Lauren Baron
BRANT NEWS

All you need to know in seven minutes flat.

That’s the idea behind the Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant’s inaugural PechaKucha event, being held Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m.

“The idea is that people get together and, in a very concentrated way, get a lot of information,” said Glenhyrst acting director Murray Charters. “We are in an age of sound bites where things have to go quickly. The speaker has to really condense things down and the listeners are getting that sound bite, that essential quality of what they are looking at.”

The free event, based on the internationally celebrated PechaKucha night, which runs Feb. 20 to Feb. 26 in cities across the globe, features seven different artists speaking for seven minutes each about their work, their technique and their inspiration.

PechaKucha, meaning “chit chat,” began in Tokyo in 2003 as a way for young designers to meet, network and show their work in public. Designers were asked to present 20 slides about their work in 20 seconds each. Glenhyrst’s version is based around the gallery’s current exhibit, The Promise of Painting, which features the works of artists Cristina Zanella, Robert Achtemichuk, Ian McLean and Jack Jackowetz. All four artists will take part in the event, along with local artists Dave Hind, Aliki Mikulich and Shelley Niro.

“You can learn a bit more about the artists and it does give all the exhibiting artists the chance to participate, which is not typically as common,” Jackowetz said.  “Usually, just the main artist speaks at a gallery opening. One of the things I’ve learned is that the audience, the community, does want to meet and talk with the artists because they typically have questions about the methods they use or the inspiration for the art.”

Jackowetz plans to use his seven minutes to explain why he decided to pursue art at a later stage in life, what inspired him to do it and provide an explanation of his process. The Brantford artist uses computer software to turn his original photographs into fine art.

“I find that photographs are harsh, so we don’t use them in a decorative sense very often,” he said. “We tend to use paintings and watercolours. My work is a way to bridge that and move photographs into something that is more art-like.”

Jackowetz focuses primarily on local architecture, with enhanced images of Glenhyrst, Yates Castle, the south side of Colborne Street and the old Expositor building.

“What I found is that we interact with buildings our whole lives, but we are totally oblivious to the buildings around us,” he said. “You have no idea what you pass because the landscape becomes a blur. In Brantford in particular, we have a really great built heritage, which I don’t think is appreciated.”

Jackowetz’s work makes the viewer take the time to really look at the sites they see every day. He said that often brings back memories for many viewers.

“If you are looking for some information on the internet, you will go into a search engine,” he said. “I find that my work is a search engine for memories. People will look at those images and it will take them back to a different time and a different place.”

Jackowetz said he’s looking forward to hearing those memories and sharing some of his own during his PechaKucha talk.

“That’s why PechaKucha is so important,” he said. “At these organized events, it is an invitation to come and speak to us. It’s a rare opportunity to interact and learn what artists do and why they do it.”

Visit www.glenhyrst.ca for more information.