Last September our co-founder, Joe Mebrahtu, wrote a thought-provoking opinion piece on the power of creative protest. In it he stated: “Influencers use their creative force to mold culture into their image while victims will simply protest and demand justice.” This point hit home during the recent #OscarsSoWhite controversy. At SHIFTER Magazine we typically advocate for using creativity to address issues instead of the conventional approach of protesting. Protesting rarely yields meaningful long-term results. Even in the case of the Arab Spring, celebrated at the time as a highly successful demonstration resulting in a change of leadership, crowds returned a…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne is the co-founder and editor of SHIFTER magazine. Born and raised in Toronto, Kevin currently resides in Ottawa with his wife Koliah and their three children. He's a big fan of hip-hop, pop culture, and urbanism and spends most of his time keeping up with the Kardashians.
On February 29th, our film section editor, Vladimir Jean-Gilles, and critic Axandre Lemours were guests on All In A Day with Alan Neal on CBC Radio One 91.5FM in Ottawa where they talked about the Oscars, diversity and Chris Rock’s monologue on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. Click on the media player below to listen to their segment. Also read: OPINION – THE OSCARS: THE WHITE, THE BLACK AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN
This morning our film section editor, Vladimir Jean-Gilles, and film critic Axandre Lemours appeared on CTV Morning Live to share their 2016 Oscar predictions. Check it out below. http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=816921 Check out Oscars Central for more Oscars coverage
Name: Rebecca Johnson Home Base: Los Angeles, California, USA Biggest accomplishment so far: Every time I sell a piece of art, it feels like an accomplishment. No matter how small the piece. Being able to work full-time in creative fields for the past 20+ years. Being profiled in the LA Times and on Last Call with Carson Daly. What creativity means to me: Artists see the unseen. Creativity is a bit of alchemy and synthesis. Our perception of the world is a bit different, we like to make it to our liking, rather than settle. Sometimes my active and dormant…
We live in a world where people develop many talents, for which they keep hidden or never have the chance to show it off. Although this may be the case for most, there are certain people that have acquired new talents but were able to present them. In this list, we take a look at the top 5 rappers turned successful actors. It is without a doubt that these people have made a noteworthy transition from rocking the mic to rocking the big screen, and in the process have left a mark on culture. 1. Will Smith In West Philadelphia,…
Pablo Esteban Sanchez Rijlaarsdam was born in Mexico City. As the son of a Oaxacan painter Pablo had his first experience in art by watching his father paint. He and his family later moved to the city of Leiden in the Netherlands. There he came into direct contact with the works of the great Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Mondriaan and Karel Appel. This helped him expand his vision and create his own distinct way of thinking. ‘‘Art is an ever growing hunger to create. Kind of like exorcism. Our job as artists is to investigate the immaculte…
A few months ago I wrote an opinion piece called There’s No Creation Without Collaboration that was pretty well received. I wrote that very few things of note have been created by “one man shows”. Working with others is something that many creative people struggle with because it requires surrendering your vision to others. Today’s piece is a follow-up which reflects something I’m learning on my own creative journey- there’s no creation without persistence. It’s noted that Thomas Edison failed over a thousand times before successfully creating a light bulb. When Illumination Pictures needed a theme song for the Minion…
Name: Christopher Tabaro Home base: San Diego, California/Guelph, ON Biggest accomplishment: Being able to do music for a living while being able to inspire others. What creativity means to me: An action. A lot of people think of stuff, but I think that the creative process is all about action; making it happen. It’s painting your own picture, literally or metaphorically, rather than painting the same thing as somebody else. Past and present creative icons: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Victor Wooten, Herbie Hancock Place where I feel most creative: It doesn’t matter where, as long as I’m in a room…
“Painting is like the hardest thing to work with when it comes to narratives because it’s not like a photo. You are manipulating the image so a lot is lost but also, a lot is gained because you spend so much on it.” -Amanda Boulos Amanda Boulos couldn’t have been more right with this statement. The Toronto-based artist was able to capture what many couldn’t on camera in Split Split Mound. Boulos explained that she used the concept of GIFs in some of her pieces. Instead of recording movements and having the video play continuously, she decided to paint the…
If you’re an aspiring rapper looking to sharpen your pen as a lyricist, here are six techniques the pros use to improve their lyricism. You’re an aspiring young rapper. You spend hours listening to your favourite artists on repeat. Your notebook binder is an endless sea of your most poppin’ punchlines and “bangin’-est” bars. One problem. You have the lyrical depth of a cardboard box. No matter how much you write, your raps lack the punch needed to take it to the next level. Don’t sweat the technique! Here are 6 lyrical crafting techniques that the pros use today to…
In the most recent video episode of Live! & Rock, CDH Live! and Shel Rock interviewed Lego artist, Mel Finelli. They talked about gender and race in arts and entertainment, Star Wars, and more! Watch the latest video episode of Live! & Rock below.
Directed by Tim Miller, starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano “A former Special Force agent ends up being a test subject in an experiment that gives him healing power and alter ego Deadpool. Deadpool now must hunt down the person who destroyed his life in this darkly twisted and humorous tale of love and sweet revenge.” Ryan Reynolds returns once again as Deadpool after his first appearance in X-Men Origin. Expect the unexpected in the most anticipated R-rated superhero film of the year that will blow your brains out, literally. After the failure of rebooting…
