real world as one.
Ben showing me how his mandalas ate typically made; Othello resting on the couch.
SM: Can you tell me more about the mandalas?
BG: Sure. Mandalas are cosmograms: maps of the universe. In Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies they are used for meditation to contact higher awareness, states of being or enlightenment. My project started as a series of ink drawings and moved to large-scale coloured geometric patterns resembling starburst. I remembered learning about an artist who used his blood to make statue busts of himself and it inspired me to think about my own identity, especially when my last course before grad was a Queer Theory course. I decided blood was the only way I could genuinely represent all of an individual in the truest form. I took on my grad project and constructed these blood mandalas, of myself and others. The project spoke to me and provided an opportunity to examine myself internally and see that all of my experiences could be brought to this one piece, this one place, with my own blood. It then also became my gift to others, to use their blood and create a portal from their reality, their DNA, and transcend the inner workings into the world of the spirit.
SM: So where are your mandalas now? And what’s next for Ben Garner?
BG: Until last week my mandalas were on display at the Windsor Gallery. I currently have three test tubes in my fridge of the blood of others, waiting to be transformed into a mandala. I plan to finish 8 more and present another showing in the weeks to come.Ater that we’ll see where things can go and until then, I’m continuing to follow this journey and am fixated on my [burgeoning] career as an artist.
Ben standing with one of his featured blood mandalas.
After we finished our conversation, Ben showed me some of his works in progress as well as other abstract canvas art he has been working on. For more information or to follow Ben’s work find him at online and on Instagram.
As spring had sprung, so did Vancouver’s annual Nifty for Fifty, a seven year run, trunk style shopping sensation showcasing local designers’ original pieces at discounted prices. The event was held at Heritage Hall and was buzzing with fashionistas and bargain hunters. Vintage pieces, eccentric finds and jazzy jewelry, all for under fifty dollars! SAD MAG was on location and between change room fittings and cash dispensing, we spoke to a few of the designers about their pieces, their inspirations and how they got to be involved with Nifty for Fifty.
From top left (clockwise): Sarah Mudder Jewelry, Whisper Jewels, Adhesif Clothing, SIMS jewelry.
Mellissa Ferriera / Adhesif Clothing, Owner and Designer /Nifty for Fifty Founder
Sad Mag: So, who are you?
Melissa Ferriera: My name is Melissa Ferreira and I was born and raised in Montreal until the age of 12, when I moved to Vancouver with my mother and brother. I’m Portuguese Canadian which says a lot about my colourfully expressive personality, temperament, and sense of humour.
Mellissa Ferriera at her shop, Adhesif Clothing / Photo Credit Rebecca Blisset
SM: Where does your inspiration come from?
MF: A lot of my inspiration comes from my European background and I love traveling to Europe whenever possible. I have been lucky to call Germany my second home over the last few years as my partner is German… I grew up with my mother sewing at the kitchen table when not working in garment production factories in Montreal. Naturally I learned how to sew from her. I taught myself how to design from taking apart vintage garments and seeing how they were put together, after spending many years as a vintage clothing buyer out of high school. I love everything vintage and it remains to this day my main source of inspiration… I have been in and out of retail/fashion related jobs my whole life. I started Adhesif Clothing in 2003, opened my own boutique in 2010 and never looked back.
SM: Tell us about Nifty for Fifty. How did you come up with the event?
MF: Nifty for Fifty started 7 years ago… Basically I wanted to throw a high end sale with low end prices, a sort of give back to the people kind of thing where I could get rid of prototypes, samples and vintage pieces that were taking up too much space in my studio. I refer to the show as “an indie designer blowout sale. It’s Adhesif Clothing’s “Boxing Day” event, unofficially… I LOVE the Heritage Hall. It’s central and a beautiful old building so it worked out perfectly. I actually have a waiting list of 40 people for next year’s event already!
Allison Smith / Designer, Allison Wonderland
Allison Wonderland Design, Spring and Summer 2014 / Photo Credit Ellyse Anderson
SM: So, who are you?
