Author Archives: chughes

Cyclone
2006, steel, barbed wire – Photo courtesy of the Glenbow Museum

Jeff DeBoer is a Calgary based artist, designer, fabricator, businessman, and all-around expert maker. He builds things that inspire awe and invoke passion in even the most casual of viewers. From a small suit of crusader mouse armor, to overseeing the artistic development of an entire building from the ground up, Jeff has consistently challenged the norms both in the art world and outside of it, of what an artist is supposed to be. He has overcome the traditional stigmas attached to an artist by working with business professionals as mentors to build his successful art practice and business. One only needs to take a short look around Calgary to see his brilliant work on the sidewalks, in shopping malls, and the airport. Jeff’s work is immersed into the very fabric of the creative culture here in Calgary

Jeff believes strongly in collaboration and mentorship as part of his creative ethos. An artist or maker is only as strong as the network they have built. To be successful one cannot do it alone – and most importantly one must leave a legacy of inspiration behind.

The Iron Horsefly
2000, wood, iron paint, and mixed media, 10′ x 5′ x 14′, Chinook Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Light, the Universe and Everything
2009, stainless steel, LED lights, electronics

When Aviation was Young – Tower 2
2002, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, mixed media, 20′ x 17′ x 17′, Calgary International Airport

C: In order to stick to your goals you need to network and find people with experience to mentor you outside of your area of expertise. The technical aspects of art and design are taught in art school – in terms of conducting yourself in a business world, I would find people to network with and to establish a mentor relationship. Would you say that most people are willing to help you out? Was it difficult for you to initialize the student/ mentor relationship with experts outside of your area of expertise while establishing yourself as an artist?

J: No, it wasn’t difficult because they were so amazed that an artist would even ask the questions. People will give you advice, but what they don’t want to see is the advice disappear down a dark hole. If they see you take that advice and operate on it, they are going to come back and give you the next piece of critical information, because they can’t just give you all the advice in one shot. You have to be patient. It takes time. When you get a piece of advice it takes a while before you can even act on it for instance. When you find yourself in a situation where you can use that advice, and it’s only after you’ve succeeded in the use of that advice, and you’ve demonstrated that it works, that somebody like your mentor can look at you and say “well, that worked. Now think about it this way, here’s the next step.”

C: Yes, it’s almost a trial and error approach. This would be a good point to bring up that failure along the way is inevitable and how you deal with failure will determine your success.

J: How I deal with failure is I look at failure as a demonstration of my success. I am a successful person because I have the luxury of failure. You’re not successful if you can’t afford to fail. You have to be prepared to fail, and you have to look at failure as a luxury item, believe it or not.

C: I agree. Is there a point that you can define in your career when you saw failure as that positive opportunity? As a lesson learned?

J: I just finished a project with Marty Cohos, he is a famous architect in his semi-retirement years. I got the job to do a huge art installation in a synagogue. The timeline was tight. They had to decide whether to go with the big industry, or me. Marty decided to go with me. There were moments in any big project where looming failure comes, and these failures, fortunately through experience, were not caused by me. They were factors that I had no control over. What you have when these things appear is glorious opportunity. As these problems emerge, as a creative person, being able to solve problems creatively, demonstrates to your clients why they’ve chosen the right person.

So even though it looks like the shit’s about to hit the fan…I always say that when the shit’s about to hit the fan there’s only one thing to do. Unplug the fan.

So I’ve learned over the years that it’s ok to fail, because your client will see that you haven’t failed personally, but you’ve worked hard to try to eliminate. You know we don’t just make sculptures, or artwork, but we manage risk. These are project management skills that when you start a project with someone you have to communicate to your clients the possibilities of risk. I think that if you communicate those things early enough, that when failure comes, everybody’s prepared.

C: So to compliment the business experience, or even to be included within it is the ability to manage projects, and to study the definitive ways that it is done in a business environment?

J: Yes, one of my longtime mentors is Art Froese, an extremely influential and powerful project manager. I met him while he was building the Alberta Children’s Hospital. To put this into perspective for you Art has built the Saddle Dome, Telus Convention Centre, the Koda project at the Canadian Olympic Park, and the Children’s Hospice. If you want a Children’s Hospital who do you call? Where do you start? What you do is you call Art Froese, and seven years later he hands you the keys.

