Making a Spectacle of One's Self by Barr Gilmore, RCA A thesis exhibition presented to the Ontario

102 Pages·2011·43.49 MB·English

Making a Spectacle of One’s Self
by
Barr Gilmore, RCA
A thesis exhibition presented to the
Ontario College of Art and Design University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Master of Design
in
Interdisciplinary Masters in Art, Media and Design
MADE
867 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario M6J 1V5
April 28 to May 15, 2011
© Barr Gilmore 2011
The Author’s Declaration
I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the
thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners.
I authorize the Ontario College of Art and Design University to lend this thesis to
other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research.
I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public.
I further authorize the Ontario College of Art and Design University to reproduce this
thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other
institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research.
Signature
ii
Making a Spectacle of One’s Self
Master of Design 2011
Duncan Barr Gilmore, RCA
Interdisciplinary Masters in Art, Media and Design
Ontario College of Art and Design University
The Abstract
The Colour Barr is a new species of contemporary furniture—one that embeds the
unleashed potential of the unconscious mind in its symbolic form, that challenges
screen-based social networking in favour of an embodied social experience, and that
looks spectacle straight in the eyes and says, “I understand.”
Welcome to The Colour Barr—a new self-portrait in the form of a sculpture-cum-
functioning cocktail bar. Let me open up the bar, while you open up yourself to new
intoxicating elixirs, interesting cultural mixes and stimulating symbolic exchange.
What awaits is nothing less than transformation. Let’s get this party started.
Does The Colour Barr perform you? Or vice versa?
You decide how best to represent yourself. Value and meaning await those willing to
engage at The Colour Barr.
iii
The Acknowledgements
Many people have helped to get me to where I am today. First, I would like to thank my
parents John Duncan Gilmore (1921–83) and Dorothy Barr for making me, my sister
Janet for forcing me—through sibling rivalry—to outperform her in academics and
sports, and to my early educators who acknowledged a creative potential in me. My
friends and mentors Felix Partz (1945–94), Jorge Zontal (1944–94) and AA Bronson
of the late Canadian artist group General Idea took me under their wings and guided
me through the international contemporary art scene in the early 90s. Bruce Mau and
my colleagues—especially Amanda Sebris—at Bruce Mau Design taught me about
graphic design/identity and to have the confidence to tackle any design challenge.
My IAMD colleagues and advisory committee, namely Greg Van Alstyne (Principal
Advisor), Paulette Phillips and Charles Reeve pushed me creatively and mentally. And
my partner and sometime collaborator Michel Arcand and our dog Pooh ground me
and keep me warm at night. Thank you.
Design is a collaborative process and The Colour Barr would not have been realized
without the incredible 3D software skills of Chris Bahry at Tendril, David Plant and his
team at King Signs, the woodworking know-how of Lucas Brancalion and Jeremy Cox
at Brothers and Sons, and OCADU’s Rapid Prototyping Centre
Finally, thanks to Julie Nicholson and Shaun Moore at MADE for their continued
support and for hosting my graduate installation.
iv
The Table of Contents
The List of Figures vi
The Preface xi
The Introduction
The Gift 1
The Literature Review
The Exchange 5
The Spectacle 13
The Sign 21
Reflective Autoethnography Research 22
The Conclusion
The Colour Barr 37
Reflexive and Qualitative Research 42
The Elixirs of Life 51

The Contribution and Further Research
The Morning After 61
The Bibliography
The Referenced 63
The Unreferenced (Further Reading) 65
The Appendix
A. The Past 71
B. The Event 79
C. The Alchemist’s Mandala 87
v
Unless otherwise noted, all artwork and photography is
© 2011 Barr Gilmore
The List of Figures
Figure Title of Figure page
1 Graphic for bar signage, Pretty Ugly exhibition, 2010 x
2 Installation view of The Colour Barr at MADE, 2011 xiii
Photograph © Dave Gillespie
3 Installation view of The Colour Barr in the front window of xiv
MADE, 2011
4 Artwork for the Elixirs of Life cocktail coasters, set of seven 3
coasters, 3.5 inch diametre each, edition of 500
5 Artwork for the Elixirs of Life laser etched decanters 3
6 What’s Up Dad?, 1986 photo silkscreen, 16 x 16 inches 4
My father flew a Lancaster Bomber in WWII with a picture
of Bugs Bunny on the side with the words, “What’s Up Doc?”
