Ice Floe II - 'Self Portrait' Cover Art
August 03, 2011 Filed in: Books and Journals
The book cover of Ice Floe II: International Poetry of the Far North, (editors, Shannon Gramse and Sarah Kirk) features 'Self Portrait, 2009' by Shane Wilson. Ice Floe II is available from the University of Alaska Press and the University of Chicago Press
Ice Floe II - cover, University of Alaska Press, 2011
Ice Floe II - back cover, University of Alaska Press, 2011
Ice Floe II
International Poetry of the Far North
Edited by Shannon Gramse & Sarah Kirk
The long-awaited second volume of the newly revived Ice Floe series, Ice Floe II features new and exciting works of poetry from a vibrant and diverse group of writers from Alaska, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Iceland, and beyond. All work is presented in both its original language and in English translation. With contributors that include former Alaska poet laureate Tom Sexton, Riina Katajavuori, Yuri Vaella, Gunnar Randversson, and dozens of other established and emerging poets, this wonderful collection of voices from the northern latitudes will be a great read for all lovers of poetry and international literature.
“In the coldest reaches of the Northern Hemisphere, poetry is still heartily embraced....Ice Floe is a thoughtful collection on life in the cold, and proves to be quite the read.”—Midwest Book Review
Shannon Gramse is a poet and cofounder of Ice Floe. Sarah Kirk is a life-long Alaskan and cofounder of Ice Floe. They both teach English at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Ice Floe II - cover, University of Alaska Press, 2011
Ice Floe II - back cover, University of Alaska Press, 2011
Ice Floe II
International Poetry of the Far North
Edited by Shannon Gramse & Sarah Kirk
The long-awaited second volume of the newly revived Ice Floe series, Ice Floe II features new and exciting works of poetry from a vibrant and diverse group of writers from Alaska, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Iceland, and beyond. All work is presented in both its original language and in English translation. With contributors that include former Alaska poet laureate Tom Sexton, Riina Katajavuori, Yuri Vaella, Gunnar Randversson, and dozens of other established and emerging poets, this wonderful collection of voices from the northern latitudes will be a great read for all lovers of poetry and international literature.
“In the coldest reaches of the Northern Hemisphere, poetry is still heartily embraced....Ice Floe is a thoughtful collection on life in the cold, and proves to be quite the read.”—Midwest Book Review
Shannon Gramse is a poet and cofounder of Ice Floe. Sarah Kirk is a life-long Alaskan and cofounder of Ice Floe. They both teach English at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
'Lineage' An Ekphrastic Poem by Gillian Sze
March 15, 2011 Filed in: Books and Journals
Lineage
A Gillian Sze poem, based on Self Portrait (2009) by Shane Wilson
There are memories we keep in bones:
porous, of wilderness,
fused long since.
What begins as nightmare,
we wake into, learn to weather,
weld deeper into us
so we die with fewer bones
than we’re born with.
Some of us turn into birds
take wing with the benevolence
of a Chinook,
speak with the roundness of grapes.
Others fly out like a flock of gods,
discover genealogies more lupine, more bovine,
become grand blueprints replete with stars.
Black-tipped, cold curvatures,
raw bone, vestigial horns.
An inarticulate clash of anatomies:
part curse, part calamity,
the ferocity of incisors,
and always a soft ache
lodged in old bones.
(Gillian Sze has written this poem in the ekphrastic tradition, where one artistic creation takes as its inspiration an art work in another art form. Gillian has also composed a marvellous book of poetry, entitled, Fish Bones, written in this same ekphrasitc tradition and based on her engagement with artworks housed in a variety of museums. It is available from DC Press. Her latest book, The Anatomy of Clay, will be released in April 2011 by ECW Press.)
A Gillian Sze poem, based on Self Portrait (2009) by Shane Wilson
There are memories we keep in bones:
porous, of wilderness,
fused long since.
What begins as nightmare,
we wake into, learn to weather,
weld deeper into us
so we die with fewer bones
than we’re born with.
Some of us turn into birds
take wing with the benevolence
of a Chinook,
speak with the roundness of grapes.
Others fly out like a flock of gods,
discover genealogies more lupine, more bovine,
become grand blueprints replete with stars.
Black-tipped, cold curvatures,
raw bone, vestigial horns.
An inarticulate clash of anatomies:
part curse, part calamity,
the ferocity of incisors,
and always a soft ache
lodged in old bones.
(Gillian Sze has written this poem in the ekphrastic tradition, where one artistic creation takes as its inspiration an art work in another art form. Gillian has also composed a marvellous book of poetry, entitled, Fish Bones, written in this same ekphrasitc tradition and based on her engagement with artworks housed in a variety of museums. It is available from DC Press. Her latest book, The Anatomy of Clay, will be released in April 2011 by ECW Press.)
CHON Interview with Shane Wilson about Sculpture Unveilings
November 18, 2009 Filed in: Shows and Unveilings
LINK: Listen to this CHON FM Radio interview on YouTube
Text:
Peter Novak, CHON FM Host - Canadian Roots
It's exactly sixteen minutes before one o'clock on Canadian Roots, from CHON FM.
This evening in Whitehorse, at the Yukon Arts Centre, there will be an unveiling of some new works of sculpture. Joining me now is the artist, Shane Wilson. Read More...
'Self Portrait, 2009' and 'Candle Ice, 1999' Unveiled at Yukon Arts Centre
November 18, 2009 Filed in: Shows and Unveilings
LINK: Watch Shane's Artist Talk at the Yukon Arts Centre
Text:
Mary Bradshaw, Director, Yukon Arts Centre Gallery
Beside me here is Shane Wilson, as many of you know. He is a long-time Yukoner, although he has defected to Vancouver Island, B.C., although he still definitely has a strong connection here and we are really excited to have his pieces of art in our collection to share with you and Yukoners.
