Hey Internet, I’m Jazmine Carr and I will be your new Blog Coordinator at Xpace Cultural Centre this year. I will be posting a variety of blog posts related to art shows, job postings, calls for submission, artist interviews and talks, workshops and upcoming need-to-see shows. So, obviously, really important stuff. I will be working with also Katie and Pablo this year also, who are very lovely so check out all the exciting things coming this year.
I am currently in my undergrad at OCAD University with a major in Printmaking and a minor in Integrated Media. I am in my thesis year and currently working on a variety of projects, mainly ones dealing with either Holography or 3-D imagery. In my own practice I do a lot of photography, performance art and installation work. I am really into Dada and Futurist strategies for art making. I am from Toronto, and I grew up on Lakeshore for those of you familiar with the city. The only time I haven’t been here is when I spent 3 years of my life living in Dominican Republic after having been given no real motive from my mom for the move (my guess is mid life crisis) but yeah, I’m a city kid. I spend a lot of time attending as many diverse art shows as possible, working at a bar and trying to survive this city with enough money for a pitcher and art supplies. If you have suggestions on shows, talks or anything else then feel free to email me!
This past Sunday I attended a one-woman show entitled “Stupid Head” written and performed by the talented Katherine Cullen with the ingenious Britta Johnson on keyboard. The show had been featured at the “store front cinema and performance lab” Videofag Gallery in Kensington market. She had been performing every night since Friday, and that Sunday was the final performance. It was a very engaging setting, with a bunch of chairs aimed at the back of the room with a small space for Cullen to perform. As many chairs that could fit in the space were brought out to accompany the amount of guests that kept trickling in.
The theme of the show was about Dyslexia and failure, something that Cullen has been dealing with her whole life, and lets face it, most of us have similar experiences as well. The walls were scattered with coloured paper and descriptions of different aspects of Dyslexia and how it has had an impact on Cullen’s personal, social and professional life. The beauty and impact is channeled through Cullen in her charming way of overcoming her failures and acknowledging their importance to who she has become. She had a brain piñata with a bunch of subjects that helped her dictate in which order she would reveal stories about her past, stories that inherently also had to with Dyslexia. I thought that even the title “Stupid Head” comes from the feeling of inadequacy which is relatable to everyone; even though having a disorder where assessing symbols, language and script becomes almost impossible, and getting lost on your way home as an inevitable aspect of your life seems pretty difficult to deal with. I felt the stories were relatable in their honesty and secret revealing nature. Cullen’s ways of embracing her past and her embarrassing, emotionally hindering moments remixed into endearing relatable skits and well-written songs were really well executed. Definitely one of those shows I won’t forget anytime soon.
There are a bunch of amazing shows coming up this week and some call for submissions you seriously should check out! Applying now will definitely help you in the future and give you some good exposure and critiques outside of the institution so I really recommend applying!
thanks for checking this blog and I will be frequently posting in the next coming months! feel free to follow me as well.
Instagram: @vapour.trail
Twitter: @JAZMINEDUH
C ya ,
Jazmine V. K. Carr