AS: Allison Smith, born in Richmond, raised in Tsawwassen, living in Mount Pleasant. I have a 13 month old daughter named Violet, her dad and I are “married”… I love living in this city and ride my bike all over. I am looking forward to this spring when Violet and I can tear around on the bike together.
SM: Tell us about your fashion career. How did that begin?
AS: I went to Kwantlen right after high school. I started sewing young and made or altered my own clothes. I lived in Montreal and travelled before coming back to Vancouver. I have been designing Allison Wonderland since the 90’s. It started out as more crazy rave, party clothes and has evolved as I have. In 2011 I added Pillar as an eco line.
SM: Who (or what, if that’s more fitting for you) are you fashion inspirations? How would you describe your style/pieces?
AS: Living life is my inspiration. I day dream what I’d like to wear, what my friends would like to wear… Allison Wonderland is a fun sophisticated line. The styles can be worn to work and out on the town. Pillar is a bit more casual, weekend fun wear.
SM: How did you get involved with Nifty for Fifty? Is this your first year contributing?
AS: I first did Nifty 5 years ago, stopped for a year and then started again when Melissa moved it to the Heritage Hall. I have stock left over from so many seasons it is a great way to blow it out… I have to say sometimes it breaks my heart to part with certain pieces for so little. But that it fashion for you!
Trudy Wynans // Designer and owner of Toodlebunny
SM: So, who are you?
TW: My name is Trudy Wynans and I’m the designer behind TOODLEBUNNY. I grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island but have been a Vancouverite for most of my adult life. I currently reside and work from my studio on the North Shore. I’m a bit of a night owl and work into the wee hours of the morning. I think my creativity peaks in the first two to three hours after midnight. I’m still waiting for the day that I’ll just wake up and be that ‘morning’ person. One day maybe?
I live and breathe jewellery, a bit of a workaholic but in a good way! Whenever I travel I’m always on the hunt for new materials and inspiration for new designs. Handpicking these sometimes rare and unique components keep my line fresh and constantly evolving. The best part of my ‘job’ is creating shiny, pretty things every day.
Trudy Wynans / Toodlebunny Designer
SM: Tell us about your fashion career. How did that begin?
TW: Toodlebunny was launched in the spring of 2006 while I still was working a full time job in the restaurant industry. ..I made a decision to go full time with my jewellery in the fall of 2007 and have never looked back. Sometimes it can be tough to wear so many hats: designer, manufacturer, bookkeeper, web designer, photographer, graphics artist, marketing, social media, PR and sales rep – but I wouldn’t change a thing. I absolutely love what I do!
People always ask: Where does the name TOODLEBUNNY come from? My boyfriend’s pet name for me is toodles and one year he had addressed an Easter card with ‘to my little toodlebunny’ so it kinda melted my heart a little bit and just stuck. When I was just starting out with the jewels and racking my brain for a company name he had registered the domain name toodlebunny.com and tucked it into my Xmas stocking. So I guess you could say it was chosen for me!
Trudy Wynans / Toodlebunny Designer
SM: Where does your inspiration come from? How would you describe your style/pieces?
TW: My inspiration begins with the discovery of the materials themselves, hand picked on my travels. Rummaging through aisles of vintage deadstock components always creates major excitement! Finding these treasures and literally deciding on the spot what I will transform the pieces into is how I begin the design process. Once back in the studio I need to look at everything and just start creating… Asymmetry, yet balanced, is one of the key elements of my design. I love the challenge of designing asymmetrical necklaces as well as complimentary “mismatched” earrings using the same disparate elements. The pieces vary from being simple and pretty to ones that are a bit more rock n’ roll…something for every woman.
Toodlebunny designs
SM: How did you get involved with Nifty for Fifty? Is this your first year contributing?
TW: I met Melissa in 2006 at one of the local markets when I was just starting my line. She was super helpful and answering questions from a newbie to the scene, which I am forever grateful for. Being a fellow aries we hit it off right from the start and both had a mutual admiration for each other’s work. I was invited to participate in the first Nifty for Fifty in 2008 and have participated every year since. Well I did miss one year in 2009 but who’s counting?
