Second Hand Records

To gather up source material for the series, Smith searched through Winnipeg’s second hand stares, which she says are the best in the country. Her favourite were the Mennonite Central Committee stores, which are cheap and filed with strange small town gospel groups.

“I could have done a whole series just on Nana Mouskouri or Roger Whitaker, because there are so many different records and they’re everywhere. But I tended to like the ones that were a bit more obscure and older.”

The project is a fun one for Smith. She usually works in multiples, which doesn’t lend itself to the spontaneity of working with individual pieces. Second Hand Records gives her the best of both worlds. But she did limit her spontaneity a bit by using just black and white inks.

Smith first proposed the idea at a residency last year. She had done two covers before, but by the end of her two weeks she had about 30 made. The current series features about 50 pieces.

To make the silk-screens, Smith opted to stick with the vintage theme and cut her positives out the old fashioned way. Instead of the slickness of a computer positive, in Smith’s images the gestures of her hand are apparent.

Although the project is meant to change the meaning of the cover art, Smith would at least listen to a few songs off any album she used. And during the opening reception at Toronto’s Open Studio Gallery she’s bringing some choice albums and inviting visitors to bring their own records.

“I discovered some really good people, and some other ones I wasn’t so in to,” she says laughing. “But it’s a good way to be exposed to lots of different stuff for sure.”

Second Hand Records will be on display from Thu September 11 – Sat October 4 at Toronto’s Open Studio Gallery.

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