lloverNorthAmerica,municipalitiesareembracingtheideaofthe“creativeeconomy”andthe“creativeclass,”aspopularizedbyRichardFlorida,inabidtofindameansforurbanregenerationasthemanufacturingbaseoftheeconomyatrophies.Artistscouldpotentiallybenefitfromthisshiftinperspective.Artistsareakindofknowl-edgeworker,perhapsthefirstofthekind,andmaynowtakeacentraloressentialroleintheburgeoningknowledgeorinformationeconomy.Unfortunately,artiststradeinakindofknowledgethatisoftenarcane,occult,dark,andirrational,whichmaynotgodownsoeasilyinaneconomypredicatedonutility,convenience,andthesenseofentitlementoftheconsumer.Itisasifthepossessionofthisknowledgecomeswithacurse,notunliketheGreekmyth’sCassandra,whosufferedfromthefactthatnoonebelievedinherpow-erfulgiftofprophecy.Nevertheless,successfulartistsareabletotradeinthisknowledgebyperformingakindofalchemythattransubstantiatesmerematerialdrossintoculturalgold.If,asToronto-basedartistScottLyallhasquipped,arthastwodestinies,eithertobepickedupbyanartcollectororthegarbagecollector,thensuccessfulartistsarethosewhocanmagicallyconjureupafetishortotemthatwillbespiritedtoastorehouseforposter-ity.Someartistsbearthepossessionofthismagicalknowledgewell.Therearethosewhohappilyprofitfromit,buttherearealsothosewhoseconsciencegetsthebetterofthem.

Fromtheevidenceofferedbyarecentexhibitionofhisworks,theKingston-basedartistDonMaynardmakesashowofthelatter,unhappyconscience.Theexhibition,entitledFranken Forest,traveledfromtheAgnesEtheringtonArtCentreinKingstontotheRobertMcLaughlinGalleryinOshawaoverthecourseoftheyear2010.CuratedbyJanAllenandLindaJansma,respectivecuratorsofcontemporaryartforthetwocentres,theexhibitionbroughttogetheranumberofMaynard’smostrecentworks.Eachworkraisesaquestionabouttheroleoftheartistanditsmaterialimplications.

TheFranken Forestexhibition,asitwasinstalledfromMaytoAugust,2010attheAgnesEtheringtonArtCentreinKingston,Ontario,openedonadisquietingnote.Evenbeforeyouwereinsidethegallery,youcouldseeBird in the House(2010),amixedmediasculpturalinstallationwithelectronics,throughtheglassofthedoorsattheentrance.Dimandforebod-ing,theworkestablishedattheoutsetthechillofapassingshadow.Onceinside,anominoussoundscapeofroaringwindandemphaticbirdcallsfilledtheair,andthoughonlyaboutthreefeettall,Bird in the Houseimmediatelyloomedwithinyourfieldofvision.Asimpleformofahousemadewithfabricandawoodenframe,itwasilluminatedfromwithin,theonlylightsourceforthepiece,whichcastashadowonitsexteriorofamechanizedbirdsilhouettecareeningwithinitsenclosedwalls,likeamalevolentmagiclantern.Themuffledsoundofaninjuredbirdunabletotakeflightemanatedfromwithin,liketheworkingsofadilapidatedcontraption.Inoldsuperstitions,abirdinthehouseisanomenofdeath,sothepiece,thoughlightinitsmaterialsimplicity,alsomanifestsabalefuledge,notonlyevokingthechildhoodrealmoffolklore,butalsomythsformorematureaudiences.Therustlingoftheconfinedbird,trappedinitscircuitbringstomindonceagainthecursedfigureofaCassandra,nowraspingafterhavinglosthervoice,herdirepredictionsstillunheeded.

InthenextroomoneenteredtheFranken Forestproper,amixedmediainstallationwithvideo,whichresembledamadscientist’slabofgeneticallymodifiedmonstersasmuchasitdidaclearinginthewoods.Distortedanddeformedtrunksandlimbsgatheredinacircleabovewhichhoveredavideocanopy,aportalaboutsixfeetindiameterthatpresentedanunstablesky,clearbluebutnotcalm,agitatedbystop-motionanimation,time-lapse,cloudmovements,aircurrentsandhectic,swirlingcameramovements.Eight“Franken-trees”stoodatanarrayofheightsfromastumpdownlowtoaslendertrunkthatreachedtheceiling.Onetreebristledwithscrews,another,paintedandgored,resembledarottenbirch.OnewasstrangulatedwithanexcessofstrungChristmaslights.Onewasscorchedandcobbledtogetherwithdiscsofcastglass.One’ssmoothalbinosurfacewasprickledwithfine

