FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF SOUND
Michael Markowsky
The Cube
January 17 to March 21, 2015
Curated by Craig Willms, Assistant Curator, Kamloops Art Gallery
Michael Markowsky’s practice combines painting and performance. He typically draws and paints while riding inside or on top of moving cars, buses, boats, trains, airplanes and even dogsleds. In July 2013, Markowsky made 100 postcard-sized drawings while flying faster than the speed of sound in a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 “Hornet” jet plane. The opportunity came about because of his involvement in the Canadian Forces Artists Program. Past participating artists in this program include members of the Group of Seven, David Milne, Charles Comfort and Alexander Colville.
Over the past year, Markowsky has painted five 3 x 6 metre paintings based on the drawings he made in the jet plane. The final project will be to build a scaled down fighter plane sculpture out of wood and canvas around which the paintings will be displayed. When it is complete, viewers will be able to sit inside the sculpture’s cockpit, thereby simulating the artist’s supersonic flight. Similar to his other drawings in motion, Markowsky is simulating the experience of moving through space and, in this case, sharing a situation that very few people have the opportunity to experience.
For two months, the artist will occupy The Cube and transform it into a working art studio. He will use the space to build his fighter plane sculpture. Members of the public are invited and encouraged to visit with him to learn about his artistic process.
Installation view of Michael Markowsky:
Faster Than the Speed of Sound
Photo: Devon Lindsay
