“Paying attention is art.” “Faire attention est un art.” -Jean Boulanger

...And so, what if I reframed my everydayness, contextualized my gestures, improved my awareness and made the usual special for others and myself? What if I could insert shine into the mundane?

Intent and context are at the core of this differentiation or transformation of the dull (everydayness) to shiny (art). To shine is to appear with luminosity or clarity, to glisten. Stars shine, twinkle and draw your attention if only momentarily; a shining moment is a distinguishing point in time and an employee who shines excels in that he/she is remarkably superior to others; they stand out. To shine is also to appear in someone’s consciousness. Reframing or re-contextualization brings attention to something and may restore its shine.



METRO HALIFAX PAPER/ACTUAL AND ALTERED FRONT PAGE PLACED IN SEVEN DOWNTOWN PAPER DISPENSERS, MARCH 2009.

Interventionist practices are very much about this notion of art infiltrating everydayness and creating imaginary narratives for both the artist and the observer. Within the brief hiccup in the innocent bystander’s daily routine, there is an intimate communication between the artist (social agent) and others (patient). No warnings are given; no commitment is expected. The magic of this work greatly depends on the unannounced, chance meeting. Gestures are made and objects are left for others to discover.





EVERYTHING OUTSIDE THIS POSTER IS ART/LOWER WATER STREET, HALIFAX, MARCH 2009.


letterpress print, 14' x 20', edition of 35, 2009

AD SPACE/ MONCTON AND HALIFAX, MARCH 2009.


letterpress print, 14' x 20', edition of 30, 2009

Poetic intervention is art spilling over into everydayness. Although most interventionist practices are socio-politically engaged, there is a category that relates more closely to the notion of a message in the bottle thrown at sea. This contact is subtle, intimate and playful: a silent tête-à-tête conversation with the observer.
Doing nice things for others is art. Decorating weeds, sending flowers and writing letters of encouragement are ways in which shine can be restored to the everyday.