Thérèse Neelands

Leading in The Age of Imagination

Detail from an un-used thesis painting

On January the 7th, Andrew returns to school after many, many years of being self-employed as a computer programmer. On the 7th, Andrew will start the Art & Design Foundation course at George Brown (lasting one year) and this February, has a portfolio interview at OCAD for Advanced Standing to enter the Industrial Design program. With all the preparation of him enrolling, putting a portfolio together, etc. I’ve been noticing a slight but growing jealousy on my part. Being a part of an art institution like OCAD, a place replete with words like “critical thinking”, “innovation”, “Leading in the Age of Imagination”, “unprecedented”, and “discovery”, it is easy to feel that you as an individual are propelling into the creative economy full of valuable, life-changing ideas and methods. You are part of a community of “enablers”, “facilitators”, and “collaborators.” So I’m thinking: here I am, almost 2 years graduated with a BFA, sitting in my bathrobe, eating Christmas dinner leftovers and watching t.v. and the closest I can get to “critical thinking” and “creative research” is reading my Canadian Art magazine, and getting a membership at the AGO. After the holidays, I will return to my desk job and hand out schedules, take out the garbage, buy flowers for the boardroom. And I’ll be thinking – “Hey! Where did my life-changing ideas go! How am I a leader in the Age of Imagination??

Side note: thinking about all this, and checking out a blog by annapantchev.blogspot.com
who mentioned Ernst Haeckel in her post today, reminded me of this painting (above image) that I have rolled away and stuck in a corner beside my desk. It’s a huge painting, and I hated it at the time, discarding it as part of my thesis work. I’ve decided to post some pictures of it in my gallery, though because it’s so large and un-framed, I’ve had to photograph it in pieces. Maybe one day I’ll finish the idea.

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