Q and A with David Romero

How long have you known Jean Berger for?

“The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real the most brilliant” Salvador Dali.

I only knew about Jean Berger when I was invited to summit a proposal for this show, and after reading the book published by Dr. Gagnon. I was immediately seduced by the idea of the artist as a criminal, fraud, drunk and menace to society. I think those adjectives have accompanied hand-in-hand the reality of the artist in the history of humanity.

Artists do not follow conventional everyday life styles (at least the artist I care about). We are usually judged or/and applaud for having unorthodox ways of doing conventional things.

What is your idea of what his works may have looked like? How would you describe him?

I have no idea what his worked may have looked like,  I couldn’t describe him either. I can say however, that he called himself an Artist, and he made it official in court. If his art was any good we will never know. He believed he was an artist; and the end of the day, that is the only thing that matters.

 ‘Les Filles Du Roi” (detail) 

What drew you to this project?

Absence is a terrible kind of presence.

Joseph Krutch says that security depends not upon how much you have, as upon how much you can do without. Since the spring of 2010, when I met Tiger, I started documenting my life around the familiar people who matter to me: the ones that stay and the ones that left. When Tiger left I started the project called Tigerless but Hopeful where my ultimate goal was to learn how to live well without. I travel to places that are of significance to me and I stage mundane moments like stills from a movie: events that altogether read as narratives. The Weeding in Berlin, and The Grieving in Venice are examples of these events. Altarpiece Variation No. 2 (Love Live) is the coronation of this project.

The story:

While I was preforming The Grieving in the canals of Venice, our gondolier, Christian, took a pit stop in front of the Ukrainian Pavilion of the 54th Venice Biennale.  My heart shattered in an instant not only because my lost-love was from Ukrainian decent, but also because of the nature of the work. The artist Oksana Mass has taken details from the Ghent Altarpiece and re-create them with the use of the traditional Krashenki: Ukrainian folk custom wooden eggs covered in decorations celebrating Easter. Interestingly enough, the artist invited people from over 40 different countries to paint them, this fact allowed a sense of completeness only to be achieved by the presence of the other.

Altarpiece Variation No. 2 (love live) is charged with imagery that draws upon Montreal’s mise-en-scene and my own symbols and their meanings. The word symbol has its roots in Greek and it refers to a half-token that can only convey a meaning when reunited with its other-half. Driven by an instinct of survival and self-preservation I need to produce beautiful things in order to cope with the thunder of my heart…. It gets dark in there. Even though, this body of work was conceived in 2008, it was only produced in 2012, after I met The Chef.  It wasn’t time then, now it is.

Photo Credit Melanie Boisvert 

How does your project explore the ‘soul’ of Montreal?

The soul of a place is drawn upon by the people and the life that inhabits it.

The possibility of enhancing ones senses, ones consciousness, ones spirituality by recurring to a geographical place it is not a new concept. We travel to places to find comfort, shelter, inspiration and even forgiveness. Which ever it is our own experience the possibility of reaching these higher states of consciousness and enlightenment exist for all of us as human beings.

Firstly, I traveled to Montreal to pursue my dream as an artist, and secondly my life as a man. I bloomed in Montreal, as Lourdes (my mother) says. Montreal has been a very kind and cruel place, but mostly kind. I leave when I must, but I find myself returning, and always looking back when I’m away. I have a small apartment in Montreal that I would not change for the world.  A place where stories have been written, where love has been made and where magic had happened… so I like to come back to that: the idea that IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN. The day that it stops happening, we will migrate somewhere else like the butterflies do.

Photo Credit Melanie Boisvert  

Where does your interest in the religious aesthetic of Montreal stems from?

I was raised Catholic by my 2 grandmas: Sara and Eve, very differently I was raised.

With Sara (Zarathustra as I call her) I attended mass in Lazaro Cardenas, a dusty poor town in the pacific side of the continent, where the movie Terminator was shot. It is hot and dirty over there. I remember attending mass as a child in my underwear and covered in chocolate ice cream. While holding my grandmas hand I was hypnotized by the incense, flowers, rituals of fire, and peregrinations with chanting and candle-lights. Evelia, on the other hand, was a wealthy-city-woman who lived in Guadalajara, Mexico. She attended mass also every Sunday, but she will only take me if I was showered, properly dressed and with shoes perfectly shinned. She explained to me that when I become a man, I must always take communion, while pointing at the people who remain sitting. She said that those who remain in their sits, without part taking in the eating and drinking of The Body-and-blood-of-Christ, were all sinners, and had failed to make their confession. I must always approach the altar to take communion, she said. And so I did.

Photo Credit Melanie Boisvert  

What discoveries or challenges have you have encountered along the way?

I met The Chef, at the end of 2011, whose incredible thirst for life is contagious, and whose knuckles read ‘LOVE LIVE’.

