WE'RE HONOURED TO BE AMONGST THE 12 artist teams selected FOR THE CHURCH STREET MURALS PROJECTS, A TORONTO WORLD PRIDE 2014 LEGACY PROJECT!!!
Concept and Treatment
RDP has created 7 large-scale, socially engaged public artworks in Toronto; all mosaic/mixed media mural works incorporating mid-relief and low-relief. Mosaic, as a medium, lends itself to homage, to tribute – historically, mosaic was used to create portraits of icons – ‘icon’ originally referred, primarily, to religious figures, but the term is more broadly understood today to mean representative of something of greater significance, a symbol – a figure that embodies certain qualities, spirit, or a movement.
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| sketch (ink and watercolour on vellum) |
It’s our intention to celebrate change
makers in our LGBTTI2QQ communities seldom recognized or
visually represented. The work we are proposing is in the spirit of homage and emblematic in nature:
open to multiple interpretations, and not prescriptive. Our concept is
to build a figurative mosaic – one single iconic, larger than life figure that
we’ve come to call “Ella” – a bold, strong, and empowered woman, sheltered
by a red umbrella. Emboldened by a will to effect change, Ella is a force to be
reckoned with. The red umbrella, a symbol for sex workers' rights and solidarity around the world, is emblematic of shelter from prohibitionist laws that sanction discrimination and violence
against sex workers.
The vertically oriented artwork will be
12’ in height, and constructed on a marine plywood substrate. We’ll use a combination of tool and grinder
cut, and manually shaped pieces in order to produce rich pattern, line work,
and movement. Materials will include frost resistant glazed ceramic, porcelain,
glass, and stone. We’ll build in the direct method, working offsite. The two to
three panels will then be installed directly onto the installation site, where
we’ll spend one week doing finishing bridge and grout work across sections to
produce a seamless piece. The (painted) monochromatic wall will background the low-relief
mosaic mural. Use of negative space will support and extend Ella’s iconic
nature.
Our artistic team will include lead
visual Anna Camilleri (artistic director, designer, and lead builder), co-lead
artist Tristan R. Whiston (production director and builder), Katie Yealland
(installation director and builder) and Chantelle Gobeil (builder).
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Co-Curators Syrus Marcus Ware and James Fowler
City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam
Selection Committee Members Remy Huberdeau, Elizabeth Sweeney, and Francisco Alvarez
LGBTTIQQ2S community members who shared their stories and knowledge
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