Sean Alward, Ballad of Organic Chemistry, 2022, carbon and carbon based pigments with acrylic resin on linen. Courtesy the artist.
Talk: Black Ferns on a Glass Planet: Sean Alward in Conversation with Dr. John Clague
Saturday, May 28, 2pm
SFU Gallery
Renowned SFU earth scientist Dr. John Clague joins exhibiting artist Sean Alward in conversation at SFU Gallery. Drawing on Clague’s decades of research on the geology of the West Coast and Alward’s own practice of working with coal and other organic matter as pigments, the two will conjure a picture of this region as it has evolved through deep time.
On this occasion we also celebrate the launch of Alward’s publication, Black Ferns on a Glass Planet. Part experimental memoir, part science fiction essay, this illustrated handbill will be free to SFU Gallery visitors. Refreshments will be provided. Courtesy parking is offered in the east parking lot with the Promo Code "SFUART". See below for instructions. In accordance with SFU’s Covid-19 protocols face masks are recommended.
Sean Alward is an artist based in Vancouver. His paintings explore the intersection of materials and historical consciousness. He received his MFA from the University of British Columbia and BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. He has exhibited across Canada and in the U.S., most recently at CSA Space, Vancouver; Art Gallery at Evergreen, Coquitlam; WAAP Projects, Vancouver; Vacation Gallery, New York; AHVA Gallery at UBC, Vancouver; Surrey Art Gallery; and the Nanaimo Art Gallery. He has published writing in Canadian Art, C Magazine, and Border Crossings.
John Clague is Emeritus Professor at Simon Fraser University. He was educated at Occidental College (BA), the University of California Berkeley (MA), and the University of British Columbia (PhD). Clague worked as a Research Scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada from 1975 until 1998. In 1998 he accepted a faculty position in Department of Earth Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Clague is a leading authority in environmental earth sciences, natural hazards, and climate change. He and his students have also conducted research on earthquakes, landslides, floods, and other natural hazards in Canada, USA, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Austria, Italy, and New Zealand. Clague is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, former President of the Geological Association of Canada, Past-President of the International Union for Quaternary Research, and Past-President of the Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC). He received an Honorary PhD from the University of Waterloo in 2017 and in 2020 was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Clague is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Natural Hazards.
Parking Instructions
Using the Honk Mobile App or Website
1. Go to the Location Zone, eg. East Parking Lot: https://parking.honkmobile.com/monthly/zones/9352
2. Select Hourly/Daily Rate, as applicable
3. Login/Signup (If you have scanned the QR Code in the lot, you do not need to register)
4. Enter info and license plate
5. Enter the Promo Code "SFUART"
6. Confirm plate and click "Park for Free"
Using the Paystation
1. Enter in license plate
2. Select "Event Rate" option
3. Enter the Promo Code "SFUART"