"As soon as you stop the chaos, you experience the subversive power of silence. Dialogue and listening are politically and socially the most powerful tools for change." –Rita McKeough
Gusto and fearlessness are two words that describe Rita McKeough's approach to art. Her performance and installation art draws on chaos – multi-tracked layers of sound, physical feats of duress, anthropomorphic buildings that talk back and fight off destruction. Through this chaos she explores, without dogma, issues such as displacement, demolition of neighbourhoods, domestic violence and ecological damage. She is a drummer in a rock band and performs regularly at small Calgary venues. Yet perhaps what best distinguishes her 30-year career as an artist, teacher and mentor is her humour, compassion and spirit of collaboration.
The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts, Canada's foremost distinctions for excellence in these artistic disciplines, were created in 1999 by the Governor General of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts. The Canada Council funds and administers the awards. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the awards.
The prizes are awarded annually to visual and media artists for distinguished career achievement in visual arts, architecture, independent film and video, or audio and new media. They include the Saidye Bronfman Award for excellence in the fine crafts. One prize is also awarded annually for outstanding contribution to the visual and / or media arts in a volunteer or professional capacity. Each prize is valued at $25,000.