Art Froese hired me to work on the Children’s Hospital as a design consultant, not so much as an artist. I was given a job to do at the hospital where I was managing, designing and installing artistic elements and integrated design along side of the architects, a very integrated way of approaching art.

Artwork has always been an afterthought with many buildings. You know, you build the buildings and then you hang paintings. The projects that were on the table had to be as much about design and architecture as they were about art. Art hired me and I had the opportunity to work alongside him for two and a half years. Over that time he became my mentor and he started to teach me the ins and outs and pitfalls of project management.

C: That’s amazing, and I’ll bet that it paid off for him just as much as you to have someone to provide this information to, and to mentor, as a way to pay forward his skills.

J: To this day if I am putting together proposals he will review my budget, look at my timelines, and consult with me. He’s offered to continue to educate me for the rest of our lives simply because he sees the enthusiasm and the passion, and also because I can speak the language. I am not just some artist. I am also interested in speaking the language of architecture, engineering, design, all things creative.

Check out Jeff’s most recent work on www.jeffdeboer.com

by Casey Hughes

Dan Damron and J5

Protospace is a hacker and maker space in Calgary where all types of people from all areas of expertise convene to exchange ideas and inspiration – and most importantly make. Dan Damron is a member, and one of the directors of Protospace who is continually involved in projects, from the Scoperta robotic furniture project, to an electromagnetic ferrofluid display window, to a homemade segway.  Dan’s abilities and perseverance to get a project done, and out the door has inspired others to tap into their greater potential as makers and begin learning how to do the things they want to.

C – You are involved in many different activities – from HAM radio operation, electronics, welding, fabrication and coding – to name only a few. Where do you find that most of your passion lies?

D – My passion lies in the maker lifestyle.  I learn from doing, as most people do, and I enjoy getting my hands dirty.

C – Spending so much time working on project after project do you find that your enthusiasm as a maker is sometimes tried?

D – There are always times when I feel overwhelmed.  The trick is to step back, take a break, and reorganise!

C – What about those projects that never quite make it out of the shop? Do you ever revisit these projects later with a new approach, or new people? When do you decide that a project just won’t work, and what queues do you look for to know when a project must be abandoned?

D – Some projects are never done.   Take Scoperta for example, we are constantly revising the H-Bdrige driver, a basic building block of the mutant furniture.  Making changes is required as we find more information, what works, what doesn’t.

As far as abandoning projects, I think it’s important to NEVER abandon a project.  If it’s a bit out of your league, that’s what Protospace is for, there’s a metric TON of intelligence there, and always a fresh new way to look at the current problem.

Projects may take years to complete, but should never become abandoned — unless they are surpassed by a more complex project!

C – Protospace is all about collaboration with many different character types from many different fields – where do you feel that you fall in to the group? What character types do you find work best with one another – if any specifically?

D – I believe I am member of Protospace.  No more, No less.  I will contribute to other projects as needed, help other makers as needed, and ask others for their help when I need it.  I find all kinds of character types at the space, and I get along with all of them.  Disagreements do happen, but then you move on.  One of my favorite fields is electronics, and I would have to say I get a charge from others in the same field!

C – Can you talk about the future of Protospace and the impact you believe the group will have on the growing city of Calgary?

D – Calgary is a growing metropolis, known for it’s leading edge in technology.  I believe Calgay is one of the best cities for a makerspace to exist.  Even now, Protospace membership is growing by leaps and bounds.  I love being on a team that keeps getting better and better!

C – Could you talk a bit about your homemade segway project that will be on display at the Maker Faire this Saturday?

D – The Segway has been done before.  I’ve seen many maker’s renditions.. With the Segway Project,I am taking the Scoperta Project up a notch.  Scoperta is an open source project aimed at engaging people to build robots.  Our Scoperta Senior frames (moving furniture) are what brings people into the tent, and the Scoperta Jr is the outcome!

I’ve taken the proven Scoperta H-Bridge, and adding a few sensors, Gyrosopes and Acceleromaters, to sense it’s orientation.   This project is really not that different from the moving furniture, save the control signals..

