A weekly update of art related activities with a focus on Hamilton, Ontario; by artist Chris Erskine. Updates are posted every Monday.
Topics for this week:
1.) Mastering Time
2.) We Are Not Alone
3.) Heritage List Goes to Council
4.) Durand Letter Goes to Council
5.) Printing Architecture
6.) Kirk Cobain
1.) Mastering time
Time-lapse photography continues to be a challenge. I am learning how to deal with bright sunny days that wash out the colours. This means using neutral density lenses and learning how to do colour correction and colour grading.
I have provided raw samples of the work done over the past seven days.
The second challenge is learning how to tell stories with film. How do you write a story that is interesting to the audience? What are filming techniques for storytelling? For example, when do you use wide, medium, and close-up shots? How do you use sound and music to support the story? How do you use editing bring everything together?
My goal is to create compelling visual stories Hamilton’s built heritage and thus make more people interested saving our history.
What makes history important is not what it says about the past, but what is says about our future.
2.) We are not alone
We are not alone is trying to save our past. The Saturday’s edition of the Globe and Mail had an article about a condo developer demolishing an 1896 building in their heritage district. What is particularly funny-sad about the situation is the situation is that the developer is going to copy the style of the 1896 building in the new building.
Heritage advocates are worried that the new condo project will weaken the support for the heritage district. What is already sad is the 1896 building was filled with good paying tenants from the film industry.
3.) Heritage Inventory List Goes to Council
Last Wednesday, the Heritage Inventory List Project Report was accepted by Council. The Report listed almost 1,000 potential heritage-worthy buildings in the down-town core. Along with the list, the Project created a community statement that will act as criteria for determining what properties should or should not be included. This community statement will vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, and hopefully capture how each area of Hamilton is the product of different histories.
Brian McHattie cited the example of Westdale and the pressure to build larger homes within a community mostly shaped by 1920s and 1930s architecture.
It will be interesting to see the list for the down-town properties. While Westdale is largely shaped by one period, the inter-war period, others like the down-town are shaped by different eras that all have a valid claim for recognition and preservation.
4.) Durand Letter Goes to Council
The Durand Neighbourhood Association has expressed concern over the decision making process surrounding the partial demolition of the James Street Baptist Church. The Heritage Permits Committee is a sub-committee of the Heritage Committee. All Committees work for Hamilton City Council. So, it is my understanding that the Durand folks are questioning why the approval for the partial demolition was not reviewed and approved by first the Heritage Committee and then Hamilton City Council.
The letter was addressed to City Council and Joey Coleman noted that it was addressed, but I could not find a discussion (if any) during the nearly six hour meeting of Council. I do not know if the letter was merely accepted into the records or whether Council offered comments.
If anyone knows, please send me a tweet.
5.) Printing Architecture
I came across this amazing VEMIO video on using a 3D printer to create room with architectural features. It was amazing and reminded me of “I Robert” where the home of the creator of Roberts is demolished because he was dead. Like fake wood furniture, the home little value after the owner died.
If the home were built in a traditional manner, this would seem like a terrible waste but imagine if they a 3D printer built it.
6.) Kirk Cobain
Saturday’s was the 20th anniversary of the suicide of Kirk Cobain – it is amazing how time flies. I remember buying cassette tapes of Nirvana from Sam the Record Man on James Street North. The Globe and Mail had a good story on Cobain in the Saturday edition.
FCSD Studio 