Labour culture becomes inspiration for local artist

by Hailey Trealout

 

From spirited cave paintings and hieroglyphics to the Mona Lisa and Starry Night, people have been using art to tell a story – this is the concept that has Vince Allen Kogut picking up his pencil.

The Art Gallery of Windsor showcases local talent and holds themed exhibits every couple months for local artists.  Kogut submitted a piece to the ‘Border Cultures Part Two’ exhibit at the gallery.

“Being from Windsor, you have skateboard culture, you have the live music culture around here, obviously the labour culture,” said Kogut. “There are all these little subcultures that I’ve been a part of or experienced in my time living here that have their own influential qualities … My art is more focussed on the people involved in the labour community.”

Kogut’s piece shows a woman in a Chrysler uniform standing with an electric drill in her left hand.

Before Kogut begins his sketch, he sets up photo shoots with his subjects. Using various poses and props, he combines the different traits he likes onto one canvas using a layering technique. Eventually coming up with the final product.

“My favourite thing is when I’m doing a show, I have people come up to me and they’ll look at the pieces and they’ll tell me what they got from it. That’s more effective to me than me telling you exactly what I want to say,” said Kogut. “It’s the idea of introducing new ideas to other people. To take a look at things a little differently than they would. To really look at your community in a positive light or at specific people in a positive light.”

Kogut said he thinks the labour culture is an important topic no one should forget about.

“The labour culture is a very complex situation,” said Kogut. “Looking at Detroit and how that region really flourished through labour, and now it’s taken a turn. Whereas Windsor is in the same kind of… I don’t want to say ‘one trick pony’ nature, but I guess we can go that route, and just how instances like that affect Windsor. Who knows what the future holds for this kind of work, for what really defined this region.”

The Border Cultures exhibit will be displayed at the Gallery until April 13.