Join Jasper Artist, Michael Flisak on TUESDAY, JULY 25 at 12 – 1 PM as he talks about his art practice and his exhibition, Approaching the Speed of Light, on display outside the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie until October 12th.  *Light snacks and refreshments will be served

Michael Flisak is a long-time resident of Jasper, Alberta. He is very active in the local art scene, as a member of CARFAC and a founding member of the Jasper Artists Guild. Graduating from the Victoria College of Art in 1983, he stayed on at the college for an additional year as an associate, and then stayed to instruct art at the college for an additional three years. After that he moved to Quebec where he studied Fine Art for two years at the Université Laval. He had a studio in Quebec City and became deeply involved in the Quebec art scene.

Much of the content of his work comes from found objects. An abandoned gasoline nozzle mysteriously left at the campground where he worked, glass blocks dropped off outside his studio door or even the bar codes found on commercial objects have all found their way into his work. Found ideas as much as found objects feature in his work. All can be abandoned, picked up and expressed in a new way. Flisak met Chris Cran when he was the master artist in residence at the Banff Centre when he was attending the Optic Nerve Thematic Residency at the Banff Centre back in 2005. Mr. Cran’s interest in perception and illusion resonate with the work he does. Michal sees him of one of greatest artists working in Canada today and this show is partly an homage to him. Flisak recently contacted Cran and asked for images of himself to use in this art project. Chris graciously sent him photos to use however he wished in his art.

In his show, Approaching the Speed of Light, the ideas of modern physics provide the dislocation as he imagines images moving at a high rate of speed, entering the space time continuum where everything is flattening, stretching and the edges of forms begin to blur. The intention is that the viewer be immediately transported into a different way of seeing.