A Healthy Cultural Landscape
The cultural landscape is comprised of three things, people, places and the
community.
Contemporary artists exist within this landscape as members of all
three.
Contemporary art is concerned with meaning.
The artist works within the community and develop artwork and exhibitions
within galleries and institutions.
to better illustrate how the cultural landscape works I interviewed one of
Mississauga's leading emergent artists, Sonja Hidas.
Sonja is a traditionally trained artist who studied in Montreal. She has a long history of working in the arts
both at the private level and at the non profit level. To be actively engaged the artist is required
to create relationships through volunteerism, attendance to exhibitions and
professional development in workshops and education.
SPF: Where have you sold your work
SH: To individuals as commissions,
in galleries and internationally, the Ritz Carlton in Hong kong has two of my
paintings.
SPF: Where have you exhibited your
work?
SH: Mississauga at Rumi Galleries,
Sudbury on a regional exchange facilitated by the Burlington Art Centre.
SPF: Can you describe some of the
relationships that you have nurtured while developing your practice?
SH: I was part of a mentorship at
the Burlington Art Centre under Reinhard Reiztenstein which culminated in an
exhibition with all the members of the program.
I was also part of a regional exchange with Sudbury which was facilitated by the Burlington Art Centre.
SPF: I know that you have also been
involved with the Blackwood Gallery located on the Mississauga campus of
University of Toronto. How did that
happen.
SH: There was a call for submissions
to create site specific work for the Starch building located at Hurontario and
Lakeshore. I created a work called Large
items which refers to a phrase used to describe appliances and furniture
that is destined for the landfill. It
was also a statement about public art in mississauga. I wrote text on a washer and dryer that tried
to convey an emotional reaction, the dryer said "blank" over and
over.
SPF: what draws you to these types
of projects?
SH: Institutions like the Blackwood
Gallery, Art Gallery of Mississauga, Living Arts Centre and the Burlington Art
Centre are ideal for executing and exhibiting a project. they are venues that are not constrained by
the requirement to sell work. they let
you take risks.
SPF: You are also represented by
Rumi Galleries.
SH: Yes I had a one person show with
them in October of last year. Rumi
Galleries under Joseph Rumi are the first gallery from Mississauga to take part
in the Toronto International Art Fair.
He showed one of my riskier pieces.
SPF You have mentioned this notion
of risk taking several times, what is the importance of it?
SH: Contemporary art should be about
the experience and meaning of a work and it is not necessarily something that
can be bought or sold. It is primarily a
vehicle for conveying an idea instead of a com-modified product.
SPF: Your first major multi-disciplinary work in Mississauga was the anniversary of the derailment under
HotBox projects. What is Hotbox, and
what was the biggest challenge you encountered while making this work?
SH: For the opening at the Living
Arts Centre I had a very large group of Actors as well as an installation of
sheets with paintings on them and a phone with the recorded stories to
Mississaugans from the night that it took place playing. It was a challenge to coordinate so many variables.
SPF: The regional artist exchange
with Sudbury was also community specific, what was important about that project?
SH: An important outcome of that
project was shifting from finding or relating to an event from my community to
sudbury's community. I liked the
connection and creating artwork about another community it is a form of respect
to their cultural history.
SPF: We have been talking a lot
about the community related aspects of your art. What about making art in your studio? What is the difference or the importance of
making work in the studio vs. working with a community?
SH: I use different disciplines when
I make art work; painting, drawing, video and performance are all used to
create my work, that is why it is called multi-disciplinary.
SPF: Where did you learn all of
these techniques and disciplines/
SH: Some I learned through a
mentorship at the Burlington art Centre mentorship program where it is
ongoing. Other projects you learn as you
are required and do research to how best meet your goals.
SPF: Can you tell me the inspiration
for the Hotbox Riverwood project which took place after the derailment project?
SH: After I took part in the
mentorship project in Burlington I wanted to try and reproduce the same model
here in Mississauga but with a group of artists to create site specific works
under the mentorship of a senior artist.
The blend of nature and art was an easy step.
SPF: So part of your development as
a contemporary artist is to learn new methods and implement them in your own
community.
SH: And teach what I know to others
around me.
SPF: And you do teach currently?
SH: Yes, I teach art to Adults and
courses at the Peel Archives and Museum of Art.
SPF: And with all that going on you
are still making art work? What are you
working on now?
SH:I am working on a text based project that began with a series of
questions I wrote for the Art Gallery of Mississauga's 25th Anniversary. The project is called constructs
SPF:As part of constructs you recently wrote a series of questions that
were meant to both challenge and educate about public art, can we discuss them?
SH: Yes the questions were written from the voice of an anonymous
person.
SPF: The first question you wrote is
"Who cares about local artists?"
SH: Individuals who buy local, go to
shows, exhibitions, and events. They
read about and interact with artists which is supportive and encouraging to
them. Non-profits and artist run centres
are places for these interactions to take place. Local artists are supported by their community.
SPF: The second question you wrote
is "Who cares what the public wants?"
SH: Culturally engaged individuals
who are dedicated to the development of the city through action, i.e.
volunteers, non-profits, educational institutions and municipalities.
SPF: The third question is "Who
cares about public art?
SH: The public does, your
municipality does. Public art is very
much like furniture in a home. It
reflects you as a person, your tastes, your background and your cultural
affiliations. it is a reflection of who
you are as a person. The difference
between something beautiful and something utilitarian.
SPF: And the final question,
"At 25, should I have my own place?"
SH: This is a question asked in
response to the 25th Anniversary of the Art Gallery of Mississauga, we are
looking towards the future and we have expectations of where we will be are
big. Artists dream big.
