Duotopias

A project commissioned by the Municipal Art Centre of Clarington, in Bowmanville, Ontario. I matched six members of the Municipal Council with six local artists.

 

Artists and politicians were asked what they thought the main issues facing the region were. The artists designed a work of art based on their conversation with the politicians, and the politicians had to have a hand in its making.

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The participating politicians were asked:

How many artists do you think live and work in the municipality of Clarington?

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Don MacArthur: 2,000. I consider almost everybody an artist in one form or another. No one’s just one thing.

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Pat Pingle: 14,000. I took the population of Clarington, 75,000, divided by two to get the adult population, and then divided by three to arrive at a figure for the number of artists.

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Charlie Trim: 150.

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Adrian Foster: Many, many, many. I hope that the vast majority are artists – of course, I exclude myself. Everything from people doting on their gardens to friends who do needlepoint. I wouldn’t try to put a number on it.

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John Mutton: 7,500

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John O’Toole: 50 or more. There is a very flourishing art community here.