Dan Wiebe - Biography - 28 OCT 21
Growing up on the praires I always had creative juices running through my veins. To my parents dismay I became an expert with cardboard and my Dad's supply of masking tape. My artistic journey would take a delay however as I enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces in the Navy on Submarines. Following my Honourable Discharge from the military my childhood dreams were realize when I attended Art School at Red Deer College in 1988-1990 and engaged on a life long adventure. In College I discovered the world of Steel and Clay. I never looked back. In addition; at Red Deer ; I met and married my best friend and artist partner; Leila Bjerland; in 1990. During my time at Red Deer College I had the pleasure to work at the Works Visual Arts Festival for several years. The experience and exposure to the Edmonton art culture continues to influence me. Following College I continued my art education at the University of Calgary; Majoring in Sculpture. In 1992, we moved to the Badlands settling in Nacmine Alberta where we raised our family and continue our Art making practice. Through my creations I enjoy exploring social and political avenues. Who knows where it might go. People; regardless of ideology; have the right and privelage to be heard in this wonderful country of ours. Their behaviour and additudes are directly linked to this belief system. Our opinions and the stand we take on any given issue is a direct result of our life experience and it is all valid. The problem is; so often the case; we are so busy banging our own pots that we do not take the time nor the courtesy nor respect others and what they wish to express. We need to listen more. This is why we have two ears and only one mouth. As difficult as it is, I try not to take sides nor offer opinions instead offer a starting point to actively engage in conversation. Only through this process can we ever expect to reach a common goal and bright future for all. I am still using cardboard and masking tape however my Dad refuses to supply the tape.
COG connections : Art Show & Exhibition ; Nov 2021
An Art Show discussing the Politics and Challenges facing the Alberta Energy Sector
COG connections,
Art Exhibition and Show,
Western GM Gallery, BCF
(Badlands Community Facility),
80 Veterans Way,
Drumheller AB,
Month of Nov 2021
Show Date 2 Nov - 29 Nov 21
Opening Reception 13 Nov 21 from 12pm - 4pm
Artist will be present
Art Exhibition and Show,
Western GM Gallery, BCF
(Badlands Community Facility),
80 Veterans Way,
Drumheller AB,
Month of Nov 2021
Show Date 2 Nov - 29 Nov 21
Opening Reception 13 Nov 21 from 12pm - 4pm
Artist will be present
Dan Wiebe - Artist statement for COG connections - 29 OCT 21
“COG connections" ~ Art Show. This is an open discussion on the issues and concerns surrounding Coal, Oil and Gas (COG) in Alberta's Energy Sector. I have created a mascot (COG) as the spokesperson representing the working women and men in these industries and further to symbolize the industries. "COG" is displayed as a skeleton figure with coveralls, gloves and a hard hat attire and the skeletal figure reflects the death wish the world has for Coal Oil and Gas. An Energy Crisis or economic issues within the industries is not new, nor is the politics surrounding our natural resources. There were all kinds of political and economic issues back in the 1970s and 1980s. My cousin and fellow artist has inspired me with his political art Crusades. “ In the spring of 1974 my cousin, John Mitchell, conceived a performance art piece in Vancouver with the Western Front artist group challenging our concept of politics and politicians themselves. They created “Mr. Peanut” performed by Vincent Travscov; and he ran in the election for mayor. For the group a mayoralty bid was not just another case of a “nut running for public office” but a complex performance work meant to explore and expose the workings of mass media and specifically the process by which a natural object (such as a man, or a peanut) is transmuted into a mute commodity for mass consumption. In interviews Mr. Peanut never spoke except through his press officer John Mitchell. The Peanuts’ silence and fixed stare of his monocled eye spoke more loudly than words about the entrapment of politicians and celebrities inside their shells of image. Such persons exist to be consumed by the mass audience yet their official shell is also their protection against proximity with their potential devourers. Not much has changed with the rich and powerful almost 50 years later, although we cannot paint all politicians, the rich, and elite persons of our society with the same brush. Mr. Peanut and the campaign, further, took all of these ideas and translated them into visible, palpable form: words made flesh, myth made facts and the flair audacity characteristics and thrust into the faces of the consuming public which creates both myth and fact.” 1A
In this series of work I address some of the current issues considering the economic, political and environmental concerns. To be clear, I do believe we have a responsibility and obligation to care for our planet and keep it healthy for future generations to come. There is no planet B. This topic is far larger and more complex than I could ever hope to cover in one art show. COG is so deeply woven into the fabric of our human existence that it will be a far larger undertaking to eliminate it completely, rather than improving it - not to mention the millions of people it would negatively effect through loss of employment and the quality of life we have come to know from direct or indirect connection to COG. Our dependence on COG is not felt more than right here in Alberta. From our roads to cell phones; from our tires to medical supplies; from steel manufacturing to heating of our homes; people north of the 49th latitude know COGS impact in our daily lives. Our electrical grid can barely handle the demand on it now; as it is, let alone electric cars in everyone's driveway. I think Hybrids would be the answer at present. Currently COG is the most feasible technology capable to handle the needs of the world from shipping on cargo ships to trains to air travel. Then of course, we have from the operational military equipment to farming to space exploration and satellites. The demand for COG is required to maintain our quality of life and our survival especially in the medical world, communication, supply chain and travel. In Alberta we experience; in some cases eight months of winter with four months of bad sled weather. The green technology is not anywhere near ready to replace much of the world's present energy demands. If it was it would have been done already. Furthermore we have no magic switch to turn it from fossil to green. In fact the irony is we require fossil to produce green technology including nuclear power. The green technology comes with their own bag of problems and environmental concerns as well. How do we dispose of the spent batteries? Where and what do we do with Nuclear Waste and radioactive material? How do we prevent our new green technology from harming the environment such as the wildlife casualties created from wind power for example? The question should be: Is our solution we are offering diagnostic care or preventive care of the planet? I suggest our nature is more prone to be reactive rather proactive therefore we not offering anything that is preventative. In addition, If we ever wish to truly reach Net Zero; we would have to eliminate the use of all fossil fuels and greatly reduce agriculture and livestock production. The current government must realize these issues because they keep pushing the date for reaching net zero into the future. The target date has changed several times over the years. It was recently moved from 2030 to 2050 and makes me feel that it's more about putting promises forward to create votes and to create a cash grab more than it's about the environment. Further they give multi billion dollar companies our Carbon tax to purchase energy efficient equipment such as Loblaw’s and new freezers. It’s more about the rich helping the rich. For the past twenty plus years I have been employed in COG and have witness a great shift in the industries attitude towards the environment. Companies and government legislation have become much more environmentally responsible with better work ethic in this regard. This is all due in part to public pressure and scrutiny. Alberta's drive should always be to question politicians , bureaucrats, civil servants, corporations and especially the rich. We should always keep them accountable for their actions and hold them to their word.
