plans

That’s The Ticket! (Garneau Theatre)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Another week, another game night in process, which inevitably leads to one of my favourite nights tomorrow – date night!

To be honest, I never thought I would be a date night kinda guy, but live and learn. You can be romantic and pragmatic at the same time; the success of the variables and resulting sense of wonder all come down to what you do, and how you accomplish it.

Date night started as a way for me to ensure that I spend uninterrupted time with my belle at least one evening of the week. Now of course, we also spend a lot of time together on the weekends, but that is usually focused on running errands, social events, and spending time with other loved ones as a unit.

Such is the way of the 21st century couple. And I’ve accepted it. Between social media, the daily commute, and the pace of everyone else seems to live their lives – quality time requires quality effort.

Which means that I have to plan these nights out, have an exit strategy and come up with contingency plans regularly.

You single types might scoff at my planning, and you long term teams might think me silly, but I know that this part of the mix is what keeps a relationship interesting. Consequently, I don’t always have ideas chest-bursting their way into my consciousness.

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Lovely image, no?

But my girlfriend, in her ever present, weird, and wise ways accidentally gave me an idea for this weeks date night, and also a reminder for you art enthusiasts.

And continuing with the bad puns, before I get into today’s Timely Thursday post, I need to get something off my chest.

spaceballs-chestburster-john-hurt-gif

I kind of promised I would let you know how the ice castles were didn’t I?

Well, be informed and intrigued because… the Ice Castles team doesn’t disappoint at all! There are a number of beautiful displays inside the castle: a fireplace, a slide, a throne room, caves, and an expert describing the ice castle construction process. The think the best part hands down though was that the walls and ceilings of the castle were sculptures themselves. There wasn’t a spot in the entire area that wasn’t visually gorgeous.

Now on to more pressing matters. The art related thing I am going to check out tomorrow evening and which I think you should look into as well.

Believe it or not, small independently run cinema exists in the capital city of Edmonton. And they play films which aren’t major releases.

If you have never been to the Garneau Theatre (8712 109th st) or The Princess Theatre (10337-82 Ave) then it is high time you try watching a movie in classic movie seats with wooden arms and almost non-existent leg room.

The reason to do this is not only for the experience of film in a more traditional format, of course, but because they show independent films, allow you to rent the space for live theatre, and they are a part of Edmonton’s history.

Edmonton’s Metro Cinema (a non-for-profit society) took control of the modernist desigend Garneau Theatre back in 2011 and haven’t looked back since, offering new films daily and significant maintenance to the property as it is now a designated Municipal Historic Resource.

But that’s not all.

Metro Cinema Society has a really solid belief statement (taken from their website)!

Metro Cinema Society believes that film and video are significant art forms and means of communication. We believe that many innovative films and videos are overlooked by conventional theatres including independent, international, and Canadian productions…

To this end, Metro exhibits an eclectic blend of film, video and media arts, that are not screened anywhere else in the city. Metro’s focus is on presenting a broad selection of educational, cultural and innovative works. The Society operates with the ongoing assistance of a large volunteer base. We regularly distribute a program, facilitate discussion, and bring in artists.

 

Bingo. They work with artists and are excited about bringing in unusual film, video and media. This is exactly the kinds of things that local Edmontonians need to know about and you creative types need to get involved with. If you care about film, support groups like this and become part of the discussion!

So what am I going to go see tomorrow night? Well I can’t tell you that just yet, otherwise the mystery goes away. But I promise you it will be a fun time.

That’s all the theories I’ve got this week, dear readers. I hope you have a fantastic weekend, make art, see people you care about, and take in something cultural. I’ll see you on Sunday evening for something stimulating.

Tim!

Ante Up! (timotheories 2016)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Well, another year over, and a new one just begun. (Or to put it another way – I think 2015 was great, but for 2016 I just can’t wait!)

Have you ever listened to that original Christmas song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono? It’s called Happy Xmas (War Is Over), which might be obvious to you if you like(d) The Beatles, were alive in the 70’s and/or are British.

This is one of those songs which everyone has heard in some capacity, but I suspect that not all of us realize the connection with John Lennon. I mention this because it has been covered A LOT in the past couple of decades by a number of different recording artists.

The one that I am most familiar with and enjoy the most is done by an emo indie band called Sense Field. They were popular in the early 2000s and similar in sound to Jimmy Eat World if that helps you get a sense of what to expect from them. Check the song out here, you might enjoy it.

Anyways, it’s time to start connecting the dots.

I hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Festivus breaks, dear readers, because it’s time to make this year on timotheories the most memorable one yet!

It’s incredibly convenient that memories serve as little reminders of a mission completed, a task checked off, of a lesson learned. Don’t you think?

And that is what today is all about. You see, I took a week off of timotheories if you haven’t visited us in a while.

I did this because it was Christmas time for me, my family, and girlfriend’s family. I always plan my life this way around the Christmas and New Year’s season, because I know that a lot of things go down at this time of year, and it can be difficult to fit it all in if I don’t make room in my schedule for it.

Which is why it’s time for me to get started with taking my organization to the next level, and I’m going to share some of my plans with you to inspire you and to also give you a better idea of what to expect after the Timely Thursday post I left you with on December 24th. Check it out here for a refresher.

You see I’ve been sick the past couple of days, and whenever I get sick, I get to thinking and I also get to movie watching. It’s always been something I’ve done when I was under the weather. Think about life, make adjustments, and watch movies.