One other change I’m working on is the Processor.  Currently we are using Arduino Mega processors, and I’m using one as well for prototyping.   For the Segway, I have a smaller processor I would like to use, the Teensy 2.0.  We also have plans to take all our code and port it to Microchip’s PIC line.

C – What’s next?

D – Recovery.  I just had unexpected surgery, and I want to be well for Mini-Maker Faire!

For more details on Protospace go to: www.protospace.ca

by Casey Hughes

“Wave Interference” at Eastern Bloc in Montréal. by Robyn Moody. Photo by: J. Guzzo Desforges.

Robyn Moody is an artist who likes to hang out in a zone where art making meets technology. The casual viewer of his work would be hard-pressed to set classifications for it beyond its beauty. From the complex mechanics required to rig an entire gallery room with moving art in “Life in the 2 Field” and the delicacy and subtlety of the mechanics of movement of a book –  like that of a butterfly fanning its wings in “Butterfly 1: On the Origin of the Species”, to the fine electronics work of his analogue / digital franken-project consisting of a turntable and metronome called “TARDIS.” There is often a critical element to be uncovered in his works that would be best understood by hanging around a while to fully experience the work. Artists and makers alike strive for the skill of marrying form and function as well a Robyn achieves in his works.

Robyn is a Sobey Award nominated artist who has shown work across Canada and Europe. He has upcoming work showing in the Alberta Biennial in Edmonton. He lives and works in Calgary, Alberta where he is a sessional instructor in the department of Media Arts and Digital Technology (MADT) at the Alberta College of Art and Design. Moody has a BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Lethbridge in 2000, and an MFA from NSCAD University.

Power 2. Heart Lake as seen through the eyes of Manley Natland. by Robyn Moody Photo by: Brian McKenna

Power 2. Heart Lake as seen through the eyes of Manley Natland. by Robyn Moody Credited to Brian McKenna

C: Maker culture is all about open source, sharing, learning and teaching. Where do you find your inspiration? Who have been important mentors to you as you developed your body of work?

R: I learned electronics from George Bures Miller, and I’ve worked with Janet Cardiff and George for the past 15 years.  So I’ve learned a lot from seeing how they work together, and how uncompromising they tend to be when building a work.  If a project doesn’t seem to have real potential – despite many hours of work and lots of money spent, it gets put aside.  If headphones are needed, research and testing is done to make sure the sound quality is exactly what they’re after.  That attention to detail is what makes their work so great, and it sticks with me when I’m building something.  My inspiration can come from anywhere, though almost never from looking at other artists’ work, and certainly not from reading the crap that one is supposed to pretend to be interested in at art school.  Some of my biggest inspirations are people like Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins, RIchard Feynman …. mostly scientists, because they explore reality, and I want my work to reveal something that is real.  There are a lot of nonsensical beliefs in our world; whether it’s a belief in a god, or conspiracy theories, or alternative medicines, or astrology, or miraculous “free energy” machines, or fear of vaccines and waves. This stuff is mental clutter, and in many cases extremely dangerous.  I have only disdain for it.  But I am interested in talking about it, because so many people do believe in it.  Watching what is happening culturally or politically is really where my inspiration comes from.

C: Your work hits that sweet spot where art meets technology and harmonizes with beauty. What about those projects that have never quite made it out of your studio? Are there ideas that you have brought to light only to find that they just don’t work, either as art and/or technology?

R: Yes of course.  There have been projects that required technology far beyond my knowledge in order to function – but the ones that I’m thinking of were abandoned not because it would be too hard to do, but because the idea did not seem exciting enough to drive me to figure it out.  If the final product seems like it might be technically pretty cool, but is conceptually weak, then there’s no point in making it.  It’s one of the dangers of working with technology – and we see examples of it all the time – that the focus turns to the “wow” factor, which is initially engaging, but ultimately boring and forgettable.  There have been plenty of projects in the past that I have tinkered away on for months, only to realise they’re stupid one-liners.  They all went in the bin.  I try to make sure a project has conceptual potential, or makes me think of a number of interesting things before I dive headlong into building it.  Not to say the final direction is necesssarily known from the start – it rarely is – but because these things take a long time to build, I have time to think about it, and change directions, and refine ideas during the process.

C: You state that your work often times is socio-political, and that you are interested in the “transition of the viewers mind.” How do you feel your use of electronics helps to bridge that communication gap between the artist/message and the viewer?