Shane Wilson, Sculptor, introduced by Mary Bradshaw, YAC Gallery Director (photo by Kathy Bowers)
Shane is a master carver in antler, bone, horn, mammoth tusk, stone and now bronze. This is actually my first time seeing his bronze work, so it's quite exciting.
Shane has donated "Candle Ice", which is just around the corner. This piece has been in our collection since December, 2008. We just quietly put it out there and so now is our official, "Look, here it is!" A brand new piece that's just, literally, finished this year, "Self Portrait", is on the plinth. That's musk ox horn, bronze and jade. Shane's going to talk about each of the pieces individually after I'm done here.
This piece here, with the moose antlers, is going to Haines Junction and we are just getting a sneak peak. It's official unveiling is Saturday in Haines Junction.
So, let me hand it over to Shane and just say, more than anything, maybe we can give him a really big hand of applause, it's just a really big thank you! Shane is tremendously kind, he's humble, and super talented and we're really excited to be working with him.
Piers McDonald and Shane Wilson, Sculptor, at YAC Gallery unveiling (photo by Jack Bowers)
Shane Wilson, Sculptor
Art, at least art as I know it, comes out of the right brain, so it's not language based. There are concepts and ideas that percolate in our right brains that come out as images, that come out as flashes of inspiration, that come out as all kinds of different things.
And my art, at least the art you are seeing here tonight, is primarily that, it's right brainish kind of stuff. And then what happens is that as you create it, sometimes you don't really know why, but as you go along your left brain figures out what you're doing and provides a narrative. Read More...
Text:
Mary Bradshaw, Director, Yukon Arts Centre Gallery
Beside me here is Shane Wilson, as many of you know. He is a long-time Yukoner, although he has defected to Vancouver Island, B.C., although he still definitely has a strong connection here and we are really excited to have his pieces of art in our collection to share with you and Yukoners.
Shane Wilson, Sculptor, introduced by Mary Bradshaw, YAC Gallery Director (photo by Kathy Bowers)
Shane is a master carver in antler, bone, horn, mammoth tusk, stone and now bronze. This is actually my first time seeing his bronze work, so it's quite exciting.
Shane has donated "Candle Ice", which is just around the corner. This piece has been in our collection since December, 2008. We just quietly put it out there and so now is our official, "Look, here it is!" A brand new piece that's just, literally, finished this year, "Self Portrait", is on the plinth. That's musk ox horn, bronze and jade. Shane's going to talk about each of the pieces individually after I'm done here.
This piece here, with the moose antlers, is going to Haines Junction and we are just getting a sneak peak. It's official unveiling is Saturday in Haines Junction.
So, let me hand it over to Shane and just say, more than anything, maybe we can give him a really big hand of applause, it's just a really big thank you! Shane is tremendously kind, he's humble, and super talented and we're really excited to be working with him.
Piers McDonald and Shane Wilson, Sculptor, at YAC Gallery unveiling (photo by Jack Bowers)
Shane Wilson, Sculptor
Art, at least art as I know it, comes out of the right brain, so it's not language based. There are concepts and ideas that percolate in our right brains that come out as images, that come out as flashes of inspiration, that come out as all kinds of different things.
And my art, at least the art you are seeing here tonight, is primarily that, it's right brainish kind of stuff. And then what happens is that as you create it, sometimes you don't really know why, but as you go along your left brain figures out what you're doing and provides a narrative. Read More...
Yukon Arts Centre Gallery Preparation Room
November 17, 2009 Filed in: Shows and Unveilings
'Self Portrait' and 'Gaia' are assembled in the Yukon Arts Centre Gallery Preparation Room following their journey north to the Yukon, prior to the unveiling of 'Self Portrait' on November 18, 2009, at which 'Gaia' will also be featured.
Two Yukon Sculpture Unveilings
November 13, 2009 Filed in: Shows and Unveilings
I'd like to share two Yukon unveilings to which you are invited:
In Whitehorse, November 18 at 7:00PM at the Yukon Arts Centre Gallery, 'Self Portrait' by Shane Wilson will be unveiled. Two years in the making, 'Self Portrait' is a sculpture created from carved musk ox horns, a carved bronze wolf skull, resting on a jade base. 'Self Portrait' will be donated jointly by Earl Bennett and Shane Wilson, in full, to the Yukon Arts Centre Permanent Art Collection.
In Haines Junction, November 21, starting at 5:00PM, 'Gaia: A Moose Skullpture' by Shane Wilson will be unveiled. 'Gaia' is a large bronze and antler sculpture created for the Haines Junction Permanent Art Collection and will be donated in full by the artist. The unveiling is part of a larger community celebration.
In Whitehorse, November 18 at 7:00PM at the Yukon Arts Centre Gallery, 'Self Portrait' by Shane Wilson will be unveiled. Two years in the making, 'Self Portrait' is a sculpture created from carved musk ox horns, a carved bronze wolf skull, resting on a jade base. 'Self Portrait' will be donated jointly by Earl Bennett and Shane Wilson, in full, to the Yukon Arts Centre Permanent Art Collection.
In Haines Junction, November 21, starting at 5:00PM, 'Gaia: A Moose Skullpture' by Shane Wilson will be unveiled. 'Gaia' is a large bronze and antler sculpture created for the Haines Junction Permanent Art Collection and will be donated in full by the artist. The unveiling is part of a larger community celebration.