finishnails.Onehadfaux-finishbarkinencaustic.Inanother,blocksofscuffedandchippedglasswerethreadedthroughwitharusted-outspine.Ascoredandtwistedlogpastedwithband-aidsrosecrookedfromthefloorlikeadismemberedlimb’slastgesturebeforerigor mortissetin.Withintheblasted,infernalstumpthatactedasakindofcentrepiece,avideoofbabystarlingsscreechingforfoodwasnested.Thewholeoftheinstallationrepresentsakindoftravestyofnature,acounterfeit,cobbledtogetherstand-inthatisabhorrent,likeFrankenstein’smonsterinMaryShelly’snovel.AlinktotheFrankensteinstory,themonstrousandcautionarytaleofsciencemeddlingwiththeforcesofnature,isexplicitinMaynard’stitleforthepiece.Onemustrememberthat,inthesubtitletothenovel,Fran-kensteinistheModernPrometheus,alsoamythicfigurewhosetransmissionofknowledgewasmoreofacursethanablessing.Remember,afterPrometheusgavethegiftoffiretothehumanrace,Zeuspunishedhimbytyinghimtoarockandlettinganeaglefeastonhislivereveryday.Astheartistwhohascraftedthesemalignantartifices,MaynardseemstopositionhimselfsomewherebetweenaPost-ModernPrometheusandaCassandra:Hemakesruin-ouspredictionsatthesametimethatheisimplicatedintheoutcome.Whileconsideringtheimplications,itwillbeimportanttonoteanundercurrentofhumourintheworkthatkeepsitsdreadfulweightinessafloat.

Beforedrawinganyconclusions,afinalpieceintheexhibitionremainstobeconsidered,anditisentitledFlock(2009).Fromadistance,whatlookstobeaswarmofevanescentmetallicmothshoversandcoversthefarthestandlongestwallinthenextgallery.Itisasiftheyarepinnedtothewall’ssurfacebythelightprojectedonit,insteadofdrawntothelight’ssource.Uponcloserexaminationonefindsthateachoftheoveronehundredshim-meringitemsisatabloid-sizedsheetofaluminum,foldedintotheformofachild’spaperairplane,thenoseofeachpiercingthewall.HereMaynard’sroguishplayfulness,likeabookiewiththehouseadvantage,ismorefullyrevealed.Flockcapturesatonceasenseofforce,velocity,stasis,andlightness,initsfeatheryrefractionsandmodestmeans,liketheformationofaflockofbirdsfrozeninmidswoop.ThesleightofhandinoperationinthisworkrevealsMaynard’smostcommonstock-in-trade:thetransformationandtransporta-tionofcommonindustrialmaterialsintotherarifiedrealmofart.ExamplesofhispreviousworksincludeTidal Mass(2007),amassivelyminimalistsculpturalwavethatincorpo-ratedthousandsofeight-footfluorescenttubesthatwerediscardedinEasternOntario,andLooks Like Rain(2009),largelyaneffectoflightthatwasgeneratedbyagiantpileofsimilarlyabandonedpyrexrods.MaybeMaynardshouldmorefittinglybereferredtoasthePost-IndustrialPrometheus.Inthelightofhisworkonecandescryageneraleconomythatcannotdeny,evenrelishes,hugeexpendituresofenergyandwastevilifiedbythepreceptsofathrifty,restrictiveeconomy.The“AccursedShare”ofa“generaleconomy”asdefinedbythetheoristandpornographerGeorgesBattailleisthatsurpluspartoftheeconomicsystemthatisvertiginouslyoutsideofhumancontrol,onethatartiststouchuponintheirillusions.Artistscanaccessthispart,Batailleargues,becausetheyknowallaboutevil.Artistsmaynotnecessarilybeevil,butgenerallytheyareguiltyascharged.

a special insert published in collaboration with front magazine.

Artists may not necessarily be evil, but generally they are guilty as charged.

The two-page spreadyounowholdinyourhandscomescourtesyofSyphon,apublicationofModernFuelArtist-RunCentreinKingston,Ontario.ThisspecialinsertisthefirstresultofanexchangeundertakenbythecreativeteamsatFrontandSyphon.ItannouncestheupcomingthemeofthenextissueofSyphon,“ArtandtheEconomy,”whichwillalsofeatureaspecialinsertfromFrontmagazine.Watchoutforitlaterthisyear.

DON MAYNARD’S “FRANKEN FOREST” LET LOOSE ON AN AGHAST PUBLIC AND THE CONSEQUENCES ARE CHILLING.

By Michael Davidge

By Michael Davidge

Bird in the House,2010Wood,cloth,recordplayer,lightbulb,

aluminium,ipod,speakersphoto by chantal rousseau

Tidal Mass,20072200used8’florescentlights,220mini

florescentlights,3/8steelrod,hardwarephoto by chris miner

Franken Forest,2008Cedarlogs,drywallscrews,nails,Christmaslights,glass,wax,paper,steelphoto by chris miner

Flock,2009Aluminiumphoto by don maynard

michael davidge is currently the Artistic Director of Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre in Kingston, Ontario. He is a curator, an artist, and a writer. His writing on art and culture has appeared in Parachute, Matrix, and Black-Flash magazine, among other publications.

vincent perez is a designer, letterpress printer and artist living in Kingston, Ontario.He is the art director and co-editor of Syphon, Modern Fuel ARC’s arts publication.

If you’re interested in contributing content or subscribing to Syphon, please contact us at modernfuel@bellnet.ca or visit us onlineat www.modernfuel.org/syphon.

...art has two destinies, either to be picked up by an art collector or the garbage collector...

don maynard is a Kingston based artist working in mixed media and has exhibited across Canada and the U.S., and his work is in the collection of The Department of For-eign Affairs, University of Toronto and the Canada Council Art Bank. Maynard’s prac-tice frequently involves utilizing the detritus of the modern world where he transformsthe cast-off material of society into work that makes reference to nature and natural phenomena.