spatial awareness

installation-in-progress - mrll 2012

I spent last week in Fredericton, NB installing my show, The Sky is Always Moving, at the UNB Art Centre Gallery.  I was in the East Gallery, which has these dark charcoal walls that were perfect for showcasing the work - I used natural dyes for everything, so the colours are soft and muted. 

This was my first experience with installation work - the show includes photography, mixed media sculpture, and video projection.  For the video I collaborated with Julie Scriver, who did some wonderful choreography, my fiancé Devon Ross who (along with helping me install the show!) composed and performed the music as well as performing the choreography along with Celine Gorham.  An example of the materials I used for this show:  plaster, plywood, cotton, silk, felt, handmade paper, antique lace, and found pointe shoes.  :)

still image from the body cage (your body holds you back) - monica lacey 2012

The exhibit grew out of a personal introspection where I was thinking back on my long history with dance.  I grew up studying ballet, modern dance, and jazz, for many years, and then stopped taking classes in my early twenties, but would go out dancing regularly to live music.  But then for several years I just wasn't dancing at all, not even in my living room.  And I missed it.  And I wanted to know why I wasn't dancing.  So I started asking myself some questions about the nature of dance, and then opened it up & began talking to other dancers, both trained and recreational, and the responses were really interesting.  

all the reasons why (detail) - monica lacey 2012

Everyone had something to say about dance and about why you might engage in it or not.  I then distilled the answers I was given, combined with my own, and worked out three sections to the exhibit that offer a perspective on why one would resist the natural human urge to move to rhythm:  part 1. the body cage (your body holds you back); part 2. the heavy heart (your heart weighs you down); part 3. the haunted mind (your thoughts exhaust you).  I recently received a Creation Grant from the PEI Council of the Arts to continue and expand my work on this project, so I'll be adding to it and evolving it.  The exhibit at the UNB Art Centre runs until April 20th.

the haunted mind - monica lacey 2012

slowly but surely

camp kitchen, abandoned series - mrll 2010

I know, I know, the whole point of a blog is to be updating it regularly.  These days I'm lucky if I manage to get out to check my mail and get a coffee.  I have a solo exhibition coming up (in less than 2 weeks!!) at the UNB Art Centre in Fredericton, NB.  Therefore, I have not left my studio in quite some time. 

The pressure on an artist is immense.  Even if you somehow succeed in not caring what others think of you and your work, your own inner critic can be incredibly harsh, saying things like, "oh, look at the nice drawing you made.  Bet you'll never be able to do that again."  Or, "if this work isn't amazing, you'll probably never, ever get another show."  So, to soothe that unruly inner beast, I spend a lot of time just thinking about the work I'm creating.  Sitting in my studio and examining it, looking for anything I may have missed or overlooked is when I often get my best ideas, insights that can advance a project and fuel me with inspiration. 

As I've mentioned before, being a full-time artist consists of an insane amount of administrative work:  applying for exhibitions, grants, residencies, etc.  can easily take up half of my week.  However, now and then it really pays off:  I recently was awarded a Creation Grant I had applied for from the PEI Council of the Arts!  Basically this is amazing validation for my work, and also financial support to help me spend more time in my studio creating said work.  I'm thankful to the Council of course, but also thankful to the Me who slaved over the application last October, revising and rewording well into the wee hours.  Good things are happening.  Now, I have to get back to my studio!