2013 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Sigrid Dahle, Ray Fenwick, Shannon Yashcheshen

The School of Art and School of Art Gallery are pleased to present thesis exhibitions by three Master of Fine Art students, Sigrid Dahle, Ray Fenwick and Shannon Yashcheshen. (Scroll down for individual posters.)

JUNE 21-28, 2013
Opening reception: Friday, June 21, 4:00 – 7:00 pm
Performances by Ray Fenwick: 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 pm

SIGRID DAHLE: I Never Stopped Being a Curator

I Never Stopped Being A Curator is a rigorously playful experiment in the form of a gallery installation. Blurring the boundaries between curating and artmaking, this project shows how to make things with words. Marcel Duchamp looms large, staging a return by way of a purchased ‘readywritten.’

Based in Winnipeg, Sigrid Dahle’s decades-long practice includes performative micro-curating, exhibition making and art writing. Her work has appeared in venues and publications across Canada and in Europe. She has undergraduate degrees in psychology (University of Alberta) and art history (University of Manitoba) and has received grants from the Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.

RAY FENWICK: Solo for Self-Talk Chamber

This exhibition documents the performance of Solo for Self-Talk Chamber, a work by Ray Fenwick. The piece was performed by Ray Fenwick in his graduate school studio. It began on January 8, 2013 and ended on April 12, 2013.

The gallery exhibition is comprised of a video work and a 450-page book (with subject index) that transcribes the entire 14-hour performance.

On the night of the opening, at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30, the artist will host a "performative book launch" in his studio (a short walk from the gallery). There will be three shows, but only twelve seats for each. To reserve a seat in advance, please email soloforselftalkchamber@gmail.com or call (204) 898–5025.

Fenwick is an interdisciplinary artist working with sound, video, typography, painting and performance. He has an undergraduate degree from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. His work has been exhibited and screened in both Canada and the U.S., and he has spoken about his work at conferences and universities in both countries. Pastoralia, his art and dance music project with painter Mitchell Wiebe, has performed at various venues, most notably at the opening of Mass MoCA’s "Oh Canada" exhibition. He has received grants from Nova Scotia Culture and Heritage and Manitoba Arts Council. Fenwick is represented by Katharine Mulherin Art Projects in Toronto. In July he will be a participant of Plug-In ICA's Summer Institute residency.

SHANNON YASHCHESHEN: Interaction: Portraiture in a Digital World

Interaction: Portraiture in a Digital World is a thesis exhibition that seeks to analyze, and blur the lines between portraiture, art, and digital technology. These concepts and ideas are expressed within four distinct bodies of work: Facebook Text Portraits, Nightclub Portraits, Online Dating HTML Portrait, and a portrait titled Crying Girl. They encompass ideas and themes pertaining to portraiture in a digital world, but come at them from different perspectives.

Shannon Yashcheshen is a graphic/web designer, painter, printmaker and photographer. She has been an active member of the arts community for the past 14 years, has extensive experience exhibiting her work in art galleries, has been nominated for and won several art and design awards, and has worked as a graphic/web designer for several large corporations.

Shannon has completed the Graphic Art Production, New Media Communications, and the Applied Photography extension program at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Regina, Saskatchewan. She holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a double major in painting and printmaking and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a specialization in art history from the University of Regina, programs completed with distinction while working full time as a graphic designer. Shannon is currently in the process of completing a Master of Fine Art degree, and the Certification in Higher Education Teaching program at the University of Manitoba.

ORAL EXAMINATIONS
The public is welcome to attend the students’ oral examinations at the School of Art Gallery.
Ray Fenwick: Saturday, June 22, 9:30 a.m.
Sigrid Dahle: Saturday, June 22, 1:30 p.m.
Shannon Yashcheshen: Monday, June 24, 1:00 p.m.

MFA Posters (top to bottom)

Sigrid Dahle
I Never Stopped Being a Curator

Ray Fenwick
Solo for Self-Talk Chamber

Shannon Yaschcheshen
Interaction: Portraiture in a Digital World