my grandfather is pictured giving my dad his wings
7 Stills from Douglas Gordon and Jonathan Monk’s 7
collaborative performance Are Friends Electric? at
Lisson Gallery, London on June 23, 2010
Photographs © Robert Ross
8 Graphic identity created for Friends Electric collaboration 8
9 General Idea, Colour Bar Lounge, 1979, aluminum, glass, 11
colour photographs and printed cards, floor unit: 40 x 150
x 10 inches, wall unit: 24 x 150 inches
Collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario
Photograph © General Idea, Inc./AGO
10 General Idea, installation view of Ruins of the 1984 Miss 11
General Idea Pavillion, 1977, site-specific installation and
performance, rubble, chalk and other elements
Photograph © General Idea, Inc.. Used with permission.
vi
11 Book cover of General Idea’s The Getting into the Spirit 11
Cocktail Book from the 1984 Miss General Idea Pavillion,
1980, hardcover, 64 pages, edition of 900
12 Video stills from General Idea’s Test Tube, 1979, 28 minutes 12
colour, sound. Produced by De Appel, Amsterdam
© General Idea, Inc.
13 + 14 Book cover of Naomi Klein’s international bestseller 19
No Logo, 2000 culture-jammed by The Economist on
September 8–14, 2001 just days before 9/11
15 Benefit of the Doubt, 2008, light sculpture made of 20
425 light bulbs, sockets, electronic light sequencer and
painted aluminum, 30 x 96 x 7 inches
Photograph © 2008 Patrick Dell. Used with permission
16 My astrological birth chart produced by Pam Younghans 23
showing planetary positions at time, date and place of birth
17 My Aura Photograph by Chrysanne Stathacos, 1996 24
18 My Nine Totem Animal reading by Pamela Hackwell, 2010 24
using the Native American Medicine Card deck by
Jamie Sans and David Carson with illustrations © 1988/99
Angela Werneke, St. Martin’s Press, New York
19 Production still from Federico Fellini’s film about dreams 27
City of Women, 1980
Photograph © Deborah Beer
20 A variety of Internet images of rabbits identified in the face 27
of the Moon from the website www.contodomiafecto.com
Sources unknown
21 Sample entry from my blog Barr’s Dream Journal, 2010 31
22 General Idea, Fin de siècle, 1994, chromogenic print, 32
30 x 24 inches, edition of 12 + 3 APs and installation view of
General Idea’s One Day of AZT and One Year of AZT, 1991 at
The Power Plant, Toronto, 1993
Photographs © General Idea, Inc.
