ARTS SCENE: Sport and Art: Worlds Colliding

MIRAE CAMPBELL

TOP: ANDREW DADSON, CUNEIFORM (#305–404), 2015–22, INKJET PRINTS 8¾ X 12 INCHES EACH FRAMED. AT THE AUDAIN ART MUSEUM. ABOVE: IAUDAIN ART MUSEUM GUESTS TAKE IN THE NEWEST EXHIBIT, OUT OF CONTROL: THE CONCRETE ART OF SKATEBOARDING.

SPORT AND ART: WORLDS COLLIDING

CAPTURING SPORT ON CANVAS TO TRANSCEND TIME AND SPACE

STORY BY MARIA STEVENS

There is undeniable new energy on the first floor of the audain Art Museum. Concrete barriers, bold colours, and a spark of rebellion wind their way throughout the museum's newest two-story exhibit, Out of Control: The Concrete Art of Skateboarding.

This earnest and energetic exhibit brings together 19 B.C. and international artists who embody diversity in their practice and explore the aesthetic, social, environmental, political and architectural aspects of recreation and community.

It may seem that art and sport exist as two separate spaces, one driven by creation, the other by action. However, for Audain’s guest curator Patrik Andersson, these forms of expression are the same. The intersection between art and sport is an authentic and vulnerable space that both artist and athlete can shape. >>

TOP: KARIN BUBAŠ, WOMAN IN ORANGE WITH SKATEBOARD, 2021. ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT WITH MATTE UV LAMINATE 40 X 110 INCHES. AT THE AUDAIN ART MUSEUM.

RIGHT: STEVE TRACY, HOME ON THE MOUNTAIN, 40" X 40", ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. AT MOUNTAIN GALLERIES AT THE FAIRMONT CHATEAU WHISTLER.

"What skateboarders and contemporary artists have in common," explains Andersson, "is that they share a desire to observe, question and challenge their everyday environment.”

The exhibit is conceptualized as an "obstacle course that encourages visitors to navigate the show with similar attention to that required of a skater,” says Andersson. Barriers are the main focus of this exhibit, just as they are a common denominator for young artists and athletes. The show’s goal is to demonstrate how barriers and limitations in our society are challenged or altered.

Take Karin Bubaš, for example. Her piece, "Woman in Orange with Skateboard," represents these societal barriers that exist not only for an athlete but also for an artist.

Andersson explains of the lone woman in the piece, "For a woman, never mind anyone else, I think it is especially a social barrier. There is an interest in this woman, who is learning how to skate in an environment that feels safe, a place where nobody is watching." The intersection of art and recreation, he explains, becomes a place where there is room to experiment in safety and there is room to fail.

It is easy to see where these two forms of expression collide in this vivacious collection. For Andersson, this merging of art and recreation manifests as an expression of hope. He notes that while this exhibit displays a heavy focus on barriers and limitations, it also uses an artistic expression of recreation to show how these societal and physical barriers can not only be circumvented, but can also become an avenue for reaching new, and for the Audain’s skateboarders, literal heights.

for ben mclaughlin, an artist and industrial designer, and the director of communications for Mountain Galleries at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, this kind of creative openness is becoming more and more relevant.

Take one of Mountain Galleries’ newest artists to hang on the gallery walls—Steve Tracy.

“Essentially, this is our first true test of an artist within our collection,” McLaughlin explains, “focusing their work predominantly on sports and recreation as a subject matter.”

Tracy is an internationally acclaimed, Emmy-award-winning artist, recognized for his scenic artist work on the HBO movie By Dawn’s Early Light, among other things. His Extreme Skiers collection is a perfect example of how the worlds of art and sport can collide with an effect similar to that of a lightning strike.

McLaughlin muses over the impact of recreation and art and how Tracy’s work displays the kind of energy that comes from this combination.

He notes that “Steve’s work, in particular, is full of movement and energy, with a contemporary freestyle approach that reflects the ethos of our gallery brand ‘Enjoy the Experience, Take home the Feeling.’ There’s no doubt that many of the artists in our collection are avid explorers of the outdoors and often passionate about mountain sports and culture as a lifestyle and an influence on their work.”

McLaughlin says there is a clear connection between the artist and the athlete. “Art and sport align in their ability to transcend a time and space…to capture a feeling, energy, and emotion of a moment.” Tracy’s work is no exception to this observation, he concludes.

Andersson and McLaughlin agree on the public interest in this kind of work. This art form captures a particular indomitable spirit, a feeling that is universally desirable by the individual and the collective.

Whistler, they agree, is the perfect backdrop for these merging forms. As McLaughlin suggests, “Our clientele is from all over the world and often are drawn to the mountains of western Canada to immerse themselves in this world-class recreational playground. It would reason to think that they may admire collecting artworks that capture the essence of this experiential place.”

Steve Tracy’s paintings are internationally recognizable in corporate and private collections; as McLaughlin notes, “we are intrigued to gauge the response from our clients this winter.” Out of Control: The Concrete Art of Skateboarding will be displayed at the Audain Art Museum until January 8. The fully illustrated exhibition catalogue is available for purchase at the museum store and its online shop.

Visit audainartmuseum.com for more information.

Visit mountaingalleries.com for more information or head to the gallery at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.