Affection, Nostalgia and Craft
Montreal Illustrator Sara Guindon Shares Her Art and Heart
Denver-bound local artist Sara Guindon will hit up Headquarters Gallerie+Boutique for a farewell vernissage this Friday. Called Objects of Affection, the event will feature illustration, animation, lively dolls yand paper puppetry.
Her art, characterized by its pretty, printed people and creatures with wayward limbs and stylized features, feels familiar and engaging.
One half of the Pin Pals stitching duo and a staple of the Montreal crafting circuit, Guindon has made her mark with memorable work about town—including Puces Pop Montreal craft fair posters, album design for local alt-rock lovelies Parlovr and illustrations for Vice, Mirror, Maisonneuve magazine and Worn fashion journal.
She’s also the animator behind the National Film Board’s short Wiggles and Giggles, which she completed after an intern stint for Hothouse 5 in 2008.
The upcoming show at HQ will debut Guindon’s new two-and-a-half minute film Dropkin—a project she completed last spring that has never been screened—as well as a dozen framed illustrations and dolls made from fabric she designed and printed.
Her recent collaboration with Montreal clothing designer Supayana will also be available at the gallery. The collection fuses Guindon’s artistic flair and printed design with
fashion.
“But also just nostalgia in general,” she added. “Things that give you a warm feeling—kind of sad and funny at the same time […] I’m drawing to things that make me smile but also like, tug at my heart strings a little bit.”
Anticipating feeling this type of nostalgia for Montreal, and for things to “slooooow down” once she gets to Denver, Guindon looks forward to continuing to create animation and make more dolls once she has the time on her hands. She also anticipates the Pin Pals business will grow and change with the new experience.For the artists and crafters sticking around in her wake, Guindon isn’t sure she has much guidance to give, in terms of making it by making stuff.
“Just living [in Montreal] is good advice,” she said with a laugh, admitting she’s a little sad to leave. “There are so many artists here that just being around is inspiring, and there’s
always lots of stuff going on. It’s like you throw a stone and you hit an artist or musician in Montreal.”
The vernissage for Objects of Affection takes place Sept. 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Headquarters Galerie+Boutique (1649 Amherst St.). To check out some of Sara’s work, visit saraguindon.com or thepinpals.typepad.com.
This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 04, published September 7, 2010.
