Neal E. Nolan // Artist: INSTALLATIONS

Infrastructure

2012 - August 18^th –September 4th

PNE Fair Grounds, Vancouver, BC

Funded by: Port Metro Vancouver

Curator: Peter Male, Ronald Lewis Facchinetti

(4) 7.5’ x 2’ Veneer panel(s)

Mixed media, oil and acrylic paint, translucent paper.

Juxtaposed time-line video component.

Late 1920's – 30's (public domain) archival footage,

modern footage shot on site (2012.)

Running time: 20:00

Originally installed under a sponsored grant program funded by Port Metro Vancouver and presented by the Pacific National Exhibition, Infrastructure was displayed from August 18^th, 2012 until September 4^th 2012 as part of the Container Art Exhibit in Vancouver, BC in conjunction with the yearly festivities on site at the PNE.

The installation featured a full 30 ft. spread of industrial, landscaped Vancouver port and transportation depictions on wood panel with a full 10’ x 7’ (120” x 84”) video depiction illustrating the history and heritage of the port.

The video (Infrastructure) investigates a dimensional shift by applying non-parametric time theories via archival footage overlaid with present day documentation offering (the viewer) an immediate correlation to the past and present of the port. The video also means to convey cultural identity via nostalgic aspects in the design and technological capabilities, fashion, architecture and general (era related) design parameters evident.

Video Component:

Sample running time: 2:44
Feature length: 20:00

Installation detail(s):
(Click to enlarge)

MUSSOLINI

Mixed media, air brush installation (In progress)
Riot Boutique
September 2012
Vancuver, BC

Pacific National Exhibition.

Neal E. Nolan
2010

Impromptu Pending::
Pacific National Exhibition.
Neal E. Nolan
2010

The Impromptu Pending installation was quite difficult to document as a result of the low lit environmental aspects of the install.
A single projector was used to map out and cast four different videos of carefully selected stock footage. Objects were placed strategically at different distances to act as backdrop for the individual videos so each projection was sized to fit according to its corresponding object.

In Prompt To Pending.
Live recorded video loop
(sample footage.)
Running time: 3:47:11
Actual video: 20:00

To view a re- contextualization of part of the installation click HERE.
Commissioned by Acme Studios.
Vancouver, BC
2010

Artist Statement.
We perceive to exist within an understanding of general awareness, accepting the direction of mass media and capital marketing towards an elected overall sociological ideal.
Each era represented by it’s own design; music, art, fashion, décor, architecture etc relates its own definition and cultural identity towards its time line within our social status, heritage and experience. Over time cultural themes allude towards a contemporary stasis lending the previous (expansive historical) a sense of nostalgia- emotional memory triggered by sent, tastes, sounds etc.
Popular design reference relates the movement of nostalgic archetypes within twenty-year cycles, imagery, color palettes, music, fashion etc that become redefined into present/ post-participant recognition.

Impromptu Pending presents as a cross platform evocation of imagery, a variable collage of icon and artifact from the last one hundred years: screen printed, assembled, collaged', motion picture projected and air brushed into a three dimensional non linear map of the last century, embracing both parametric and non-parametric methods of time theory, the illusion of identity, distinction, placement and ownership.
In summery, In Prompt to Pending’ questions the stability, independence and self-awareness of individual perception, relating a century of allegory into present day adage.
Installed between August 16^th – 20^th, the artist created a sleeping area within the container, in composition with the rest of the environment, artifacts, paintings and assemblage, working long hours assembling the concept now complete; this addition reflects directly on homelessness issues current and past and the ingenuity of make shift living environments constructed within our urban landscape.

Redivivus

Neal E. Nolan w/ guest artist Eben Bender.

June 25th - Aug 30th

Opening reception: July 8th.
(See bottom of post for artist statement + additional images)

Ceramic skull formed and casted by Mike Haller.
Detailed by: Neal Nolan.

West wall airbrush by: Eben Bender.

Production videos:

::Click on below links below::

red

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-vahy

-vuhs

;

With re-gentrification comes the inevitable co-modification of history and heritage; facade grants, adhok preservation and an edited retelling of our foundations.
Vancouver saw a government controlled gentrification to Gastown, it's oldest neighborhood, in late 2009/10 for the 2010 Olympics with the re-erecting of the Woodwards building siting the area as the "arts center of the city" with Olympic information attendants and Kiosks directed to suggest against traveling to it.

