Noisemakers 2000: Art au naturel

>> Atmosphere reigns at Colin and Maclean's weekly art sessions

by SCOTT C

Those of you who know the building at the corner of Ontario W. and St-Laurent are no doubt familiar with all the lofty artistic happenings that go on inside its walls on a daily basis. What you perhaps don't know is that nestled away on the eighth floor, sporting a prime easterly view of the city, is the studio/loft of Colin and Maclean.

These two lovable eccentrics, also known as the Lemmon and Matthau of the Main, run probably the best known drawing session in the city, simply by taking the atmosphere into consideration. "I play records," explains Colin. "And we don't tell anyone what to do."

The latest incarnation of the drawing session has its roots in that old dog Isart that used to function down on St-Antoine. Back in 1996, co-founders Clement Grant and Carole Faubeart always wanted to have a weekly session, while coincidentally, Maclean wanted to try his hand at a few students.

"We built all the drawing horses and easels from scraps we found in the basement," says Maclean. "I even ran ads in the paper, which I've never had to do since. Location was a problem at first, but we managed to build a following." After Isart became unstable in 1997, the duo spent some time in a cramped loft before moving to 10 Ontario W. "We have more space now and house more people than we ever could at Isart," says Maclean. "All the traffic has allowed us to keep the place clean as well."

The session revolves around a nude model situated centrally in the room, affecting a series of poses which the artists re-interpret into the medium of their choice. "Our models come to us," says Colin. "We get CVs in the mail and it's all just word of mouth. We also pay more than the Saidye Bronfman."

From models that have fallen mid-pose into naked epileptic seizures, to models who've maintained erections for the duration of the session, these two have seen it all. "The preferred model is one who doesn't model at all. It's just more natural that way," says Colin.

For info about the drawing session at Chez Colin et Maclean, call 288-9866. l

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