Which may be part of the reason why I invented the Watch List.

And so I’ve come up with a short list of what to expect for sure in 2016, though there will definitely be some surprises in store too. Below is what I’ve thought about during my time away.

  1. I am going to put together an interview with a local artist and release it every month. That means 12 interviews this year. This will go on my timotheories YouTube channel, currently called timotheories Interviews. Exciting right?
  2. For the first time ever, timotheories will start releasing another series of videos on my YouTube channel called timotheories presents CrossTalk – where I and my not yet named co-host will address themes which are hidden in films. It will feel like a conversation, as opposed to a “best of”, “top 10”, “review” series. Think barroom philosophy meets YouTube production. This will likely also be released once a month, but the frequency will depend on how often we can get content together
  3. I host a weekly “game night” at my house which has now come under the fold of timotheories presents Real Time Games. Real Time Games is a recognition of the inherent value of socialization in an ever-inward facing world and a challenge to pick up board games to get much needed interaction with other human beings. We will be releasing video reviews (minimum one a month) that explain the game in a fun and straightforward way. We make board games accessible for all.
  4. I am going to continue to release 5 posts a week under the main timotheories banner.
    • Stimulating Sunday posts will be about theories in the arts and new content to the brand
    • Melodic Monday posts will feature music reviews (either local or international)
    • Theatrical Tuesday posts will zero in on film releases (in cinema or for home) and local theatre
    • Wisdom Wednesday posts will provide you with ideas for your art practice and motivation
    • Timely Thursday posts will be topical, whether it’s what is going on in the world or more personal

And that’s about it for theories right now!

It might seem a little ambitious my friends, but I promise that the further along we go, the more this will benefit you and by the time 2016 is over, we’ll be surprised by all that has been accomplished.

Check back tomorrow for an exciting album review and if you want to hear more about my personal goals for 2016, be sure to tune in on Thursday for another timely post!

Tim!

 

Space Jam (Studio Space PT 2)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

I have good news, dear readers! I have finally organized my studio space into something useful! It took a decent amount of effort and internal motivating on my part, but the whole space finally makes sense to me and looks pretty sweet too.

Does anyone else ever struggle with that challenge? You make plans, and then life comes along and totally changes everything on you? Of course you have. I’m just joshing you. And yet, It is really evident that the past few weeks have been exactly like that for me. I have had so many great experiences recently though that I wouldn’t trade what has come up for what I had originally planned.

For example, I have gone out with friends and seen parts of Edmonton which have been hidden from me in the past. But those things are no longer hidden because I wanted to experience a new way of socializing. As simple as it sounds, going out on a Saturday night and NOT imbibing affords us the opportunity to meet all sorts of interesting people and it is relatively inexpensive too, not to mention that we can remember the night better.

Adding on to that idea, I have also been to familiar venues under new circumstances and meet some interesting people that way too – Simply going out to the Design Studies Portfolio Show (April 28th, Robbins Health Learning Centre City Centre Campus) last week and striking up conversation with strangers allowed me to begin to organize something really exciting which I will be sharing with you soon. I don’t want to give it away just yet, but let’s just say that in my experience collaborating can be way more interesting than riding solo when it comes to producing EPIC level creative work.

Today’s post is not about that though, it is about showcasing some results and discussing some more of my theories about creative spaces! So without further ado, take a look at some progress!

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I may spend a little more time tweaking the space (move the computer desk near the door so that I have a larger wall to work on when making art), but this is definitely the kind of setup that allows me to stretch. And now that I have a conceptual framework, I can work within the bounds of that framework to produce something interesting!

Have you ever noticed the more expressive creative minds are not on the same track as the purely analytical types when it comes to how we use space? We seem to be divided completely down the middle of the road. Either we keep our space in pristine condition or in a state of emergency.

Of course, my space would fall into what is commonly called the organized camp, but I recognize that perception is often reality. What many people see as an organized space, with everything in its place, is not necessarily the ideal. To be more specific and come at this idea from a perspective I know, being classified as an INTJ on the Myers-Briggs type test, I am very analytical and prone to organizing my ideas and my life in ways that work for me, but yet what looks organized to me doesn’t match up to social norms.

So on the surface I look calm and ready, but on the inside, I am ready to drop bombs. *Wink*

It is a fascinating topic and point of interest for me, which I will definitely have come back to in the future. I have witnessed a lot of my friends and family tell me that I am a neat freak or a “control freak,” but the hard reality is that I hate cleaning up and spending time making up a space.

So which is it, am I into cleaning up or am I not?

I like to think in terms of efficiencies – I would rather figure out the ideal configuration of a process, set it up, and then work with it, until something better comes along. Detailed work and ritual are not my bag. But that doesn’t mean that I avoid them altogether, when a project requires that role to be filled or I’m researching a new area of interest, I’m always game to find that authentic solution.

I want to make something real, as LCD Soundsystem so eloquently puts it in their amazing song “Losing My Edge.” Check it out if you haven’t heard it before.

When it comes right down to it, when need to set up our lives in ways that work for us, otherwise we limit ourselves to counter-intuitive ways of working and when life does come along and change our plans, we are met with 2 different kinds of challenges.

What have plans have you made recently that you had to alter? How do you organize your creative space? I’d love to read about it! You can even look at this article to see how some other famous creative types have made use of their environment.

I’m out of theories for now, stay tuned for the next installment!

Tim!