R: The fact that it is sometimes electronics doesn’t really matter.  I suppose we’re drawn to motion and lights, so maybe it means I can trick people into sticking around long enough to contemplate what they’re seeing, and hopefully long enough to reach this transition.  I used to make these things out of found junk, computer fans, and thin plastic sheet that, from a distance, looked like a pool of water.  It would be believeable from a distance, and even the context added to this, as they would be positioned where the roof might really be leaking. But as people drew closer, the illusion would break down into its component materials.

C: How important is the process of “tinkering with stuff” to your work?

R: It’s probably less important than it used to be.  I started working with electronics and mechanics when I was trying to repair motion picture projectors while working with film.  I wasn’t actually very successful in repairing them, but seeing the guts of these machines was, I think, what set me on my current path.  I was collecting loads of old electronics from the Salvation Army, like reel to reel tape players, turntables, 8 tracks, and of course, projectors.  They were often dirty, or the tape would slip, or there would be some problem, so I’d have to open it up to try to fix it.  Now, if I want to tap into some piece of technology, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I’ll find inside (with older technology anyway) and what I’m looking for, so it’s more directed.  I think tinkering is more of a casual exploration.

C: You have an amazing network of fellow artists and other professionals you work with. How important is collaboration to your practice? What types of successful collaborations have you done?

R: I don’t collaborate very often, but I do have a couple of friends, Brian McKenna and Denton Fredrickson, who I do projects with occasionally.  Those are always works that take me – and I expect all of us – to surprising places creatively.  The final work is never something that any of us would have made individually, and decisions that might take me days to make on my own have to be made on the spot.  It’s quite liberating in that way.  But it does require trust in what your collaborators are doing, even if you’re not quite sold on the idea.  It can always be edited out later if it doesn’t work, but there’s sort of a “go for it” spirit that comes out when we work together.  Most of our projects have been in Amsterdam, where Brian is based, and are built on site.  So after some preliminary banter I’ll find myself flying over to Amsterdam with a suitcase full of random electronics, motors, stuffed seals, and maple syrup, not quite knowing how of if this stuff will be used.

C: Do you have any upcoming projects we can all keep an eye out for?

R: There will be a new work at the Alberta Biennial in Edmonton in January, some older work in Saskatoon at the Mendel in September, and a newish work in Halifax in January.  There are some other projects in North Bay, Hamilton, and Sackville in the 2012, but nothing in Calgary anytime soon.  So go to the Biennial.

by: Casey Hughes

Butterflies; Species at risk on the edge of reason. by: Robyn Moody

Alana Thorburn Watt and Levente Kovacs of Umbrella Pro

Umbrella Pro is a Calgary-based multimedia powerhouse of creativity and inspiration. The duo consists of Alana Thorburn-Watt and Levente Kovacs, who met at Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) in the Media Arts and Digital Technology program. Seeing a need to venture out on their own, outside of the traditional expectations of an artist, and due the lack of any business education at art school, they started Umbrella Pro. They have applied the technical skills they developed at ACAD with a keen business acumen and entrepreneurial zeal that has put them at the forefront of creative multimedia offerings here in Calgary. Despite Alana only having just graduated, and Levente still in his last year their portfolio is already packed with successful and adventurous projects.

Local artists and makers alike can learn some valuable lessons in combining passion and creativity with entrepreneurship to turn something they are passionate about into a lifelong career.

C: Your body work is a wonderful amalgamation of multimedia, design, and fine art. I see a lot of progression in every collaboration that you’ve done. How do you both take advantage of your schooling/training, creativity, and collaborative opportunities to develop and refine your work?

A/L: Ever since Levente & I started working together a Umbrella Pro there was a dramatic increase in collaborative projects for both of us. We had been working as a duo on art projects at ACAD, but gradually we began working on commercial projects with larger groups of 10 or more people. The result: a huge, social learning experience. Working collaboratively means I get more feedback on my work, and get to expand my network, which means more and more freelance projects to learn from. So, I believe we take advantage of our education, creativity, and collaborative projects to refine our work by working very hard, hardly ever saying no to a job, and by maintaining relationships with our clients and friends.