Well Trudy, we are counting! Because the next Nifty for Fifty is a whole year away! This year the annual event hosted a total of 30 local designers. Other contributors included Bronsino, Bueno Style, Daub + Design, Elroy Apparel, Flightpath, Floating Gold Iceberg, Irit Sorokin Designs, Kdon, Shop Cocoon and more. With its growing popularity and demand for local design exposure, we imagine the event will be even larger next year and boast some of Vancouver’s best talent. If you’re interested in getting involved or want to learn more, check out the Nifty for Fifty website. Until next year, farewell in good fashion!
“I guess I know when something is working because it feels effortless and it just flows out.” Photo c/o Monika Malczynski
Have you seen the new Sad Mag yet? For issue no. 14, FANTASY, we launched our first ever fiction contest, inviting new writers to submit their weirdest and wildest stories for the chance to win a $250 cash prize and to get their story in print!
Fantasy Fiction winner for her story, “The Stars/Les Étoiles,” Ashleigh Kay Rajala is basking in the warm glow of coming out on top and moving forward. Ready to focus on a new chapter in her life, Ashleigh sits back to talk about recent events and “The Stars/Les Étoiles,” and how the two have brought her here.
Sad Mag: Tell me about yourself.
Ashleigh Rajala: My name is Ashleigh, I’m 30 years old, from Vancouver, born and raised. I have one younger sister who I had a very typical childhood with, one where we both loved and hated each other. I…just got married in March…and [my husband and I] both thought about moving away or traveling so we…[recently went] to the UK to check some things out. We’ve just returned and are now staying with my parents until we find a place we want to live here in Vancouver. I’m really looking forward to taking a breather and relaxing!
SM: Sounds like you’ve had a busy couple of years! What about the writing?
AR: I studied at SFU where I did a double major in English and Archeology and…did a film program for a couple of semesters at Langara….We did a few short films that were screened at film festivals around the world and one of the shorts I did was selected to close out ‘Stepping Stone’, a film festival in India….As far as writing goes, I’ve been writing ever since I was little. I remember when I was 5 years old I had pneumonia and I was in the hospital for three weeks and so I wrote a story about a dinosaur (laughs) and so really, writing has been the only constant in my life….I never really took a decision to start writing, it just sort of happened and it was something I have just always done.
SM: How did you get involved with this contest and SAD MAG?
AR: I heard about the magazine and this contest through my friend Taryn…[She] works for the Vancouver Co-Op Radio and she hosts a storytelling show on Sunday nights. She had read the short story I submitted for SAD MAG and really liked it and was encouraging me to do something with it…She was the one who told me about the Fantasy Fiction Contest with SAD MAG so I decided to enter my story.
SM: So tell me about your story. When did you write it and how did you come up with the idea?
AR: Well, I wrote the story about a year and a half ago…Usually when I begin to write something I have ideas about the premise but I remember with this story I had more of an idea of the characters, the little girl especially…I don’t remember specifically but it really was more about the voice and wanting to write a children’s story but not for children. I remember I really wanted that style, that voice and I think I just started writing about that character and I had this vague idea of what I wanted to do and it just came….I’m really bad at making outlines of stories or notes with things and I will but I end up changing things around…[and so] I remember this story feeling it coming to me organically, not so much something I planned out…I guess I know when something is working because it feels effortless and it just flows out.
SM: What about the character(s) in “The Stars/Les Étoiles”? Did they, the little girl in particular, embody some of you or were the characters completely fictional?
AR: For this story…I don’t think the little girl was me or that there was necessarily an exact moment in time where I may have felt this way….[but] I think everyone goes through a point in their life where they want to somehow break out and be noticed. I don’t think my story and this character is about me in the way that I didn’t feel how the little girl felt – she wanted to be noticed by her father – and I didn’t have those kinds of issues with my Dad. I think rather than being that father/child dynamic this story was more about growing up and adjusting to the changes in life….I think the idea was aimed at dreams and goals shifting from thinking “oh, I’m going to grow up and be something”…to having a realization that you wouldn`t have wanted that at a later age. I think that was kind of what happened to the girl in the end of the story, where she found herself alone even after she got everything she asked for.
