I Am YEG Arts: GABS

GABS’ large-scale imaginative sculptures exude light and joy into the world, encouraging others to embrace their own curiosity and creativity. As lead artist for CO*LAB’s GLOW, Spring Equinox Lantern Parade, GABS has been working with community to create their own sculptural lanterns, and everyone is welcome to join in the fun on March 22. In this week’s I Am YEG Arts feature, GABS tells us about how she got her start as a lantern artist, what to expect at this year’s GLOW Parade, and what innovations and projects GABS has in the works next. 

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got your start. 

I am a lantern artist; I create giant sculptures that glow. Recently someone came up to me and was trying to figure out what I do, and he said, animals with big lights. And yeah, that pretty much describes it. 

I have always been into art; every chance I got, I was doing art in some capacity, whether it be paper art, drawing or painting. It was my dream to do it as a career, but I didn’t know where I fit in. I was dabbling in everything for a long time. I think it was in 2016 when I first stumbled across the very first GLOW, Spring Equinox Lantern Parade. It was the first time I’d seen lanterns in real life, and I fell absolutely head over heels in love. It was like I could feel a puzzle piece click into place. Everything else got put into drawers and it’s been lanterns ever since. I worked with that group [CO*LAB] for a few years learning as much as I could from Darren Radbourne (who is sadly no longer with us). 

In spring of 2019 I went to Japan, and we just so happened to go to Maison Nebuta Warasse, a museum that houses one of their most prominent lantern displays. They are 30-to-40-foot lanterns. They’re amazing and spectacular, and the moment I saw those, I was like, big lanterns! And so, my lantern Molly-May the Mammoth was born. 

Your work appears to explore the impact of human activity on wildlife. Tell us about the topics you’re currently exploring through your art. 

I would say that the exploration of nature and humans’ impact on it is actually a byproduct of my initial goal — I enjoy creating moments of joy and shock. I’ve always loved character art, so creating animals made sense to me. They’re engaging and approachable. Along with that came the realization that I could create light for these creatures that need a voice, and create light for my community during the winter months when it’s darker and more depressing. I want to do it in a way that puts a smile on people’s faces but still alerts them to issues. 

Winter can be so depressing and dark. And I’ve struggled with depression my entire life and the lanterns feel like a light at the end of a tunnel to me. They draw you in and they feel like home — they feel comforting. 

Your sculptures are often displayed in public places like festivals and shopping malls. How do you think about the role of community and accessibility in your creative practice? 

I want people to be happy and feel joy when they see my work. It’s extremely exciting when a piece doesn’t have to sit in storage, and it can be out for people to experience and enjoy. My placement with City Centre Mall right now is fantastic because they’re on display 24/7, but I still have the opportunity to take Brison the Bison or Claire the Polar Bear for a walk and adventure through the city. They’re supposed to adventure. For example, Claire the Polar Bear was built in the mall in an empty unit where I could open the doors and people from the offices above would come down during their lunchtime and say things like oh my gosh, she has a nose now; she has eyes; her claws glow. Every day they could observe her creation and get to be part of her life. As she was built, she didn’t just appear in our communities – she is part of the community. Similarly, Brison the Bison was built out of the Downtown Farmers Market when it was still open. Every Saturday people would come down to see his updates as well. 

You’re the lead artist for GLOW Festival with CO*LAB. Tell us about the festival and what makes it so special. What can people look forward to at the GLOW, Spring Equinox Lantern Parade on March 22^nd?

I think this is my third year as lead artist for GLOW, but as you can expect, the pandemic made the ability to do GLOW a little wishy washy so we’re very excited to be back at it this year. It’s definitely special to me because it’s what got me into lanterns. It’s run entirely through grants, at least when we first started. The way they set it up was that anybody could come regardless of your financial status or your skill level. It was an open space to come and explore light, sculpture art and things like that. As a person who didn’t have a lot of opportunity because I wasn’t financially secure, it was amazing. Darren Radbourne was there all the time, and he spoon fed me information. I ran around him like a little kid asking, What’s that? How did you do that? Where did you get that? And it was awesome that they were there to help me until I was able to run on my own. 