The intention of REDIVIVUS, an on going installation from July 2010 - Sept 2011 at Planet Claire (51 Powell) in Gastown landmarks the stores inevitable move from Abbott Street and re-opening as a result of such gentrification with the opening of a Government funded Low Barrier income hosing above the Powell Street store's original location on Abbott.
Read the article and public commentary >HERE

-"They say this country is, was based on hard work, integrity and worshiping god," (chuckles) "its based on murder man, mayhem, lies, slavery, oppression, steelin and killin; thats what it's based on." "and you can't change it once it's started, just stay away from it, try to get away from it. be independent of it, because if you deal in it you become part of it. Stay away from it and you've diminished it by one."
-Unknown commentator from Bill Daniel's film.
Who Is Bozo Texino.

:{Blackhandprint}:

Neal E. Nolan –Eben Bender – Brian Kent Gotro

2009

Funded by a Canada Tourism grant artists Nolan, Bender and Gotro rode freight (Intermodal Container) into BC's interior collecting the stories, imagery and inspiration for the installation.
48 x 8' ft and seven days later the 12 panels and 13 min' video was completed, installed and opened to the public as part of the Container Art installation project at Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition.

Curator Peter Male and project consultant Ronald Lewis Facchinetti (containerart.org) worked with eight local Vancouver artists in the opened themed installation of eight Intermodal Container units which displayed from Aug 24th - Sept 7th at the Vancouver PNE festival.

Beauty can transmit more then mere information regarding the spirit of a nation, and the 8 works selected by Peter Male for the Vancouver edition of Container Art have made me sense what a wonderful and complex country Canada is. Neal Nolan's train hopping story through the enormity of Canadian nature is an experience entirely alien to us Europeans.
-Ronald Lewis Facchinetti

Left and right landscape photos of container installation

::CLICK ON PHOTOS TO EXPAND::

Flattened 360 degree layout of container

-Detail photos of installation:

:{Blackhandprint}:

2009

Chronicle - Automatic writing.

We left on the eve in the foot print of recognition, the notion of our undertaking the hallmark of heritage- a three mile hike through hostile native territory to three hours under cover of dusk abrasively lit by yard lights - softly back dropped by the moon over the ocean, the glow of the ferries carrying to destination a more average citizen along a more definitive rout.

Three hours undercover amongst the thousands of tons that make up the port of our departure, even this early into our embarkment a dermal film collects, compounded, the various types of sweaty grime only a tramp can claim contemporary to: three days in the making, exposed skin a faux finished canvas of grit and grime, finger nails raised from their beds an embankment of dinge.

Hopping lines from bottomless to manure to dish- our line finally pulls out, the staining yellow of the yard lights hissing in the distance, the night began in the wee hours of the morning giving way to misty rain forest clearings, endless interurban factories and the howling canyons of the Fraser to a desert dawn silhouetted in velvet painted memoirs; the wind in our faces whispering the ghostly legacy of a dying culture.

Over shooting our journey’s end, the billowing stacks of the mill heralding our destination as if it wasn’t immediately apparent that our line had turned out to be a hot shot passing straight through Boston Bar wile we slept..

Greeted by ‘Car Guy’ on the northern shores we ate all day breakfasts and slept in parks.

With regard to the impetuous nature of things as they be, we made our groggy way back to the yard in time to adopt the cab of a Western Black Snake- the air buzzing w/ humidity against the pale dry arid dessert, the evaporation of our own sweat hanging heavy in the air of the cab like trying to breathe in an oven- we held out as long as we could finally retreating to the track side jungle- catching out on a string of empty IM cars late afternoon, once again off into the desert sky we rode a twilight array of constellations, factories, town road crossings and shooting stars

Boston Bar as welcoming as always, one of us stayed on the line wile the two of us led into town and laid out under the stars in the confidence of the school yard.

Morning came with the rigor mortis of old train injuries to years of badly executed dismounts and nights slept on the most unforgiving of steels.

Once packed up we made our way to visit Bill at his compound down by the yard- happy to see us as it had been a year since our last visit, we sat around in the heat of the canyon, talked of the road, ethics, hunting, fishing, bush craft and women.

We bid farewell and made our way to a couple beers and burgers- loaded our 4Ltrs. of water with a handful of oatmeal and lurked a dusty saunter to track side.

We departed from the yard waving good bye to Bill at his shack as we passed- creaking, screaming, bumping and banging our way homeward bound.