SM: It sounds to me that a ‘coming of age’ is an overarching theme for this story. Would you say that’s true?
AR: Yes, definitely I would say that’s true!
SM: It also sounds like this story has helped you to do a lot of soul searching of your own! So what now? Where do you go from here?
AR: Well, I really feel that I’m ready to settle down and focus more on my writing…[After being away] in the UK for a couple of months and coming home now I feel ready to set things up and move forward…I feel like I’ve been squeezing time in the between everything else and now I feel ready to pursue more and take on things that I feel would fit…At the end of the day, I am just really happy to be sitting down and writing [smiles].
***
What else will subscribers find in the newest issue?
Sad Mag no.14, the Fantasy issue, goes beyond the bedroom to explore the deepest fantasies of Vancouver’s writers, comedians, artists and photographers…. Oh, and there’s plenty of bedroom too.
Tran APus Rex // images c/o belle ancell photography
It’s been a couple of weeks now since I saw the riveting performances of those who participated in Jen Crothers and Kristina Lemieux’sQueer Arts Festival production, Reflection/Refraction. Before the night of the performance, I knew the production’s format but I didn’t really know what to expect: the individual performance pieces were to be completely subjective interpretations and responses to one of five short queer films assigned to each performer. These short films whimsically or charismatically provoked a number of ideas and issues associated with identity, gender, sexuality, intimacy and community. The films included galactic docking, “Miss Chief” dancing, choreographed “brother-herrd,” bus passing and Hawker anime. The performers, having had several months to reflect upon their personal responses to the short films, were to share their reflective and refracted pieces with the audience.
The first piece was performed by the enthusiastic Ralph Escamillian, who started the show off with a baring it all reverse strip tease, which he described as being his response to the “stereotypes of homosexuality” after refracting his assigned short film, Galactic Docking Company. The disco pop track “The Beat” got the audience in the mood and Escamillian’s energetically sensual display of layering clothes made me feel that this was now a revolutionary disco docking celebration.
“There’s more between the earth and sky than we can understand,” Mette Bach repeatedly projected. Bach was assigned the short film Dance to Miss Chief which directed her, surprisingly she admitted, towards a desire to dance that has been something she has struggled with since losing a loved one. Bach embraced her response to her assigned short film and gave a moving, insightful and honest speech about her loss. Having lost my Mother recently, Bach’s monologue reminded me that losing someone does produce a period of grievance but can also produce beautiful art by which we can celebrate and still dance with Miss Chief.
The third performance swayed me back into dance mode when Tran APus Rex appeared on stage. Responding to the assigned short film Herr, Tran APus Rex put identity, gender and sexuality back on the interrogation table by playing around with pieces of clothing, strip teasing and jumping out of a giant blue vagina. Tran APus Rex’s performance piece, much like Herr, made me wonder about this performer’s identity but care less as to what that meant to me and care more for what that meant to the individual. It was a lovely display of gender and sexual interaction, and I felt that Tran APus Rex had self-birthed into herr own.
Ralph Escamillan // image c/o belle ancell photography
The Bus Pass evoked a musical response in rising star, cellist Cris Derksen, who took the short film and reworked the scenes whilst creating an original electronically fused performance piece accompanied by her cello. Derksen told the audience she felt some awkwardness in the film that she wanted to work out. The intensity of Derksen’s music amplified the room in such a way that made me feel those thoughts circulating and consuming the film actor’s mind. I felt a tension in the performance piece much the same way that I did when watching the film and in both, that tension had been resolved.
Last, but not least, came David C. Jones’s fishing fiasco. Jones’s performance was a response to the short film, an animation titled The Hawker. Jones focused on themes of love and loss and was inspired by the fish in the film to tell a story as a person at sea through a physical mime piece. I watched Jones’s character spread ashes into a sea of water and cope with what felt like feelings of estrangement and a restructuring of identity. Without dialogue and scene structure it felt difficult to know precisely what was happening but that was the magic of this performance for me – that in losing someone you might often feel lost and struggle with knowing the way or with knowing how to deal with your emotions and loved ones. The grieving period of loss is different for everyone and I felt that Jones was successful in displaying a subjective and natural response to self-identity, loss and grief.