So, to be a lead artist for them now and do that for other people is spectacular. It’s everything I want and more. I’ve been doing a workshop every Tuesday leading up to March 22, which is the spring equinox. Each Tuesday we’re creating lantern vegetable friends in little terracotta pots. We also have Open Play Saturdays where we explore light and how to play with it. I let people explore materials and stuff like that. We’re definitely seeing many of the same people over and over again, and sometimes they bring a friend and then they get to experience the joy of making lanterns. They become addicted and then we see them every Saturday too. Saturdays are becoming fuller and fuller as they go on. 

March 22 is going to be a very jam-packed day [see schedule of events here]. I’m creating a little free lantern that people can complete in about 15 minutes. We always invite people from the community who have built a lantern at home to bring it and join the parade as well. Over the course of the day, we’re going to be doing workshops, building the lanterns, and preparing all of the lanterns we’ve already built. And at the end of the day, we’re going to do a big parade through our neighbourhood, spreading light and welcoming spring. 

Tell us about a local artist creating excellent work that you think more people should know about. 

I’m enamored by so many artists; especially performing artists. I probably don’t seem like it, but I’m actually a very shy person so seeing Spandy Andy perform is like wow, you’re exciting! And Rupert Appleyard — you leave his fairy finding performances and you go, oh yeah, fairies aren’t real! He drags you into that world so convincingly. I think performance artists in general are amazing. It’s something I aspire to be for sure. 

And then another one is Dylan Toymaker, he’s one of the most prominent light artists in the city. And while our crafts are completely different, we somehow meld so well together. Our Squirrel Ship is constantly getting updated, and our Bird Ship is going to be updated as well. 

Tell us about what you’re currently working on or what’s next for you. 

Very excitedly, I’m going to see Aomori nebuta matsuri in real life! I got to see the museum, but in August they’re doing the actual parade, they’re taking the 30-to-40-foot lanterns and walking them down the street. We just bought tickets last week. So that’s extremely exciting for my eyes and my brain because I can see how they do it. I know it’s going to push so many more ideas. I’m bouncing off the walls. 

I am also working hard on adding puppetry to my lanterns. I’m working on some smaller stuff so that people have the opportunity to have a piece in their home instead of just businesses and organizations having pieces. I’m working more with textures — it’s a never-ending journey of exploration! 

This winter I brought Claire the Polar Bear skating. My dream is to build a half whale into the ice rink where you can skate into the whale’s mouth. It would be a 30-foot whale and as you’re skating through, there’s fish hanging in its belly and maybe a heart in its chest and you can skate through the components and then out the other end. 

Molly-May Mammoth is huge, and now that she’s mine, she will forever be looking for new placement. Her place with the mall is not permanent, so if anyone is interested in having her, that is something that I want to get out there. I’m open to schools, businesses and farmers markets and all that type of stuff. Wherever she ends up going, she’s likely going to walk there. I have thought about a walking tour from Edmonton to Calgary. She’s born to adventure. 

About GABS

While on an evening stroll one March, GABS stumbled upon the Quarters Arts Spring Equinox Glow Lantern Parade. Mesmerised by the comforting bob of lanterns proceeding slowly down the street, she was instantly captivated by the art form and vowed to participate in the next open community parade. One year later, she gleaned the basics of lantern construction from local artist Darren Radborne and has been at it ever since.

Over the years, GABS has created dozens of lanterns for the subsequent Glow parades and various community arts initiatives. Working with organisations across Edmonton, the province of Alberta and most recently internationally with the town of Bozeman Montana. You may know her best through her whimsical creatures such as Ren the Life-sized Wooly Mammoth created for the Deep Freeze Byzantine festival — now on display at the Royal Alberta Museum, Bryson the Bison who often explores the city in his bright pink roller skates, Claire the Polar Bear created for the Downtown Business association to help celebrate the winter season and Sage the Burrowing owl commissioned by the Badlands Amphitheater and who continues to explore the province with GABS.