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March 7, 2008
Who needs an Oscar award?
Local artist makes it into Hollywood's biggest bash of the year.
OLGA LIVSHIN
It's no surprise that the organizers of the 2008 Academy Awards celebration recently honored local sculptor Suzy Birstein with a commission. She is the only Canadian artist participating in Everybody Wins at the Oscars, in which, every nominee in the top categories, who didn't win the Oscar, received a gift basket. And every basket contained a "Motion Pitcher," an elegant, one-of-a-kind painted pitcher, made by Birstein.
Birstein is an exceptional maestro of an unlikely esthetic blend: deceptively gaudy exterior camouflaging bottomless emotional depth. Her choice of clay as a medium for her self-expression is symbolic. Clay is obedient to the sculptor's hands, soft and pliant when raw, but fragile and unchangeable when fired. Employing scores of decorating techniques, the master transforms a shapeless mass of clay into funky tableware or elegant porcelain, earthy terracotta or solemn biscuit, dainty miniature figurines or large ornate sculptures.
Birstein opened her heart to the art of ceramics when she was very young. After graduating from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design as a clay sculptor, she continued her artistic explorations abroad, especially in Mexico, where she absorbed the paintings of Frida Kahlo and admired the ruins of the Aztecs and Mayas. Ancient arts of India, Japan and Africa also influenced the flamboyant wealth of details and abundance of color in Birstein's ceramics. "I've been seduced by the sensuality, spontaneity and intellectual activity of working with clay, color and the essence of romance," she said in her artistic statement.
Another love of her life is cinematography. When she was a schoolgirl, she sent a bunch of letters to famous movie stars and received their autographed photographs in reply. These photographs hung around her studio, watching over the artist and her fantastic sculptures, simultaneously flashy and introspective.
One movie star of the 1940s, Portuguese-born singer and dancer Carmen Miranda, had a particular sway over the direction of Birstein's growth as an artist. Described by a critic as "the lady in the tutti-frutti hat," Miranda combined an outward tawdry style of self-mockery with the deep insights of music and dance and a keen sense of humor, which is intrinsic to Birstein's creations.
Like Miranda, Birstein has loved dance and music since childhood. Although in her youth, she had made the decision to dedicate her life to visual arts, she still works best when music plays in her studio. Jazz and blues, tango and opera spur her imagination. Six years ago, she also took up dancing again. For her, one art form is never enough.
As an artist, Birstein first gained local and international recognition through her colorful pottery. After a while, the shapes of her cups and vases had become increasingly more complex, mutating into the realm of figurative imagery. She never plans ahead, never makes any sketches. She just lets her artistry fly.
Each of her pieces is her child. The capricious sculptures, exotic masks, multi-faceted spirit bottles and unconventional mirrors and paintings are all unique, with their own characters and quirks. While some are joyful, like babies, others are sad, like clowns, but they all share their creator's affinity with rainbow colors and whimsical shapes.
Unable to contain her fountain of creativity, Birstein has been teaching the art of clay sculptures to children and adults for many years. She offers at least seven classes every week at Arts Umbrella and at her studio. "I teach my students what fun it is to work with clay. We recently made mosaic masks and a butter dish resembling a Mayan temple." An active participant in Artists in our Midst, she longs to share the beautiful, dynamic universe of her sculptures with the people of her community.
Having finished with the Oscar pitchers, Birstein is already hard at work preparing for her next solo exhibition, coming up in May 2008 at the Seymour Art Gallery. The series of life-sized sculptures she is creating for the show all have a common feature – a support column. She first saw the kitschy, gilded columns in an East Hastings store's display window. Instantly, her inspiration soared. She bought the columns, repainted them, and incorporated their garish designs for her posh, festive statues.
The show will also include Birstein's tap-dancing and a film. In that film, shot with her fellow collaborators choreographer Jim Hibbard, filmmaker David Henderson and photographer Kate Henderson, Birstein will dance around her creations, pulling them into her dance, animating them with music and her talent. "The figure dominates my work," she said. "I feel compelled to ... embrace the power of ancient and contemporary art, overlaid with the spirit of song and dance. My work synthesizes and celebrates the interconnectedness as well as the individuality of many cultures and eras."
Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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