I’d Rather Be Snow Shoveling

  • Stairs at the National Archives. Montréal, Québec, 2005.
  • Bocce ball court. Montréal, Québec, 2005.
  • Discs. Montréal, Québec, 2005.
  • Car door, from the Before and After series. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Front yard disc, from the Before and After series. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Shed, from the Before and After series. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Benches, from the Before and After series. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Chair, from the Before and After series. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Snowball, from the Before and After series. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Composite, from the Before and After series. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Shovel imprint. Dawson City, Yukon, 2004.
  • Quinsey. Montréal, Québec, 2005.
  • Access point, from the Stairs series. Montréal, Québec, 2005.
  • Access point, from the Stairs series. Montréal, Québec, 2005.
  • Access point, from the Stairs series. Montréal, Québec, 2005.
  • Bus Shelter, from Endlessly Traversed Landscapes curated by Natalie Doonan. Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, 2010.
  • Bus Shelter, from Endlessly Traversed Landscapes curated by Natalie Doonan. Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, 2010.

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‘I’d Rather Be Snow Shoveling’ is a body of work and a series of experiments that were were developed, documented and exhibited in collaboration with Valerie Salez from 2003 – 2010.  Sculptural and performance-based snow shoveling served as a starting point for engagement, conversation and collaboration with the passer-by in a variety of social and geographical contexts.

Video:

Cones, Halifax, 2003

Valerie and I started shoveling snow together around the same time that my house burned to the ground in February, 2003.  We used pilons from the demolished site as mould-makers to temporarily block road access between Falkland and Gottingen Streets.

Kids, Dawson City, 2004

In the Yukon, we shoveled with kids who live in the snow for at least 7 months of the year.  Together we transformed their playground and did shovel-role playing as prospectors mining or gold, the royal family and martians.

Stairs, Montreal, 2005

In February, in Montreal, giant piles of cleared snow can be found in most parking lots and other empty spaces.  We took to transforming these piles into stair-cases should a passing pedestrian want a new route or vantage point.  These snow stairs became immediately useful for a giant student demonstration before I had the chance to turn the video camera off.

 

Related events and exhibitions:

Brick + Mortar International Video Art Festival, Greenfield, MA, 2012. Curated by Denise Markonish.

Endlessly Traversed Landscapes, Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, Vancouver, BC, 2010.  Curated by Natalie Doonan.

Equinox, Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Ontario, 2006.  Curated by Barbara Fischer.

Snow Shoveling, Dalhousie University Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2006.  Curated by Sue Gibson Garvey.

VideoVidVid, Shenmaro Studio, Kyoto, Japan, 2006.  Curated by Emi Uemura.

Snow Shoveling/Pelleter La Neige, Dare-Dare, Montréal, Québec, 2005.

Stay Warm, Atelierfrankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany, 2005.  Curated by Tamara Henderson.

Gifts by Artists, Art Metrople, Toronto, Ontario, 2005.

Hurry Slowly, Or Gallery, Vancouver, BC.  Curated by Sydney Hermant.

Pan Northern Youth Conference, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, 2005.

Dawson City International Short Film Festival, Dawson City, Yukon, 2005.

Welcoming Winter Conference, Dalhousie Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Halifax, NS, 2005.

SPASM Public Art Festival, Paved Arts and AKA Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 2004.

 

Related Reviews and Publications:

Definitely Not the Opera.  With Sook-Yin Lee.  CBC Radio, February 2009.

Sandals, Leah.  ‘The Art of Remembering Snow’  The Toronto Star, January 7, 2007. A8-9

Lindeman-Jarvis, Tracey.  ‘Wreaking psychological warfare – with shovels’  The Link, Vol. 25, Issue 23, Feb. 2005.  Pg 9.

Howell, Steven.  ‘Tonight, Montrealers are staying up all night’  The Gazette, Montreal, February 26, 2005.

Woodley, Matthew.  ‘Let it snow’  Montreal Mirror, Volume 20, Number 33, February 2005.  Page 36.

Lemay, Daniel.  ‘Les pelleteuses d’art’  La Presse, Montreal, February 19, 2005.

Smulders, Marilyn.  ‘Art is in the eye of the shoveller’  The Halifax Daily News, January 27, 2005.  Page 20.

Melvin, Andrea.  ‘Dal Art Gallery’s Special Find’  The Gazette, Halifax, January 27, 2005.  Page 14-15.

Barnard, Elissa.  ‘Basic necessities unbound’  The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, January 22, 2005.  Page D8.

Sounds Like Canada. CBC Radio, January 2004.

The Morning Show. CBC Radio-Yukon, January 2004.

Beacom, Chris.  ‘Palette from the Sky:  Have Snow Shovel, Will Create’  Yukon News,  Vol. 44, No. 13, Feb. 4, 2004.  Page 1, 24.

Pullen, Lucy.  ‘Line Interrupts Landscape.’  Goin’ Solo.  Vancouver: Or Gallery, 2006. Page 13-15, 50.