Local Eyes: Surrey Arts Centre's Arts 2011
Local artists from the Arts 2011 showcase share their art and philosophy with students.
Industrial Organ by Amy Cheung
By Kristi Alexandra
[culture editor]
As part of its effort to expose local arts and culture, the Surrey Arts Centre regularly exhibits a handful of local artists’ works. From industrial installations to 3D pieces to watercolour on paper, the artists from the exhibition Arts 2011 show they can conquer any medium. Here are just two of the featured artists.
Artist: Deborah Morriss
Twins
Medium: ink and oil stick/list print
Artist’s Statement: “I would say this is more of a singular piece––part of a small series. It’s experimental; I had never done any print making. It was more of an exploration. It’s not entirely serious. I like playing with idea of animal and people combinations, which you get a lot of in Greek mythology and things like that. We’re all of two minds and fighting temptation, our conscience is always telling us what to do––there’s always a battle in there. The idea is two siamese [sic] twins; what if you had a siamese[sic] twin that you couldn’t stand, and what if you born in a situation where you were attached to somebody and you didn’t like each other? It’s purgatory! This is kind of a push and pull/yin and yang kind of thing.
Personal philosopy on art: “Don’t necessarily expect to make a living out of this kind of thing, but then again, you never know what you’ll end up doing. For example, I paint movie sets. It’s still in the field but it’s not sitting at home at your table and drawing. More and more I find, when I’m working on something you look at it and look at it and finally you know when you think it’s the best you can do, for you. And then it’s time to stop. If you doubt, keep at it and keep trying to get it right. That’s when you do your very best work.”
Artist: Amy Cheung
Industrial Organ
Medium: 3-D and fibre arts
Artist’s Statement: “I have several [industrial organs], this is just one organic-industrial organ. This is very new, the first I have submitted. I tried to show that industrial and high-technology goes into everything in our daily life; no matter where we go, we see high-tech [things] and industrialization. That’s why I think, one day, it will go inside our bodies. Our organs might become very high-tech — it might come true. It’s kind of ironic; it’s kind of like a joke. All of my work has an element of humour, but under my humour it’s always concerned with some serious issues. For example, my organ is serious. I started my Industrial Organ projects is 2007 for my Emily Carr grad show. That organ, though, is totally different. They are made from the same mold, I have several molds. This one is cast from a mold. The first few organs I made were transparent with lights inside. In 2008, I had an organ installation at the Richmond Art Gallery. I made 500 pieces of different organs, so that was a huge installation. So I make many, many small molds and I fabricate them and compose them and try to convey the industrial theme.”
Personal philosophy on art: “Whether or not you feel like creating, I think that’s art. You don’t have to have good skill or have high academic theory. I think as long as you like to do something, if you have that instinctive feeling inside of you, then just do it. I believe you can make very good things, and very unique art if it’s your art and you don’t copy other artists.”