It was a pleasure to watch the queer short films and witness the emotions, responses and inspiration evoked in these five performances. A good life involves reflection but a great life is formed through refraction.
The Queer Arts Festival is here! Co-curators Kristina Lemieux and Jen Crothers have come together with their production, Reflection/Refraction, which will be showcased on August 1st. Chatting over antipasti and casual drinks at Charlie’s Little Italian Pizzeria on Main, Sad Mag correspondent Monika Malczynski learns more about Kristina and Jen and how they found their inspiration.
Kristina Lemieux
SAD MAG: Who are you?
KRISTINA LEMIEUX: My name is Kristina. I am originally from Edmonton, well [laughs], Drayton Valley. I’ve lived in Vancouver for about seven years now and I’m an arts and cultural manager and thinker. Currently my primary project is with Brief Encounters -we take an even number of artists (ranging from opera singers to architects) and we pair them together and give them two weeks to create a five to twenty minute performance piece. I also am working on Reflection/Refraction. I also am a co-director of a community dance troop called Polymer Dance. And I host a dialogue series called SANKASETwhere I get arts professionals together to talk about directed topics in the arts. Lots of things, all kinds of things!
SM: Sounds like it! And what about you, Jen?
JEN CROTHERS: I am Jen Crothers. Crothers rhymes with brothers, not that you need to know that in a written document
KL: [Laughs] It’s going in there now!
Jen Crothers
JC: [Laughs], yeah. So I guess I’d say I’m an artist and an organizer. I am the treasurer on the board on the Queer Arts Festival and I’m pro-curating the show in the Queer Arts Festival with Kristina. I am an organizer with the All Bodies Swim which is a regular private event at Templeton pool where people who might feel normally feel awkward or excluded from swimming pools are invited to come and swim and have fun in the pool. We invite all kinds of people – fat people, people with scars, lots of tattoos – and we run this occasion every six weeks or two months. I’m a filmmaker as well; I made a couple of films one of which is called “Butch Tits” and it’s been around a bit. I also organize Queer Bodies Film Night which is a semi-regular film night that I show short films that deal with issues such as gender, sexuality, mental health, those kind of things. So yeah, you know, random projects. And I’m, obviously, not from here [since she speaks with an accent]. I’m from Australia, from Tasmania, and I traveled to a bunch of places before I got here but I’ve been here for six of the last eight years and I will stay here for the foreseeable future although Australia kind of has my heart.
SM: You two have paired up to co-curate Reflection/Refraction for the QAF. How did you begin working together and what is this production all about?
JC: Kristina and I knew each other before the project. We were friends for probably about six years before the project began and we sort of connected over the love of spreadsheets, organization and ‘geekery’.
KL: [Smiles] Yeah, and I think we were just talking one day about how we both wanted to do more organizing or more programming in the arts as we were seeing a bit of a gap in what kind of programming was happening in the queer communities and Jen loves films and I love performing art – although we both love films and performing arts – but in terms of expertise, we thought we could blend the two together and bring both of what we are most passionate about. So we came up with the idea of having five short films by five queer filmmakers that would then be responded to by five queer performing artists. We did this back in 2011 for the Queer Film Festival and then our lives got busy last year and we realized that we didn’t do anything for 2012 so we thought we should definitely get involved again and approach the queer arts festival and we did. So, here we are.
SM: So essentially the shorts will be shown and then each performer, having spent approximately four months coming up with their own interpretation or response to their film, will perform. Is that right?
JC and KL: Yes, that’s right.
SM: So if you can recall, because you originally came up with this idea in 2011, where did your inspiration come from?
JC: I think the inspiration- we were sort of just talking and all of a sudden it kind of just came. We were doing a lot of this: eating a restaurants, have some casual drinks and ideas were being discussed.
KL: Yeah, and I don’t think it came out in the way that it was a completely laid-out format, that this was going to be the way it was done, but that after some conversations back and forth we sort of figured things out. We were brainstorming ideas and ways which a performance could address certain issues. And the other thing we both really like is creativity within certain boundaries: time frames are limited, time performances are limited, what happens when you sort of constrain the creative process. And that’s how we came up with Reflection/Refraction; it was something that we thought could fit into that creative boundary.