C: In maker culture sharing and teaching is a huge part of giving back to the community – what types of projects do you think that you have done, or will be doing really embrace the concepts of open source and making?

A/L: Currently we are producing a second video for Operation Eyesight Universal (http://www.operationeyesight.com/), a charity organization that aims to eliminate avoidable blindness in developing countries. It is an important project to me because it is in support of education and social awareness, and makes me feel like I am making a positive difference in the world through my work.

Another project that comes to mind was a multi-media mural and short film I made with an Aboriginal youth group. The group was facilitated through Antyx (http://www.antyx.org/) and USAYhttp://www.usay.ca/). I got to teach a group of 6 teens aged 15-17 some photography, audio, video, drawing, remix, and graphic design. As much as I inspired them, I think I learned more from them than they did from me. I, in turn, learned about their histories, culture and some of the social issues these teens face in society today such as racism and structural violence. Here is our demo reel: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4121438194924

Finally, we recently finished one of our most ambitious projects ever with the Alberta Association of Colleges and Technical Institutes! It was a very interesting project: we did the post production for over 100 video interviews with passionate individuals carrying out research in Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. It was interesting because it’s not everyday you would get to have a conversation with these fascinating instructors from around the province. It was inspiring to know that so much research and innovation is being carried out in our Alberta community. The project exists here on their website:http://www.aacti.ca/CAPtalks.php

C: So far you’ve taken on some pretty epic projects, being just out of school (Levente finishing his last year) what would you say is the most important factor driving your success at the very moment?

A/L: Good question, haha. It is hard to say because I think there are a couple things that have made Umbrella Pro a huge success… Firstly, Levente and I have extremely complimentary skill sets. We are both knowledgeable about the technical in video and photography (big thanks to my dad who has worked in television for 35 years and who has been an important mentor for us over the past few years, as well as the MADT instructors and techs at ACAD). We are both good at graphic design and motion graphics. Levente is extremely good with typography as well and I have a background in piano and musical composition so I often write custom soundtracks for our projects. We are successful because we can do all of these things together and provide an artistic product.

The second reason why I believe we are successful is social media. We get most of our jobs because of Facebook and linkedin. We are constantly updating our Facebook page with new photoshoots, videos, and press.

C: What do you like most about the emerging art scene in Calgary?

A/L: What I like most about the emerging art scene in Calgary is the diversity. It’s great to see people still having painting and drawing shows along with public projections and new media exhibitions. There is always so much to see, from bad-ass knit pieces in the Peanut Gallery to independent film screenings at Eau Claire Market. People in the Calgary art scene are friendly and interesting to talk to. As Umbrella Pro we want to continue to support local artists and musicians by documenting live events and making music videos!

To see some of our work please check out our website: http://www.umbrellapro.ca/

Operation Eyesight  www.operationeyesight.com

In developing countries, being visually impaired is not a disability, it’s a death sentence – especially for the very young and old.

by: Casey Hughes

Maker culture is all about innovation and collaboration – its very roots stem from doing things unconventionally in order to learn and innovate as you make something, or make something better. If there is one artist group in Calgary that would best represent the spirit of collaboration and innovation in a growing city it is the Bee Kingdom. Since meeting in the glass program at the Alberta College of Art and Design Tim Belliveau, Phillip Bandura, Ryan Marsh Fairweather and Kai Georg Scholefield have made a huge impact on the city of Calgary, the international glass art community, and the art and design community as a whole. Each artist brings a specialized skill set and style to the group; While they are all active in their individual pursuits, the biggest successes they have experienced come from their collaborative efforts.

Bee Kingdom opens their doors to the public and media alike to encourage and incubate creativity and the exchange of knowledge; everything the maker culture is all about. They have placed themselves beyond the confines of an artist studio and gallery which would cater to a small audience and group of patrons. The concept of open learning and the sharing of ideas is not only good for business, it is good for the community – It is a cross-pollination of inspiration and ideas that builds and strengthens our culture.

A quick review website www.beekingdom.ca will give critics no doubts about how Bee Kingdom have put their outside-of-the box thinking to good use, and are effective in engaging the general public with open studio glass blowing sessions, custom glass art, and media appearances – not to mention the gift of yellow Converse Chucks regularly sported by Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, a regular attendee of Bee Kingdom events.

