The Martlet

Who: Caleb Speller What: May Gill solo art exhibit Where: Fifty Fifty Arts Collective(2516 Douglas) When: March 21-30, 7-9 p.m. How much: Free

Caleb Speller is a true local artist.

Not only has this 25-year-old lived in Victoria all his life, but he also studied his art, exhibits his work and constructs his found object pieces from the area. Recently shortlisted in the 2008 M Awards under “Most Promising Artist,” this young man is one to watch.

Speller describes himself as a raccoon, and his creative process as “cruising around and picking up things.”

His work melds found objects from garage sales, thrift stores, or off the street. If the objects are too big or

disgusting to collect then he takes a photo of them. Sometimes he’ll ride past something and not know what to do with it, but five months later he’ll go back and bring it home.

“I attach it to something and call it artwork,” Speller said.

Speller completed the Camosun visual arts program but couldn’t decide on a favourite medium. He’s working on an independent study in ceramics and plans to do the same with photography. His work has been displayed

in nearly 20 shows, the latest being May Gill at the Fifty Fifty Arts Collective.

“It’s not flowers and landscape,” Speller explained. “But it’s open to anyone who wants to come, young and old.”

He boasted that he’ll also be serving up some free homemade iced tea at the exhibit, which sounds as cumulative as his art.

“It’s my specialty. I serve it out of moonshine-type jugs with oranges and lemons floating in it,” he said.

Speller’s show shares the same name as his grandmother.

“It’s not a tribute,” he said. “Her hands spent an entire life creating.”

Just as his grandmother knit using thread and yarn, Speller

will be using these mediums in his show.

“I’m exploring the needles and yarn and seeing what happens when my hands touch them,” Speller said.

He uses the materials against other mediums such as ceramics

and painting, but pointed out that he never learned how to knit. “I guess it’s a thread installation,

among various other things,” he said.

Speller said the Fifty Fifty Arts Collective is open-minded with no limitations or commercial aspect, though many of his pieces will be on sale. Currently he sells work at

Onlyhuman Furniture in Chinatown, through his website and at his annual show, which he calls Landlord’s Annual Lawn Sale.

“A garage sale is exciting, like a preview to a thrift store,” Speller said.

He and his new wife are planning to drive across Canada soon and fill his van with objects to bring home.

He enjoys seeing what happens when things are put together unexpectedly.

Speller doesn’t attach a specific meaning or agenda to his work, but he understands that people may find their own interpretation.

“A message always comes out if you look at everything like that, but I like how things link,” he said, referring more to art itself. “Painting becomes a sculpture when you hang a sweater on it, and ceramics becomes painting when you glaze.”

Soon after Fifty Fifty, his work will be shown at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in the LAB Studio.