JC: Yes, and we talked quite philosophically about it. We talked a lot about the difference between film and performance and we found that when a filmmaker makes a film, at some point it becomes fixed. That first you edit, then show some friends and you might edit it again and again but at some point it becomes a fixed piece of art that you can no longer change again. Whereas with a piece of performing art, you perform it and you have an audience reaction and you might tweak it and then you have another performance then talk to someone or have another reaction and then you tweak it again. I mean, this doesn’t always happen, sometimes people perform the exact same thing. But even on a good night a performer might respond to the energy of the audience. If the audience is giving a lot of responsive energy, the performer might give a bigger performance. Whereas film is fixed and it’s flat. So when we were thinking about the idea of putting people into the position where they were kind of forced to be inspired. It was somewhat of a theoretical approach. Kristina is a total theory nerd and I’m a bit more scared by her intellectualism but nevertheless, I try to keep up [they both smile].
SM: Have you seen the progress that the performers have made with their approach or will you be seeing their performances for the first time next week?
JC: We did want to curate the performances; we did want to interact with the performers, critique them, give them suggestions of how what they’re doing might work or not. So we did meet with them once about their initial ideas about the films. Some of them were like “yes, I’ve got an idea of what I’m going to do” and others were like “I have twenty ideas and don’t know which one to choose” and other people were like “uh, I have no clue what I’m going to do.” This weekend we are going to see them again and see what they’ve come up with and give them some feedback again and then they’ll have a chance to fine tune their performance and then yeah, then we’ll get to see it again.
all photos c/o Monika Malczynski
SM: Having been involved with many creative projects over the last several years of living in Vancouver, and coming from different cities, how do you feel about the “creative scene” in Vancouver? Do you think this city poses challenges for artistic people or do you find there to be easy and creative avenues to explore?
KL: There is a lot of amazing stuff happening in the arts in Vancouver but I think that if anything could be improved that there be stronger avenues to communicate with people on what they’re doing. In the last eighteen months we’ve lost, like three cultural reviewers? Don’t quote me on that but a good chunk of cultural reviewers from our major publications. And not that I think our general public is reading print media but because where we are getting our information from is in flux, there’s nowhere to go to get a curated list of what’s happening. Almost every week I’m asking myself, “which one of these amazing productions do I want to pick to go to tonight?” which shows there’s a lot going on.
JC: Yes, and just to clarify that – in a sense that information is out there like with Sad Mag, Vancouver is Awesome, the Province and so on but it’s just so across the board that you have to be reading all of those publications to get the full sense of what is going on. I personally hear about things through friends, Facebook, social media and word of mouth. Usually, unless I know someone who’s involved with something or unless someone suggests we go to an event so it makes such a difference when someone says to me “you should really see this show.” So, word of mouth is really important. And being a smaller city, Vancouver is good for word of mouth but there still lacks a space where people, critics, are giving opinions and suggestions about the arts. There’s just an overwhelming amount of choice which is both good and bad. Vancouver is a lot smaller than Sydney, for example, but there’s usually a lot of choice so I personally get overwhelmed and that’s why that personal connection or suggestion really pushes me and makes a difference for me.
KL: Yeah, and just to also point out, I’ve personally been involved with arts management for the past 15 years and one of the reasons I moved to Vancouver is because it is a city that does allow one to make a living in an artistic field. Sure, I may not ever own a home but I’m not sure that that’s important anyway. And in the smaller cities, at least the more isolated ones, you don’t have the same level of municipal and provincial support that you have from the government so there are lots of opportunities for the arts here.
For more information and to buy tickets, check out Reflection/Refraction on Facebookand on the QAF website.
Aspiring designer and fashion fanatic Beau Muncer is finding a way to do what he loves in “No Fun City,” Vancouver. Born in Winnipeg and raised on the Sunshine Coast, Beau moved to Vancouver in his early twenties and soon discovered his passion for personal style. Having studied Fashion Merchandising at Blanche MacDonald with a focus on design awareness, Beau is revealing his craft with the launch of his first collection, “Beau” by Reggie Terrence.
SAD MAG: Who are you?
BEAU MUNCER: My name is Beau. I’m 27 years old and I’m now an aspiring fashion designer. I moved to Vancouver in my early twenties and thought I wanted to be a motorcycle mechanic. I was apprenticing under an expert, who’d been a mechanic for 25 years, but who hated motorcycles and wanted nothing to do with them. I didn’t want to feel that way, so his experience changed my plans. I was working in bars and one night a co-worker commented on my style and suggested I check out Blanche MacDonald. A week later I did and signed up to study fashion merchandising. I learned about the process of design, from conception to production, did really well and enjoyed it a lot. I realized I was a lot more creative than I gave myself credit for.
SM: After you finished at Blanche MacDonald, what did you do?
BM: Well, school isn’t cheap and neither is Vancouver, that’s for sure. But since school, I’ve always had a vision; I knew what I wanted to do. It was just a matter of getting things together in order to do what I wanted. I struggled a little bit, trying to start a business and launch my collection. It wasn’t working so I went up North for one year to work at the West Coast Fishing Club in Haida Gwaii and save some money. Now I’m back and I’m starting my dream of building the Reggie Terrence Empire.
WORKING ON THE COLLECTION “BEAU” BY REGGIE TERRENCE
SM: Tell me more about Reggie Terrence. Who is he and what is this all about?
BM: Yeah, so Reggie Terrence is my fashion label. “Beau” is (obviously) my name and the title for one of my collections. Reggie was my grandfather and Terrence is my father. The logo is a moustache because they both had moustaches. I even got a moustache tattoo because I couldn’t grow facial hair. I was inspired to take the best of each generation, to include the lessons we learn from the people that pass them down to us and build something with that. “Beau” by Reggie Terrence is kind of like the wild child who learns the lessons, goes through the “process of life” to get to “the dream” whereas Reggie Terrence is the dream, it’s the successor, the place or person we reach when we have found our way. So basically, this is the idea or inspiration behind the Reggie Terrence label and the collection of “Beau”.
“I realized I was a lot more creative than I gave myself credit for.”
WILD CHILD COLLECTION, “BEAU” BY REGGIE TERRENCE
SM: Now that you’re in the stages of launching your label, do you think “No Fun City Vancouver” interferes or enhances that process for you?
BM: I think the biggest challenge for artists in Vancouver is money and resources. I don’t think artists decide that they’re going to become a painter or a sculptor or musician because of the money (laughs). You have to love your craft and figure out any possible way to make money at it. The good thing about Vancouver is that it’s a big little city: it seems that there’s always some sort of connection to someone. You know, someone has a brother or you dated someone’s ex or someone knows someone that is working on a music video that needs styling. It’s a benefit in Vancouver that being in a smaller city you can actually expose yourself because of the network we have here.
SM: How did you get involved with Sad Mag?
BM: (Laughs) Through knowing you (laughs)! See? You always know someone who’s doing something in this city!
SM: I guess you’re right! So what’s next for Reggie Terrence? What’s inspiring you and where do you see yourself or your product in the next few years?
BM: Well, the next little while I’ll be doing what I like to call the “Hifiger Hussle”. Tommy Hilfiger started off by selling jeans out of the trunk of his car so, you know, you’ve got to start somewhere. The pieces for the “Beau” by Reggie Terrence collection are fun and have just the right amount of edge for a young, relaxed crowd. I think the pieces could easily be found in stores like El Kartel but my long term goal is to have my own store front one day. I’d like the store to be in Kits so we’ll see.
HILFIGER HUSSLIN’
SM: Where can we find Reggie Terrence’s collections now?
BM: I’ve got a promo videoand the website is just about to be launched. There will be an online affiliation with shopify.com which will allow people to order the “Beau” product line online. Check out Reggie Terrence!
SM: Any words to the readers out there?
BM: Yeah, um, thanks so much for all of the support, especially my family, friends and everyone that’s made things possible for me so far. Working hard pays off but it’s everyone who helps that makes it all come together. Thank you!
