Back to Akimblog

Evelyn Novak, Artist – Montreal

Evelyn Novak is a Canadian visual artist born in Tkaronto/Toronto. She is currently based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, where she is pursuing a BFA in Sculpture at Concordia University. She plays with what is considered “surface level,” both materially and metaphorically, through the impulse to understand unfamiliar things by making them resemble ourselves. Her work is currently on display at Galerie Perron in the duo show Crashworthiness.

  1. Chocolate toonies

I find chocolate toonies to be quite funny, incisive objects. I love that all of them say they were made in 2009. I love the irony in that they are a product of Europe. I love their over-generalized take on Queen Elizabeth’s face. Currency is transformed into a material of desire – our beloved toonie for your tasty consumption!

  1. Framing things

On the left is a referenceless drawing of an owl I had my mum do this summer, and on the right is a paper bag my best friend printed my favorite song lyric on. I framed them (one professionally and one by Value Village), and instantly they’ve gone from drawer inhabitants to some of my most cherished wall pieces. Things in frames make me feel all nice and grown.

  1. The part of Out on the Weekend when Neil Young sings, “she got pictures on the wall, they make me look up from her big brass bed.”

I’m not sure what it is about that line, but the excitement I feel each time I hear it is unwavering, and entirely unprecedented. I cannot stop.

  1. Citizen Archivist Image Collections

Recently, I’ve been perusing the Citizen Archivist Image Collections section of the Internet Archive. I find it strangely touching. This photo is from an album titled 21 January 2014 photos uploaded by a personal favorite contributor, Matthew Paul Argall. The photos in the CAIC feel less staged than both contemporary photography and the photos on social media, yet nowhere near as careless as the pictures in your smartphone camera roll. These days, I find it rare to see the mundane captured with such unselfconscious intent.

  1. Words of advice

Words of advice do not always feel like the right remedy, but right now I find myself looking for advice in everything. I think the fall must be a time for it. Here is a list of people who, in the last little while, have provided me with poignant, top tier words of advice:
– My friend, Tessa
– My roommate’s dad, Bruce
– Clarice Lispector
– My mum
– Dr. Orna of the TV show Couples Therapy
– Tanya Davis
– Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed
– My doctor, Barry G.
– Annie Dillard
I’d feel badly writing out all this advice here on Akimbo, so send me an email if you’d like the details. I’d love to share.

Type
Top