Verkshtat, Werkstatt, Workshop

Troy Stanley shuffles his contorted body to make room for mine on the couch. We're at the UNB Art Centre where Troy has been working between naps for nearly 48 hours straight.

He's taking a breather to clear his mind of the spray paint fumes he's been consuming for the past few days. He sits there looking grim in his knitted police-issue sweater with his stretched ears and shaven head. His face is inviting though, and soon he's smiling.

"I've practically been living at the gallery for the past week," he says looking out over the swollen bags under his eyes. The guy looks pretty beat, maybe a little intoxicated too. "I've been working pretty full on."

Werkstatt, pronounced in German as "verkshtat," is loosely translated as "workshop." The UNB Art Centre's ongoing series provides a venue for the presentation of new works or works-in-progress by young emerging artists.

"We just sort of fit in I guess," Stanley says looking awkward on the couch. "Pierre-Luc [Arsenau] and I went to school with each other and our work is sort of similar."

"Essentially what he's doing is painting and sculpture," he says. "Pierre's working in this 3-D realm."

Pierre-Luc Arseneau, a graduate of the Graphic Design program at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, now works as a graphic designer and is the host of CHSR's weekly electronica program "ElektroBeatElixir."

His combination of both visual and audio mediums will examine the role of technology in contemporary life.

Stanley graduated in 1998 from NBCCD with Honours and the distinction of the George Fry Award for Excellence in Design. He's in the process of moving back to the East Coast from Ontario where he's been freelancing in graphic design for the past two years. His chosen profession, though, has left him frustrated with its inherent boundaries.

"Everything's so small," he says holding his hands out in front of us to make the shape of a box. "I just wanted to break out of that mold and go big."

"Essentially what I'm doing is all about mechanical processes," Stanley explains. "It sort of has an industrial theme. It's digital imaging and all about the process, blown up on photocopies going backwards."

As opposed to making statements, Stanley says he's just interested in illustrating thoughts and ideas. His exhibit will explore the relationship between technology and religion.

Fredericton band InkShedsBlood will be blending its funk with industrial for the show's opening night.

Werkstatt opens January 23 at 8:00 pm in Memorial Hall and remains on view until February 27.

By J.G. Sadler
The Brunswickan

Note: I wasn't "intoxicated." Hung-over, YES.

Back...