23 Installation view of General Idea’s The Armoury from the 32
1984 Miss General Idea Pavillion, 1985–90 at the Musée d’art
contemporain de la Ville de Paris, Paris, 2011
24 An early 17th C. mandala from the Musaeum Hermeticum 35
25 The Rabbit in the Moon mixing the Elixir of Immortality 35
embroidered on an 18th C. Chinese emperor’s robe by an
artist from the Qing emperors’ court
vii
26 Installation view of Colour Barr, 2009 a self-portrait in the 36
form of a fluorescent light sculpture, July 2009 at
Queen Specific (formerly Solo Exhibition), Toronto
27 The Wooton Desk cabinet-secretary from the Wooton 39
Company of Indiana around 1875
© 2008 National Trust for Historic Preservation in the
United States, 1785 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington,
DC 20036, U.S.A. All rights reserved
28 Phrenology diagram of a symbolic head illustrating the 39
natural language of the faculties from People’s Cyclopedia of
Universal Knowledge, 1883
29 Martin Baas’ Shell, 2009, made of faceted stainless steel, 39
copper welds and a walnut veneer interior for a private
collector and Design Miami 2009
Photograph © 2009 James Harris
30 Elevation drawing for The Colour Barr, 2011, front view 40
colour study
31 Playboy logo 40
32 Rabbit shadow puppet image by Moon Young Shin 40
www.moon-shin.com © 2010–11 Moon Young Shin
33 Free peace sign stencil from www.spraypaintstencils.com 40
34 Two early 3D rapid prototypes of The Colour Barr, 2011 43
showing the open and closed profiles of each
35 Elevation drawings for The Colour Barr, 2011 with mock-ups 44–45
of the Elixirs of Life cocktail coasters
36 Xavier Veilhan, Laurent (Deutsche Grammophon), 2006, 46
polyurethane and yellow epoxy painting, 71 x 27 x 20 inches
Private collection
Photo © André Morin
Laurent, 2005. Aluminum, steel, 71 x 25 x 14 inches
Collection Guillaume Houzé
Photo © Marc Domage
© 2008 Veilhan/Adagp, Paris
37 Flattened 3D pattern for The Colour Barr, 2011 using 49
Pepakura software
38 3D paper model showing waterjet cut sections 50
39 Paint colour tests on stainless steel for The Colour Barr 50
40 Waterjet cutting at RCI Waterjet Cutting Services of 50
stainless steel sections for The Colour Barr
41 Welding of The Colour Barr at RJS Metal Precision, Bolton 51
42 Custom ziricote wood drawers with sliders by Brothers and 52
viii
Sons, Toronto for The Colour Barr
Photograph © 2011 Dave Gillespie
43 Embroidered apron by Stitchy Lizard for The Colour Barr 52
Photograph © 2011 Dave Gillespie
44 Example of laser-etched decanter for The Colour Barr 52
Photograph © 2011 Dave Gillespie
45 The Elixirs of Life cocktail coasters for The Colour Barr 53
letterpressed by Lunar Caustic Press, Toronto
46 Bernard Rancillac, Elephant, 1967 64
47 The Gilder. graphic identity, 2010 72–73
custom fonts (The Gilder Framed/Unframed) and signage
Photographs © Peter Porebski
48 I am not Helvetica, 2010, identity exercise 74
49 Installation view of I am not trapped by my desires., 2010 75
Photograph © Tom McGillis
50 Installation view of Deferred Gratification, 2010 75
king-sized repurposed fur (coat) blanket, 96 x 96 inches
in collaboration with Lisa Visser at first-year graduate
exhibition Pretty Ugly in the Graduate Gallery, OCADU
51 Installation views of the exhibition design for 76
Essential Cinema, September 12 to October 10, 2010 at
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto including a still from
Essential Titles, 2010, motion graphic, 6 minutes
on the right side of the middle image
Photographs © Tom Arban
52 Installation views of the exhibition design for Tim Burton, 77
November 26, 2010 to April 17, 2011 at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Photographs © Tom Arban
53 Concept and schematic design drawings for Fellini: 78
Spectacular Obsessions, June 29 to September 25, 2011 at
TIFF Bell Lightbox
54 Dave Gillespie and Barr Gilmore at The Colour Barr on 79
Saturday, April 30, 2011 at MADE, Toronto
Photograph © 2011 Dave Gillespie
55-57 Invited guests at The Colour Barr on Thursday/Friday/ 80-85
Saturday, April 28/29/30, 2011 at MADE, Toronto
All photographs © 2011 Dave Gillespie
58 Sara Diamond and Paulette Phillips (OCADU) and 86
Shaun Moore (MADE) with Barr Gilmore at The Colour Barr
on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at MADE, Toronto
Photographs © 2011 Dave Gillespie
ix
fig. 1. Graphic for the bar at Pretty Ugly, 2010
x