Ram Horns by Tim Belliveau

Joobas by Ryan Marsh Fairweather

Beacons by Bee Kingdom

What makes you work so well as a group?

Tim – We have over the years learned the hard way that you do need to take the time to enjoy yourselves outside of your standard working day or you will go crazy. We actually decided to go crazy for years at a time before. It’s the little things to just make yourself time for.

Phillip – I think one of the things that made it work out too is that we’re all pretty naïve, and we are all really non-confrontational.

Ryan – We are almost too non-confrontational.

Phillip – Yes, that’s why we’ve learned that you need space not to go crazy – because we will let each other go crazy. That has been good in some respects; to get to the point where we’ve realized that we need to do other things than just art. It also creates a space where we try to separate ourselves. We create a job out of our artwork; knowing that we still have room for it to come up, because it’s going to come up. Creating some sort of division is important. I think the reason you have to come up with that division is so you know that it is professional. With trying to make a living out of art there is all this stuff that comes up.

Kai – Everyone has to be aligned to the goal of the company.  When you’re so small and you’re artists, you buy in on a spiritual and personal level.  You buy in body, mind and soul into what it stands for.  That keeps you moving as well.  I’m the newest member of the bee kingdom but we’ve been working independently together helping each other out for ten years. You have a personal investment, it becomes your baby.  Also your only way of generating income and in the arts you generally need to have a new idea every single time in order to generate income.  That might be a trade secret; the next best thing, that’s what you’re constantly striving for.

In terms of networking and collaborating, how do you reach out to people to share ideas and inspiration? 

Ryan – It’s funny because we’ve had lots of press coverage and all that stuff but it is rare that we actually get anything directly from that. It’s all about who we know. Whenever we’ve looked at trying to get a project done we look at our own network group. We work strategically – look at Mayor Nenshi for example. Calgary is so small it’s like 2 degrees of separation.

Phillip – The really great thing about us being mentioned in the Calgary Sun Newspaper is about Nenshi wearing our shoes, even though it was a little bit derogatory – they referred to us as some artist collective, they didn’t even say glass. It got noticed though.

Tim – We met with Calgary Arts Development Association (CADA) a few years ago. We said ‘I don’t know how to get money. We were really stuck. They said that “if you need sponsors you need to look to the people that you know. And network from them.” At the time I just drew a question mark. How was I supposed to use that? The time scale to figure that out is so much longer than you think. There are so many attempts to take action that it doesn’t always work.

How Does the Bee Kingdom approach business and art, and make them work together?

Phillip – A lot of what we do is marketing. One of things we really went after is trying to get into the media. Now our artwork is starting to get to a point where we are all a little bit happier with it. The dynamic that we could sell was weird, people found it interesting that we were all living in the same house. We have all these furnaces in the back yard, and fires, so that’s what got the media. So we slowly realized that that was how we could get the hook.

Tim – We would show them a technique that took eight years to learn but they would be interested in how we were living.

Kai – There’s so much you can say but in terms of governing and administering, you first have to know what you’re going to do.  We use the K.I.S.S. method – keep it simple stupid, and that’s really effective. Having your objective you end up planning for a year, then two years, then three years, four years and five years, simply because you have to assess what your long term goals are. I think it changes. A five year plan is common among all industries and professionals –  a five year plan is key, because then you can set dates and goals and work towards it.  That’s basically it. If you want to be a successful artist you research what a successful artist is to you and find some examples  and put a case together where you say “they were successful in ten years and I want to be successful in ten years.”  I want to be showing in New York – so you have to plan to go to New York and save money to do that and talk to people who have done that.  It’s actually quite simple.  The follow through is most difficult.

To the members of The Bee Kingdom the nectars they gather are the ideas and inspiration that flow freely among them. Each member is motivated in their own way and they bring these ideas and inspiration to the group to be integrated and worked on as a whole, where the group openly discusses and decides every aspect of their activities.

As a group they have engaged people world-wide and increased awareness and interest in not only glass blowing, but the maker ethos of sharing information in order to build and strengthen their knowledge network. From Korea to Berlin, the Bee Kingdom have taken their practice beyond the confines of a hot glass shop and utilized the media and other conventional means to bring their work to new audiences.