A world without arts…..Movies.
For me, one of the most astonishing accomplishments of art has been its ability to connect people in a way that is unparalleled by any other stream. Art has a way of connecting the hearts of people who cannot find a place in their home, who cannot connect with the people around them, who are always in search of something new, adventurous and unique—art has an arsenal of alternatives for such abstract minds, souls and hearts.
From the symphony of notes to strokes of brushes, from the leap of a dancer to the perfect designer cut of material, the Arts is like the Americas of streams—welcoming one and all with open arms. An art form encompassing almost all other art forms can be relished in the production of movies and plays. Whether they are commercial films, documentaries, short films or plays, all of them combine multiple art forms, bringing people together from different specialties and streams.
My fellow writer and friend Roveena (on the left in the above image) and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mary Macdonald (on the right) at the opening ceremony of the 2018 WORDS festival in London, Ontario. And I say pleasure because hearing her goals made me realize how much potential a single photo or a short film can have on our perception of the world.
A self-taught artist, Mary McDonald is a London (ON) based writer and multimedia artist. Her art is inspired by one goal and her multifaceted skills allow her to achieve this goal through photography, video montages, short films, writing, music, and community-based participatory projects. Here is an excerpt of our interview with her:
Q. What inspires most of your work?
“Capturing the small moments of everyday beauty.” McDonald believes that to see something beautiful, you don’t have to go too far from home. Beauty is present right in your backyard—you just need to the will to see it.
Q. What drove you to become a Multimedia artist?
“Media can influence you to tap into your own artistry…. By creating, we ‘notice’ the beauty around us.” McDonald believes that different people have different responses to the medium used for the delivery of a message. Her goal to gain wider community participation to conserve, preserve and exemplify the natural beauty of London drove her to be a multimedia artist.
Q. Who are your idols or whose work inspires your own?
“Being a self-taught artist, I don’t really have an expansive knowledge of the all the artists out there yet but there are a couple whose work I like, namely—Margaret Lawrence and Michael Ondaatje.”
Q. What are some of the social obstacles you faced during your journey as a multimedia artist?
Getting community participation, notice, and attraction. Being an artist in the line of media has both advantages and disadvantages. The biggest challenge is to get attention from the community. The attention a piece of work gets not only defines its potential and impact but also reflects the ability and skill level of the artist. In today’s world, “Creating art is accessible,” but making it mean something has become harder than ever.
To celebrate the natural beauty of London, Mary has started a hashtag which is #riverreveryldn on Instagram. Show your support of the conservation and celebration of the beauty of our town by putting this tag on any nature-centered picture you take in London.
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