Installations

Zine Tree

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A studious opening, with lots of mini-zines ready to go

A studious opening, with lots of mini-zines ready to go

I built a tree out of wood, zines, birch bark, wire, paper mache, branches and a solid typewriter base. This Zine Tree is a community installation designed to grow zine culture in the north, a distro and a creation station all at once. Free photocopying too! This piece plays on the idea of a tree of knowledge, even down to the details, as the zine shelves are collaged with pages from an encyclopedia called The Book of Knowledge.

I am the Whitehorse Public Zine Librarian, and am using the collection as part of the community installation. I feel strongly that zine culture can do well here, I even tabled at the local gun show one year and it was wildly successful. Many in the North live without running water or electricity, by choice, and I see Northern resourcefulness, off-grid aspirations and zines as a great potential threesome.

July is International Zine Month, and I have several free workshops you can come to and make zines at, or just learn more about what a zine is at Northern Zine:  The Zine Tree Project art show at the Edge Gallery at Arts Underground, the show is open Tuesday to Saturday 10-5 pm until July 26th.

Here’s an interview I did with CBC Radio One about the project, zines, and #julyisinternationalzinemonth on July 2nd.

The fabulous ZINE TREE

If you have any zines you would like to donate to the project, please get in touch! amelia.merhar@hotmail.com

Zine Tree will also be at Artist’s Alley at YuComicon in August, and will be participating in Riverside Arts Festival in Dawson City.

Cardboard Carnival Magical Mystery Song Show

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This year for Riverside Arts Festival in Dawson City I’ve made a musical installation and performance where you play games of chance to determine elements of a song that I write up about you on the spot. Spin the bike wheel, and where it lands tells me which instrument, (ukulele, yamaha keyboard or harmonica) to play. Throw a dart onto decorated envelopes to reveal something about yourself, like the last book you read, or your lover’s secret name for you. Roll the dice to tell me one last thing about yourself… and BAM I write a song about you, right away.

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It was a great success, and the beauty of small-town life is that I knew many of the people I wrote songs about, which made it easier. And, I got to practice my new keyboard and dust off the ‘ol harmonica.

I didn’t anticipate how popular the booth would be with kids, so ‘adult’ questions, like how do you like your coffee, needed to be changed on the spot. Will plan that into piece next time.

Finally, combining carnival work, music, spontaneity and art all into one.

Motorboat!

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I’ve been trying to learn to listen to my body more, and this latest musical installation is all about that. I’ve converted carboys, foam and rhinestones into large breasts. On each nipple is a tiny speaker, playing a song written from the perspective of my breasts and all the things they like. The song is called, “I Like”.

The installation is on display at Gallery 22, as part of the group show Melting Ice, an Erotic Thawing of the Winter Blues that opened on Valentine’s Day.

The fabulous local brewery, Yukon Brewing has donated beer to fill the breasts with, as beer is the soothing maternal milk of adulthood. The breasts are suspended high in the air, and the music played softly, so that you really have to listen.

Motorboat, ready to go!

Listening to the breasts

Everyone should listen to the body!