ShiftWork will be back with their fifth art show titled B&W(+1) that will set limitations on the artists.
“For this one a lot us do a lot of graphic-comic-style black and white work a lot, so we kind of started there. Then we decided it might be too limiting, so we put black and white plus one. Could mean maybe you stick another color in,” said ShiftWork artist Stefan Westner.
Westner thinks limitations can be beneficial for some artists.
“We like to have some sort of theme that ties the show together a little but we like to have it as loose as possible,” he said, “If you limit it a little bit without actually dictating subject matter then I find everyone has more ideas.”
The last ShiftWork show took place during the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival and it was limited to any and all things print-related like photos, screen-printing and woodblock paintings.
Another limitation is the show itself. It runs for only 24 hours — the original format for the artist-run group. Westner thinks having something so short-lived is more exciting and sets their galleries apart from the others.
“It’s like saying we’re here right now, and then if you miss us then that’s it. It will never be this again. Next time it will be great, but it will be completely different, different artists, different space.”
ShiftWork is partnering with Connexion ARC, the artist-run centre for contemporary art in Fredericton. Westner said they’ve been supportive since day one.
“The very first show we did was on the same night as a show at the Gallery Conexion. It was called ‘Labor and Leisure’ and it was all about art and the difference between creating at work, building something, writing something, producing something and what you do in your free time where you create in a much more free sense,” he said. “We are sort of exploring that theme in a very practical way where all of our participants have jobs and do all of art work on a coffee table or in their studio. It’s very much supported by their labor.”
B&W (+1) will take place at 384 Queen St., above Back Street Records from Dec. 13th to Dec. 14th.
