After this year's Academy Awards I became curious if it was possible to buy a realistic looking Oscar. From Hollywood Boulevard souvenir shops to movie memorabilia websites, I've seen all manner of knock-offs that were certainly Oscar inspired, but in no way actually resembled the real thing. Sure, the day may eventually come when I find myself working on that dream project that gets me closer to the actual award. Until then, I found this.
I ordered this Oscar statuette from a professional movie prop company in Hong Kong. Not only does it look like the real deal, but it's pretty much as close as you can get to an authentic Academy Award without winning it yourself.
The sculpture is completely accurate, and just like an actual Oscar it's 13.5" tall, weighs 8.5 lbs, and is 24K gold plated. As a result, you'd be correct in assuming it was a bit more expensive than the novelty statues I previously came across in those souvenir shops.
So aside from being an interesting conversation piece, you might be asking what's the point? Well, if you saw this post on my Facebook or Instagram you'll already know that I made myself a faux Oscar back in high school before heading off to film school. That art project is something that I've kept and displayed year after year as a symbol of my early film ambitions. It's also a personal reminder of my achievements in that pursuit.
Buying an almost-real Oscar isn't because I take myself that seriously. It's because it's another symbol. A bit of motivation and/or fantasy perhaps. Frankly, it's just one of those things that I would've loved to have had as a student, but never could've afforded. Just as I've enjoyed seeing my handmade Oscar on the shelf, this new one will look great standing right next to it.
At the end of last year I found myself in the small town of Bow Island, Alberta to shoot this brand new video for the Travelling Exhibition Program. TREX thrives on bringing artwork to communities all over Alberta and sharing them in non-traditional gallery spaces. I was at the Bow Island Library as a new exhibition arrived and documented the experience.
Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX)
Artwork, rural communities, and non-traditional gallery spaces around Alberta. This is a video I made for the Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX) in cooperation with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre and captured on location at the Bow Island Library in Bow Island, Alberta. Learn more about this incredible program here: http://www.trexprogramsoutheast.ca/
Posted by Editing Luke on Monday, March 14, 2016
There is no other program like TREX in Western Canada. The Travelling Exhibition Program makes professional art accessible to communities that might not otherwise have the opportunity to see it. Because the spaces are non-traditional galleries, there's also an added charm and originality with each and every exhibition. In addition to Artist's Workshops, it's clear that TREX provides tremendous value in promoting arts and culture within the province.
This video would not have been possible without the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, and the cooperation of the Bow Island Library.
Calgary, Alberta has a rich history, and there's a lot to see when wandering around the downtown core. From new skyscrapers to modified historic buildings, there are a lot of clues that tell a story about the city's evolution and growth. I'm fascinated by urban landscapes, and as a professional photographer I've enjoyed showcasing them through the art of "ghosting".
Ghosting is the process of taking an archival image, photographing the same location as it looks today, and then blending the two compositions together to showcase both the past and present in a single shot. I first attempted "ghosting" in my hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta and came away with some really intriguing results. Applying this technique to downtown Calgary, Alberta meant that the juxtapositions would be even greater. Here are some of the results.
Explore part 2 of the Calgary ghosting series here.
Calgary Fire Hall No. 1 - 1915 merged with 2016.
In this image you can see the old fire engines lined up outside of the fire hall. The exterior of the building is nearly identical to how it looked a century ago, although the skyscrapers in the back demonstrate how Calgary outgrew the station. Today the building houses a car rental company.
Hudson's Bay Department Store - 1920s merged with 2016.
Still an impressive building in the heart of downtown, the Hudson's Bay store is still very recognizable. It's the traffic and towers that surround it that have changed dramatically.
Central United Church - 1930 merged with 2016.
I love that the Calgary Tower is visible in this ghosting image. The Central United Church still looks the same, however an LRT line now runs in front of it and the building across the street has been replaced with a modern office tower.
Palliser Hotel - 1912 merged with 2016.
Here you can see the exposed girders of the hotel blended with the facade as it looks today. It can't be understated what a big construction project this hotel was for Calgary at the time. Canadian Pacific Railway was constructing the Palliser as a hospitality stop for the influx of tourists heading west to their Banff Springs Hotel.
City Hall - 1920s merged with 2016.
Contrasting the old and new city halls.
Grain Exchange Building - 1912 merged with 2016.
The growth of downtown Calgary is further emphasized by the construction of Brookfield Place in contrast to the Grain Exchange - one of the first office towers in Alberta.
Bank of Montreal - 1910s merged with 2016.
The surrounding office towers, especially The Bow in the background, are prime examples of Calgary's growth around this once large downtown bank.
Train Station & Palliser Hotel - 1930s merged with 2016.
The historic Canadian Pacific train station has since been demolished, however a new icon now stands in its place. The glass base of the Calgary Tower now dominates the former plaza / parking lot that used to be in front of the station.
Stephen Avenue - 1910s merged with 2016.
The painted ads, streetcar tracks and traffic have now been replaced with pedestrians on today's Stephen Avenue.
Stephen Avenue - 1920s merged with 2016.
One more from this amazing street.