Alberta is one of the best and safest producers in the COG industries and of harvesting our natural resources. For some reason Eastern Canada insists on buying oils from foreign countries, our refineries (and some of them have questionable human rights violations) at a higher price while Canada sells Alberta oil at a much lower price. This fact makes absolutely no sense in my mind. It further amazes and rather bewilders me how Alberta, the richest Province due to the oil revenue, has to pay equalization payments to Ottawa who in return threatens to shut COG industries in Alberta down and further blocks Alberta from getting our products to market. None of these proposals sit right with me. Politics is the greatest cause of this and Alberta's greatest hurdle getting our product to market. The powers that be are trying their best to kill Alberta and the COG industries in Alberta, trying to force us to become beggars in a welfare state while making back door deals with Dictators of this world. We can only blame ourselves. The government is always the result of who we choose to support. Our choice is based on what information? Information is controlled by the government, the rich and the elite members of our society who in turn promote only what will profit them. They are always performing a magician’s act, sleight of hand, creating some distraction with one hand while performing some deceitful scandalized act with their other hand. There is no end to the propaganda on all sides of the fence which in turn makes it very difficult to filter what is the truth. Politicians as well as big business will say and do just about anything to get our support and vote. In addition, Quebec has the greatest to gain from our oil revenue through equalization payments, however seems bent on setting up blockages to stop the flow of Alberta's resources at every opportunity and then on the other hand they cry for our fossil fuels when their winters get cold. It's interesting too how the protesters travel to their protest events, do so, through using fossil fuels coming from their fossil heated homes and then leave their garbage and political litter in the streets leaving it for someone else to cleanup. They are concerned for our environment, right? Some have even gone as far as to use COG products and materials as a means to protest COG. I understand our right to voice our opinion but this manner of expression is taking it a little far. It is not in a environmentally friendly way such as the burning of tires on the railroad tracks. Now, back to the topic of information: ( I learned this while in University attending science classes) "theory" is mostly accepted as fact if it fits the model comfortably and there is no dispute from the science community. The only way it was dismounted from its place on the pedestal was for it to be replaced by another plausible theory. We know that the science community has had many theories over the years some good and many bad. There was the hole in the Ozone, so we sell our Freon to Mexico to use, problem solved. Science claims the Earth to be approximately 4.543 billion years old while the science of Climate change is approximately 137 years old. Legitimate climate records only date back to 1880. All through recorded history you will find stories of extreme weather from floods to pandemics to droughts. These stories are found in all cultures on this great planet of ours. It seems now that we are more enlightened then those of the past and we are competent enough to write the whole set of encyclopedia’s from only glimpsing at the last sentence in the last paragraph in the last chapter of the last volume. I would further suppose that since the world population has increased from one billion people to 7.8 billion in the last 200 years, the continuous tree falling (especially the Amazon) and the poor management of our ocean (especially our algae) has absolutely no bearing on the heating of the planet and co2 increase. I think Climate change is really about a reason to increase the cost of just about everything. There is always some crisis to justify the hikes. They use carbon as a cash grab so you can still pollute if you pay the price. This is a real thought out plan and I am sure it will resolve the so called crisis. If they were really serious they would stop pushing the target day for net zero further into the future.
In conclusion I know there is no simple solution to resolve these issues and concerns however it is imperative we keep researching reasonable and feasible alternatives and discussing our options. We have a long way to go and we should use common sense and logic. We have to pay attention to who is sponsoring and promoting an idea. What do they gain from their actions, either directly or indirectly. Just like the MacDonald Corporation who has the franchise of fast fattening food and the Jenny Craig weight loss franchise. The rich have you coming and going. The politicians are mere clowns with magicians Acts. Unfortunately the only thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history so it repeats. I think we have to stop and think for ourselves instead of just jumping onto every band wagon that comes along and join just because everyone else does or for the 50,000 likes. Just because Chicken Little says the sky is falling and the idea becomes popular does not necessarily mean so. We need to hold politicians and corporations accountable for their words and actions. We also must dig deep into the barrel, to the bottom and search all the layers in order to gain a clearer and truer understanding of all that is at stake. If we ever hope to resolve it, we need to find the connections that will bring more reasonable and lasting solutions that will both accommodate the environment, our economy and quality of life.
1a. excerpts taken from article “snakes in the Garden” written by John Bentley Mays in the Contemporary Art Book: “Visions:Contemporary Art in Canada: Published 1983: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd. Pages 165- 166
DAN'S 3D WORK : SCULPTURE
DAN'S CERAMICS
DAN'S 2D Work (Drawing, Painting & Printmaking)
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