Talleen and Yayo at Expozine

Expozine 2008 will take place on Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5035 St-Dominique, (Église Saint-Enfant Jésus, between St-Joseph and Laurier, near Laurier Métro). Admission is free.

Words-- zany, bizarre, poetic, delicious, sexy, tantalizing words. Books, comics, zines--in English and French-- posters, original art, postcards, crafts, home-cooked soup…You’ll find all this and more at Expozine, Montreal’s annual small press fair.

This year, for the first time, Yayo and I will have a table at what has become one of North America’s biggest small press fairs. Yayo will be selling Humoro Sapiens (Les 400 coups), the latest compilation of his cartoons, along with other books featuring his cartoons and humor illustration. I will be selling my artist’s book, Postcards, and a few fun surprises.

I went to Expozine for the first time last year and decided then and there that I wanted to participate in this year’s show. This is truly a one of a kind event, celebrating the love of printed matter and the power of free spirits who take the wicked business of publishing into their own able hands. There in the basement of Saint-Enfant Jésus church I was struck by the laid back creative energy of the young writers and artists. I was also impressed with the crowd--its volume, enthusiasm, and diversity. Expozine attracts thousands of visitors, as well as exhibitors from France, Belgium, British Colombia, Philadelphia, New York, Halifax, Toronto, Vermont, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Côte Saint-Luc!

From the Expozine press release:
“At Expozine, one can discover a multitude of publications and printed works that are often difficult to find anywhere, much less all in the same room! The result is a rare opportunity to peruse the work of hundreds of young and emerging authors, publishers and artists, and to see what the winners of last year’s Expozine Alternative Press Awards are up to. Not to be missed!”

Hope to see you there!

See a slideshow of Expozine 2007.

Talleen Hacikyan

Pablo, Fellini, and You Tube

Eiffel Tower

Pablo is exhibiting two photographs in Kids Zoom in on Côte Saint-Luc, showing at the Eleanor London Public Library, until November 30, 2008. The exhibit is the fruit of Côte Saint-Luc Kids in Focus, a photography workshop for children aged nine to twelve, organized by the library.

Arc de Triomphe

Pablo likes to see the world through a camera. His photographs and videos are testaments to his scientific and artistic temperament. When we bought our Canon PowerShot three years ago I had no idea that it would become Pablo’s favorite toy, gadget, electronic device… passion.

This boy doesn’t just point and shoot. He ties the camera to the roof of his remote control car and films while sending the mini Mercedes under tables and chairs, to get a unique low view of our living room.

A few nights ago he put a raw egg, still in its shell, in the microwave. He was able to capture the resulting explosion on video, fascinating to watch in slow motion. After proudly showing me his video he cleaned up the mess in typical Pablo fashion, with latex gloves and a dust mask, to minimize the odor of overcooked egg. This budding filmmaker can entertain himself for hours with the camera. Thank God for rechargeable batteries.

Along the bike path between Bruges and Zeebruges, Belgium

He experiments with different setting modes, takes photos while moving the camera, and has mastered the art of using the automatic timer to the point where he is able to photograph himself in midair.

What is this fascination with the camera? When I watch Pablo taking photos or making videos I sense that he is trying to capture something that isn’t visible to the naked eye. He is trying to create something new out of his world, to distort it, to make it funnier, or more interesting.

Boot and shoe reflections on garbage can

Pablo is at ease with Photoshop. Once again, the artist and scientist converge as he experiments different effects. Usually the end result bears little resemblance to the original photo. Pablo created this image of a missile in Photoshop, from a photo he took of a stenciled graffito in the Mile End, near my studio. It was a clever piece of street art, spray painted on a cement block, with the words, BUY, BUY, printed on the missile. Pablo transformed the black and grey image into this graphic rendition.

Missile

When I was a kid the instant camera with self-developing film, popularized by Polaroid, was all the rage. Digital cameras and laptops have taken instant to a whole new level. And with blogs and You Tube one can publish photos and videos faster than it takes to rewind and take film out of a 35 mm camera. As I am writing this, Pablo has figured out how to upload his videos onto You Tube.

Pablo doesn’t open the door of his game cupboard much these days. Monopoly, Scrabble, and Twister just can’t compete with the allure of taking a video of your friend lip-synching a goofy tune, and uploading it onto You Tube.

Several of my artist friends’ children ended up studying film at Concordia or photography at Dawson. Perhaps living with an artist parent, or two in our case, has something to do with this fascination with still and moving images.

Soldiers visiting Ishak Pasha Palace, Dogubeyazit, Turkey

I wish I could watch a reality show of Federico Fellini, the child, making a mess in his home in Rimini, driving his Mama crazy, creating scenarios, reinventing life according to his dreams. I don’t think there’s much chance of viewing this show. Instead I have the opportunity to observe my son, Pablo, and marvel at the joy he experiences when he “plays” with his world. Often I wonder how he will channel his creative energy when he grows up. In the meantime, I will do my best to instill in him, the following philosophy, stated by Fellini himself: “Put yourself into life and never lose your openness, your childish enthusiasm throughout the journey that is life, and things will come your way.”

Talleen Hacikyan
Photos by Pablo Herrera-Hacikyan

Exhibition information:

Kids Zoom in on Côte Saint-Luc
November 2 -- 30, 2008
Open every day 10:00 am-10:00 pm

Eleanor London Public Library
5851 Cavendish Blvd.
Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec