George Steeves calls his house the photo bunker. It’s well hidden, deep on a looping crescent in an old Clayton Park neighbourhood—it was the end of town when Steeves moved there in 1973—where bungalows protectively stretch out like arms linking in solidarity. The photo bunker is built on angles and soft watery colours. It’s tidy, […]
Sue Carter Flinn
Posted inLifestyle
Fast forward
In 2004, we fled from the golden arches after Morgan Spurlock spewed McChunks over the side of his car in the documentary Supersize Me. Dutifully, we purchased Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation—or watched the movie—a no-holds-barred examination of why French fries taste so damn good (of course it’s the chemicals. Duh). “Oh, how terrible,” […]
Posted inArts + Music
Seeds in the sky
Sometimes the show ain’t so dope. Coast cover hamster Copain (see the September 14, 2006 issue) passed away on January 25. Jacob Owens, Copain’s owner and creator of the delightful short films Copain de Paris and Copain de Paix knew the little guy wasn’t well when he started production on the final film in the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Proven strategy
If you visit Toronto, pop into 401 Richmond, a century-old renovated tin factory, on a busy downtown Spadina intersection. Check out the exposed brick, the generous windows, the art on the walls. Stop at the cafe before wandering through the galleries and studios. Stick around for a yoga class or relax in the rooftop garden. […]
Posted inArts + Music
The wonderful world of Woodrow.
It’s one week before Graeme Patterson’s exhibition Woodrow opens at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and there’s fresh paint on the walls. A black sky and twinkling stars float above a yellow field, suggesting the moon’s glow on a warm prairie night. Piano-sized wooden crates, scattered along the edges of the room, reveal nine […]
Posted inArts + Music
Evolution theory
Live Art Productions has a rich history of delivering eclectic, challenging contemporary dance performances from around the world, and their latest, Brutalis, is no exception. Belgian dancer/choreographer Karine Ponties and her company Dame de Pic collaborated with comic illustrator Thierry Van Hasselt, who created hundreds of charcoal drawings of Ponties while she was dancing. Brutalis […]
Posted inArts + Music
Thanks for the visual
Dear Spirit of Christmas Past, I know that Christmas is over for this year, but it appears a few items are missing from under the arts tree. I’m sure they fell out of the sleigh. No problem, we also honour orthodox Christmas on January 7, so there’s still time. An arms-length arts council: I know, […]
Posted inArts + Music
Copy that
Rule #1: Catwalk Avoid wearing anything too slinky or sexy—this isn’t Halloween, you hussy. Instead, add a sparkly belt or perhaps a fancy hairdo. From Animal Hairstyles D.I.Y. (a do it yourself guide), Sonia Edworthy Rule #2: Well bread Never show up to a party empty-handed, as accurately demonstrated here. George Costanza: “So you’re telling […]
Posted inArts + Music
Sweet Revenge
I’m sorry officer, for my judgment error,but Terry’s Chocolate Orange makes a delightful“SMACK!”— wrapped in a Christmas stockingswung on the windshield of a car. No, it’s not my first time.That was Valentines Day. 1996.Red-hot candy hearts, crushed into molten powdererupted from my ex’s gas-tank ?with tongue-numbing glee. Then there was Easter. 2001.The perky bottoms of white chocolate […]
Posted inArts + Music
Political platforms
In recent years, Canadian domestic politics have been dominated by accountability and corruption scandals. That’s why John van der Woude’s exhibition, Power Houses: Canada’s First Ministers, at Anna Leonowens Gallery, a series of 14 photos documenting the homes of every provincial premier and the prime minister, is so captivating: these guys live mostly in relatively […]
Posted inArts + Music
Pitching Awoo
The guitar plays softly as a group of people, flashlights in hand, clear through the tall brush. The Toronto skyline juts out from behind the water. Glockenspiels and synthesizers join in as Joel Gibb leads the pack into a forest, where they’re joined by a band of musicians wearing wolf masks—one of the few welcome […]
Posted inBest of Halifax
Best of Halifax
This is the 12th annual Best of Halifax survey, so you might know the drill: Thousands of readers vote in over 100 categories, and we present all the winners.