While the pre-production of this piece The Chef never asked me to stop, and the project became bigger and bigger and BIGGER! We shot 11 different shots, 10 different light sets, 3 cameras (4x 5, digital and video) 15 actors including children, tons of props, clothes and food, hair an make up. All of this happened in one day!

The Chef kept the crew happy with delicious little snacks, that would keep us nourished and focused. It was a great team effort; life gave me a dream team. I LOVE THEM ALL!!!

I encounter an incredible amount of challenges in completing this piece, but mysteriously enough they kept resolving themselves effortlessly. The production of this piece have been possible by my own harem and a series of daily miracles: Blake Mackay is The Chef, Juan Saez the D.O.P., Andy Long Hoang  (ELLE Vietnam) my digital camera man, Bogdan Stoica in charge of the large format camera, James Patrick hair stylist, Logan Mackay is the videographer and don’t forget my personal guardian angel and legal adviser: Giuseppe Calderone who makes sure I eat and sleep accordingly. My lovely ladies: Kelty Lewis is the make-up artist, Cecilia Rossell my stylist, Annie Brace-Lavoie who was The Chef’s assistant for a day, Dana Dal Bo my friend and family who has help me in picking up the pieces of my heart and put it back together and Melanie Boisvert my first assistant: SHE WAS KILLING IT!!!!!

I also had an incredible support from friends who helped me out Stephan W., Alex Soubiran, Tristan Joseph Boisvert, Rodnny Lago, Alisha Piercy, Earl Pinchuk, Marisa Portolese, Thomas Waugh, Evergon, Corey Turnbull, Frank Perreault, Flavia Majilis and my Executive Producers Enrico Maffeis in Zurich, Arturo Avila Val in Mexico and Chanel Foucault in Paris.

I also want to mention a recent addition to the team: Miss Sophie Edell, contemporary artist, who I have commissioned an art work that will cover the vitrines of the Fofa Gallery while the Altarpiece is being installed. Sophie’s artwork will go up on Tuesday April 24th, and will come down on the sixth day, Sunday the 29th of April. On the seventh day, we rest.

Click here to see a video preview of Altarpiece Variation No. 2 (Love Live) http://jeanbergerproject.tumblr.com/post/19567038574/this-preview-offers-a-first-glimpse-into-david

Q and A with Stephanie Coleman

a new detail from Stephanie’s work in progress, 2012.

Q and A with Julian Peters

How long have you known Jean Berger for, how would you describe him?    

  I first came across a mention of Jean Berger in some or other book of Montreal history, maybe about 10 years ago. A few years later, it occurred to me that this roguish song-writing painter and jailbird could make a good subject for a comic, but I couldn’t recall his name, nor in which book I had read about him. I remember searching through a whole bunch of books in the library, but without the name it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. At the time, based on what little I knew about Berger,  I thought of him as a really romantic figure, but after reading Dr. Gagnon’s book I have been dispelled of that notion somewhat.

What do you think his painting may have looked like?

There’s no way of knowing, of course, but I imagine it would have been pretty crudely executed stuff. But I’m very surprised someone could live off of painting in early 18^th-century Montreal.

What drew you to this project? 

 As soon as I heard about the project, and realized Jean Berger was the character I had wanted to write a comic book about so many years before, I rushed to send in my proposal, before the official call for submissions had even come out. It seemed like fate!

What discoveries or challenges have you have encountered along the way?

The biggest challenge was to make the events depicted understandable to a reader approaching the comic without any prior knowledge of Jean Berger and his story, using only my images and the lyrics of the song. It’s hard for me to judge how successful I have been in this regard.

What is your process in order to conceive of and create each frame of a comic based on historical texts?                                                                        I take a lot of reference pictures of myself, often dressed in an eighteenth-century-style costume that I have. I can’t imagine what the neighbours whose windows face onto mine must think I’m up to, but it’s the best way to get the poses right, as well as the distinctive draping of that cut of clothing. I also have a large database of pictures of historical costumes that I have put together over the years. After I have the reference photos, I draw a rough version of the content of each panel in pencil, reworking the lines until I am happy with the overall shapes, and especially the gestures and facial expressions. Afterwards I often blow up or reduce different parts of the drawing, mainly with an eye to the overall composition of each panel, and then transfer these drawings onto Bristol board with a lightbox. Then I start inking.

What drew you to explore Jean Berger’s song through comics? 

For the past few years I’ve been adapting a lot of classic poems into comics, so adapting Berger’s song seemed like the most natural thing to do. The song does work quite well as a poem, I find. There’s a real musical flow to it.
  

Featured Artist: David J. Romero

David J Romero is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice incorporates film, video, installation and photography. His work often explores issues of the self, religious and cultural appropriation, gender, and sexuality.  By using theatrically staged photographs, David explores the potential for story telling through his works. He received his BFA from Concordia in 2009.

