Art Battle 9 at the Great Hall

By Vanessa Krause

Art Battle is a local event that has developed over time to be one of the most popular live action painting extravaganzas ever. It is based on the idea that four people are randomly selected, given materials to paint on/with, including the paint itself. The battles are staged at the center of a large hall and the painters are situated at their own easel in the middle. All painters are given 20 minutes to paint competitively, while loud music plays in the background with 200 people in the audience. The crowd is constantly in motion and alcohol is served.

It is comparable to a live action wrestling match: the tension, the excitement, the process, the end result. After each round, the “patrons” (audience) vote for the winner by placing a ticket with the number 1, 2 or 3, whichever corresponds to the round, in a ballot box in front of their chosen painting. There are usually 2 rounds of 4 painters and from those, the winners of the 2 various bouts face-off in a final (30 minute) round of live action painting! For the first time in the history of Art Battle (Art Battle 9 which took place November 23, 2010) the winner was awarded a $400.00 prize. The “non-winner” of the final round was awarded $100. A live auction follows each art battle; the minimum bid is $50. If a painting does not receive a minimum bid it is “ceremoniously destroyed” with a chainsaw.

In Art Battle 4, the first one I attended on April 27, 2010 a painting was not bid on, and with cheers from the crowd it was cut apart by the chainsaw’s mighty teeth. It seemed like a primal, blasphemous and sadistic action, however, it reminded me of performance art.

Art Battle calls to mind the 1949 work “Monotone Symphony” by French artist Yves Klein; where he combined music, painting and performance art. Although his concept varies very much from Art Battle (primarily, because the painting is done by the artists in Art Battle and not nude women covered in paint) it seems to have the “wow” factor of the performance. In general, painting is an activity conducted in solitude, and Art Battle takes this solitary activity and makes it a happening. It forces the painter to think quickly, react and create on demand. It makes the imagination respond like a reflex without contemplation. Art Battle takes painting to a different place; it makes the painter create without time for second thoughts and perfectionist barriers. These works of art cannot be classified as gallery style material; they are the evidence left behind by the flow of creativity. They become something new.
Art Battle 9 was video taped for CBC’s “The Steven and Chris Show”. It was the first art battle to offer a winner’s purse, and was held at its traditional location at the Great Hall on Queen Street West and Dovercourt. Art Battle traditionally starts with a speech from Chris Pemberton, welcoming everyone to the great hall. He then chooses four names from a “magic hat” or in this case a lottery style roller with numbered ping-pong balls in it. Artists can sign up at the door to participate. Once the names are picked and the canvases and easels selected, the art battle begins.

For round one, four artists (Ben Soderberg, Tanja Gruber, Spencer Barclay and Jonathan Lau) were selected. Ben Soderberg was the champion of round one; he had to face Jamie Ashforth (multiple Art Battle champion) the winner of round two. Jamie Ashforth faced Tony Smerek, Danielle Cole and Dave Sheppard. Jamie has created some very interesting abstract work, using colour and blending techniques. In the work that won her the second round, she added a boat and a house (seemingly flying), which really made her work feel more developed and solid. The presence of a visible subject matter in her work was a very nice addition. Ben won his first round by painting a portrait of a mysterious face using only dark tones of blue and black and white for very strong highlights.

In the final round of Art Battle 9, Jamie started out with subject matter on her canvas, but buried it beneath layered colours, whereas Ben was very direct in his approach and created a very solid looking robot. At the end of the match, long time champion Jamie was defeated by the newcomer Ben. Other Art Battle champions and participants have been OCAD U’s own Marco Bertuzzo and David MacKenzie.

This strange, staged and colourful event is so successful because it is inclusive of many age groups. It takes the elitist gallery feel, and dismisses it, creating something that is needed: entertainment. Painting is taken off the walls and made into an activity that can be viewed like a sporting event. It has put painting back on the map for a lot of young people, and more traditional art lovers alike.

Vanessa Krause is a second year drawing and painting major at OCAD University.
Instructor: Pete Smith