By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The theme “Seasons of Life” was interpreted in a myriad of ways over the weekend at the Fall Art Show and Sale (FASS) which made its return for the first time since the pandemic began.
The annual event held at the Oliver Community Centre on Oct. 1-2 coincided with the Cask and Keg and Festival of the Grape events, all part of the Fall Festival Weekend.
Visual artists in all media and of all ages entered in categories including photography, fibre arts, oils, acrylics, watercolours, three-dimensional, and mixed/other media.
The two-day art show featured a competition in nine categories, with public voting, exhibits and demonstrations, entertainment, and an evening reception.
As part of the event, “Ripoff Artists” displayed their unique and sometimes cheeky works of art in an annual contest involving “ripping off” famous dead artists.
Russel Work, a ripoff artist himself, explained that it is “an eclectic group” of nine artists in various media that make up the “Ripoff Artists”. Each year “we choose a dead artist and choose one of their pieces and rip it off in the style of our media.”
This year it was Picasso who unwittingly fell prey to their irreverent pursuit. And because Picasso did many goat interpretations – sketchings, paintings and sculptures – this was the focus, Work said. “So each of us ripped off a goat image or more in the style of Picasso.”
Each year the informal artist group rents the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre for a week in July and on the first day (Monday) they have an opening gathering at which they have a pre-piece already finished. This year they chose to do a self-image in the style of Picasso.
Tuesday kicks off the main challenge with a deadline for the main piece to be finished by Sat 3:00 p.m. followed by an exhibition of our final pieces. The Oliver Arts Council invited the group to join and exhibit their finished pieces as part of the Fall Art Show.
Now in its 15th year, other famous dead artists covered in the past include Lauren Harris and Van Gogh.
“It’s something that’s fun to do and no slight is directed towards the artists,” Works said. “They become our inspiration or jumping off point in order to challenge ourselves and that’s what I like particularly. I’ve got a focus and I’m able to work earnestly and diligently for that week to come up with a new idea.” He adds that often he doesn’t even start until that week.
When asked what his favourite piece is from this year’s event he references a piece by Norberto Rodriquez de la Vega. “Picasso’s Guernica is the most significant anti-war painting that he did, but of course he [Rodriquez de la Vega] put a goat in it, plus he also paid homage to Ukraine.”
