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Censoring censorship

Art collective aims to get people talking

By Nicole Fitzgerald

What: First Cut, An Uncensored Art Show

When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m.

Where: Auto Podium , Function Junction

Admission: Free

When first looking at the above image entitled “Join the Resistance” by Justin Ormiston , I couldn’t understand the controversy behind the painting. In a fast-forward world, the image was afforded no more than a fleeting glance. But if I had looked past the bright acrylics both entertaining and satisfying my gaze to a point where nothing more of substance was pursued, I would have read between the lines of how eight small letters on a 5X7 foot canvas changed the face of Ormiston’s art, or at least how the painting was received when shown at last year’s BraveArt gallery exhibit at the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival.

The angst ridden image only showed for one night at the weeklong exhibit. Garnering too much attention, the painting was removed to a back storage room.

Ormiston explained the artwork was too controversial, especially for a festival partly funded and partly owned by the organization the painting criticized.

On one of the chords sucking away the life force of the painted man, the word Intrawest is inscribed.

“A lot of people in the valley can relate to that exact struggle: the feeling of being tapped into Intrawest and being completely drained,” said Ormiston, a former Whistler-Blackcomb employee of eight years. “The painting only showed one night. We are running into censorship in a lot of the larger venues that aren’t representing the full potential of our artwork.”

The painting embodies the spirit behind a newly formed artist group, The Jettisons, whose members such as Ormiston refuse to let their work be closeted by censorship.

The Jettisons celebrate their newfound freedom with the inaugural exhibit, First Cut: An Uncensored Art Show Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. at Auto Podium in Function Junction.

“I am pleased to be part of a group of artists who are not afraid to exhibit artwork dealing with controversial subject matter, which may offend some viewers,” collective member Dave Petko said. “The nature of art has been to create a reaction in the viewer, be it good or bad. I welcome your reactions, as I imagine our collective does.”

Hosting the showing in a car garage was the only way to ensure a no-holds-barred approach to the exhibit’s content. There are no sponsors to influence the choice of art and no hosting gallery to dictate public tastes.

The term “Jettisons” is a verb. It means, “To throw overboard, to lighten a ship or aircraft in distress; to discard.” The collective will host uncensored art shows, providing alternative views through art, and rescuing Whistler’s art community from what they call “a marginalized showcase.”

The group of five is made up of Ormiston, The Incredible Amoeba, Arne Gutmann , Petko and Robin Dutcher — names not unfamiliar to Whistler’s art scene.

“The Jettisons is an opportunity for me to collaborate with individuals that feel the way I do about art: passionately,” Gutmann said. “Having my work censored for years has driven me to search out a group of artists that would not have bias or negativity towards my art.”

Many Jettisons have contributed their works to Whistler art events such as ArtWalk, ARTrageous, MY Millennium Place monthly exhibit features and LUNA’s Harvest Fest, just to name a few. But the public is only privy to a narrow selection of their works, with many pieces deemed unsuitable for a show or venue.

From touchy subjects such as anti-religion tattoos to somewhat bizarre mediums such as photographing feces, The Jettisons push the envelope on experimental and issue-driven art.

Gutmann’s works run the gamut. A politically-spurred photograph of a fallen American airplane in gloomy light is both breathtaking and emotionally charged. Something easily envisioned in a magazine or photo show. The image of discarded chewing gum on the street takes a little more imagination. He explained the photograph comments on our throwaway society and how over time, our waste accumulates. His series of four colourful images, inspired by the godfather of American pop art Andy Warhol, really leaves an onlooker trying to make sense of things, with the photographed items being made from feces.

Event organizers hope the exhibit will open viewers to new experiences, bringing fresh ideas to Whistler’s artistscape.

“There will be a lot of thought-provoking pieces and interesting works at the show,” Gutmann said.

  He pointed to Ormiston’s “Join the Resistance” piece.

“There is positive within negative. A little bit of negativity can take us such a long way in a positive direction. To release that (anger), that painting caused a conversation. People can relate. There is somebody else saying what they feel. If someone only sees the negative, they are only skimming the surface, the top layer. They don’t get past the paint.”

Auto Podium is located at #15-1209 Alpha Lake Road in Function Junction.

To preview some of The Jettisons’ works, visit thejettisons.com. Admission is free.