David J. Romero. ‘Unitlted No. 1 (The Wedding)’, the Tigerless But Hopeful series, 2011.  

For the Jean Berger Project, David will create a large scale photo-installation that makes reference to the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck and reinterpret it through religious imagery that is a part of Montreal’s (and Jean Berger’s) history. Using contemporary subjects, his photo-installation will invite the viewer into a parallel world where historical scenes from Montreal in the 18th century are dramatized and these ideas brought into the present.  For more on David’s body of work, visit his website at: http://davidjromero.tumblr.com/ 

David J Romero. ”Untited No. 6  (The Weeding)” from the Tigerless But Hopeful series, 2011.

Featured Artist: Wahsontiio Cross

Wahsontiio Suzanne Cross, One feather, detail (cover). 2010-2011. Block print, serigraphy, pen, pencil, copy toner.  

Wahsontiio Cross’s multidisciplinary art practice balances the personal and the cultural both between her own perspectives and her desire to address larger cultural issues. Through both her art practice and her research as a recent graduate of Concordia with a Masters in Art History, Wahsontiio strives to maintain and explore Kanien’kehà:ka (Mohawk) culture, and to explore her own identity.

Untitled. 2009. Pencil and Conté crayon on handmade corn husk paper. 6.5” x 8”

For the Berger Project she intends to create an artist book that incorporates historical research and oral histories, addressing the gaps in history concerning Aboriginal histories and in the Montreal area. Many of the personal accounts and histories of the Aboriginal peoples who have lived in these regions long before Jacques Cartier have been ignored or disregarded during the process of building Montreal and Canada. Just as this exhibition seeks to address gaps in the history of Jean Berger in the eighteenth century, so too will Wahsontiio’s work bring attention to these excluded histories of Aboriginal peoples. 

Featured Artist: Stephanie Coleman

Featured Artist: Laura Findlay

Laura Findlay. Tom and His Father’s Books from ‘The Relics’ series. Archival Inkjet Print. 2011

Laura’s practice explores absence, nostalgia, memory, and the im/possibility of how we come to know those who have died. Through the objects and memories that are still with us, Laura draws on personal history and the histories of friends and strangers through the medium of photography.

The Relics series explores the struggle to know someone after they die. Through photographs, video portraits, and one-on-one interviews with her subjects, Laura looks closely at their relationships to departed loved ones and the objects they left behind that still hold significance. Together, the images in The Relics offer in part a portrait of the deceased and also a revealing image of grief, absence, and curiosity from the friends and family who are left to bear the loss and weight of a death.

Laura Findlay. Dad and His Table Setting from ‘The Relics’ Series. Archival Inkjet Print. 2011.

Three Women, None of Whom are Sisters is a new series she is currently working onthat aims to examine Laura’s continued investigation into the objects and personalities of her mother, grandmother, and great-aunt–loved ones who have all passed away. As they were the most influential women in her life, Three Womenlooks at the role their absence and possessions have played.

For the Jean Berger Project Laura will adapt Three Women to the period of eighteenth-century New France. Drawing on her family’s long history in Quebec and historical documentation of women in Montreal during the era of Jean Berger, Laura will create a new series of work that will address the gaps in knowledge about women during this time.  

Laura recently completed her BFA at Concordia. To learn more about her practice, visit www.laurafindlay.com.

Laura Findlay. Alex and His Grandfather’s Gun from ‘The Relics Series.’ Archival Inkjet Print. 2011.

Featured Artist: Julian Peters

Julian Peters. “The Origins of the Montreal Gazette- page 1”.

As promised, we will be posting weekly features showcasing the artists who are part of the Jean Berger Project. 

Julian Peters is a comic book artist and illustrator based in Montreal. He’s also the artist behind the drawing of Jean Berger we’re using as a promotional image for the exhibition.

Over the past couple of years, Julian has focused on creating comic book adaptations of classic poems from the canons of English and French literature. These include works by John Keats, T. S. Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Émile Nelligan, François Villon and Arthur Rimbaud. His comics offer a fresh and captivating way to engage contemporary readers with classic literary works that are often overlooked, or seem inaccessible.

Julian also has had a long time interest in the history of Montreal and has worked on projects for the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum in Old Montreal as well as a comic book history of the origins of the Montreal Gazette. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Art History at Concordia where he is exploring the relationship between comics and forms of High literature. 

For the Jean Berger Project, Julian is creating a comic adaptation of a popular song Berger allegedly wrote, which mocked the judicial authorities of Ville Marie. 

To see more of Julian’s work, visit his website http://julianpeterscomics.com/

Coin Viger and Square Victoria

Le Bateau Ivre (text from 1871), Page 6