An UnNatural History Exhibit:
Oct 5-Nov 2 2017
T.E.S.T Gallery Space: 906 Queen Street West @Crawford, Toronto
An unNatural History draws inspiration from a fascination with the artistic representation of natural history and the creation of fictitious places in literature.
A documentation of something newly discovered; but for instance, whereas it is claimed that some of Ernst Haeckel's embryo drawings of 1874 were fabricated, for example, an UnNatural History starts in the opposite direction, from a conjecture of the imagination grounded with elements that - although bizarre - are quite real, to try to give it verisimilitude.
Artists were asked to explore the past and future through: Hybrid organisms, fictional fungi/botany, distant imaginary worlds, unusual geometry, otherworldly life, geography, animals, minerals, astronomy, genetic mutations. Tell us their story, what they do in their environment, including interactions with other organisms if applicable.
Work by:
Kathryn Bell
Kristen D'Aquila
Wilder Duncan
Lavinia Hanachiuc
Mar Hester
Holly McClellan
Judith Pudden
Kest Schwartzman
Rosemary Stehlik
Tosca Teran
Pati Tozer
Elaine Whittaker
Ele Willoughby
Cynthia Winters
Opening reception/Halloween costume party:
Friday, Oct 13, 7pm - midnight Check out our Facebook event here! https://www.facebook.com/events/1635268766497835
Tarot readings with Alie Tarot- 8pm-midnight
Best costume prize
Spin the wheel raffle- 10pm
Cash bar
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BAT SKELETON ARTICULATION Workshops • Reserve your seats with a deposit of $135 (class fee $270)
In this class, students will learn how to create an osteological preparation of a bat in the fashion of 19th century zoological displays. A cleaned bat skeleton (Pipistrellus abramus), a glass dome, branches, glue, tools, and all necessary materials will be provided for each student, but one should feel welcome to bring small feathers, stones, dried flowers, dead insects, natural elements, or any other materials s/he might wish to include in his/her composition. Students will leave the class with a visually striking, fully articulated, “lifelike” bat skeleton posed in a 10″ tall glass dome. The class will focus on teaching ancient methods of specimen preparation that link science with art: students will create compositions involving natural elements and, according to their taste, will compose a traditional Victorian environment or a modern display.
Workshop dates:
Thursday evening 6:30pm start
Saturday afternoon 12pm start
Sunday afternoon 12pm start
Reserve your seat here
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Create with Thermoplastic
Saturday, October 21st, 12pm start $155pp
Have fun creating freeform, organic, one of a kind shapes! Use it for a headpiece , mask or for display.
Create unusual forms and shapes for head-pieces, masks, jewellery and more!
No experience necessary, all materials included!
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Dia De Los Muertos Sugar Skull Making Workshops!
October 28 & 29th come make and decorate sugar skulls for Halloween and our Day of the Dead ofrenda! $20pp 13yrs on up! $10 per child 12 – 5yrs*
Everyone is welcome to join the fun! Learn how to make and decorate Mexican sugar skulls. Learn about Dia de los Muertos festivities and the Ofrenda. How to construct sugar skulls and animals will be demonstrated. Adding foils, paper flowers & icing flowers will be demonstrated. Participants will then decorate their sugar skulls using Royal icing, metallic foils and more! Fun for the whole family! Workshops start at 12pm Saturday and Sunday. Green chile/corn tamales, tacos, chips & various salsas, churros, horchata and more (so, don’t eat lunch beforehand!) * children 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult.
Everyone can participate and put something either traditional or symbolic on the altar. The altar is where people can express their feelings for those loved ones being honoured. Americans (and non-Catholics) are beginning to adopt this tradition and now altars are becoming popular in private homes as well as in public places. In Mexico, the traditional family altar explodes with colour during Day of the Dead when many special items are set out as offerings to the returning spirits. The entire family will work together in the decoration; similar to families who decorate their Christmas tree together. Many families spend up to two month’s earnings on the food & decorations for their ofrendas. Halloween may be on Oct. 31, but there’s another spooky date on the calendar directly after: “Dia de los Muertos.” -from ibtimes.com
Now celebrated in countries around the world, Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” is a two-day holiday which originated in Mexico to remember deceased loved ones. It’s a Mexican national holiday and the country’s largest celebration of the year, but Dia de los Muertos extends well beyond to Guatemala, Brazil, Spain and Mexican-American communities in the United States.
The observance is Nov. 1 and 2, coinciding with the Catholic All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Typically, the two-day celebration is divided into separate days to honor deceased youth, Dia de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) or Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) on Nov. 1, and adults for Dia de los Muertos on Nov. 2. In some beliefs, it is a three-day holiday beginning on Oct. 31, All Hallows Eve, when some believe the souls of young children arise at midnight.
Not to be confused with Halloween, this holiday has a rich history and involves more than dressing up in costumes or trick-or-treating.
On Dia de los Muertos, families gather to celebrate those who have died as well as build altars in their homes, schools or other public places to pay homage to the deceased. Many honor the dead with gifts of sugar skulls, chocolate, marigolds (the Mexican flower of death), sweetbreads and trinkets. Families also typically visit graves to deliver the ofrendas, or “offerings,” and hold vigils with candles and photos.
Dia de los Muertos can be traced back to the Aztecs who celebrated with a festival for the goddess of the underworld,
Mictecacihuatl, and the Catholic Spanish conquistadors’ All Saints’ and All Souls’ days. Scholars have noted the indigenous cultures of Mexico honor the Lady of the Dead, the modern La Catrina, which many recognize today as a skeleton woman wearing a fancy hat.
