2021
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 1, 2021, 10:36 PM subject 134 – 65 – 0111
Dear Justin,
Back at Vox, one wall is up but needs taping and plaster, and the corner wall we decided to leave mostly until tomorrow, when the works arrive from the NGC and we can measure the depth of the frame – it is a large triptych in the corner, so best to get a sense of the width of the wall when we know all the dimensions. Spent the day puttering and organizing, taking down some gear, like the big speakers and the Christie projector, rolling up the carpet. Had a session with Yaël at 4, I went outside and stood outside Ellephant gallery to shield myself from the wind while we talked about the success of Jess having her studio to go to when the kids are here, and also how Sol seems to be acting out at school – he just doesn’t like the strictness of his teacher, too many rules perhaps? My Ex seems to think it is because of Fortnite, and too much video gaming with Zack after school, but I disagree. We’re still in this damn pandemic, pretending this is normal, desperate to achieve some semblance of the “new normal”, while kids wear masks to school, their entire days hours and minutes are spent following orders, monitored and sanitized, so it’s normal to act out a bit. I’m surprised there isn’t more chaos. Have you ever heard of Claude Fredericks?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 2, 2021, 10:53 PM subject 135 – 123 – 0211
Dear Justin,
Another day, another fistful of dollars. We received a shipment from the NGC, sparkling new crates containing fresh prints and new frames for the Sorel Cohen show. I was wondering if any of the tech gang I worked with back in 2017 would be there, but it was a new tech along with Luc the driver, who is more in packing I think? We did a drive together to Toronto and back back in the day, I remember seeing Tyler Messick that night. ANywat I wasn’t entirely sure he recognized me, since the tips of my hair is bright fuschia at the moment. Rest of the day patched holes, sanded, repaired and continued taping and plastering the wall. My lower back has been hurting much more than what I consider normal for chronic pain, which makes me think more about my aging body and just how much longer I can do this kind of manual work. Maybe I should just stretch more. Finished listening to the Finding Cleo story, reminds me that your government is still fighting Indigenous kids in court over settlement issues, and that child services are still taking Indigenous kids from their families and communities. It’s depressing and exhausting to keep fighting, it’s agonizingly frustrating that there are so many idiots elected, it’s why after working all day and cooking sometimes Murder She Wrote is the only antidote.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 4, 2021, 8:08 PM subject 136 – 157 – 0411
Dear Justin,
Had another delivery this morning, and hopped about the Fero truck to help drop off a crate at Sorel’s studio, and pick up more work from the framer. A bit more plastering, sanding, started in on the priming. Myles and I unwrapped the largest photo, the centre of a triptych, and made a decision on the width of the wall that will hold it, that we built into the corner of the gallery. Managed to get the drywall on and taped the horizontal joints before leaving at %:30. Been working longer hours since I don’t have the kids. Jess and I decided to take some mushrooms last night, we were enjoying just sitting in the living room talking and listening to music – No Murder She Wrote last night. Nor tonight, as Jess is in the middle of a D&D session. I will tidy the kids’ room, make their beds, wash dishes, shave, clean the bathroom and have a shower. My body is tired and achy. I was going to go paint a Defund the Police mural but I’m too tired. Am I losing my edge? Did I ever have an edge?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 5, 2021, 10:20 PM subject 137 – 133 – 0511
Dear Justin,
Another day, another fistful of dollars. Finished a couple coats of plaster on the corner wall, cleaned up the main gallery so it is ready to receive works – Genevieve and Valerie were unpacking works for condition reports in the project space – and primed the rest of the big wall, and devised a hanging system for the fabric squares that get thrown over a pole – painted the pole white, the wires and hardware black, so they disappear. Another long day, my Ex was dropping the kids off so I wasn’t in as much a rush, came home and started supper. The kids were in good spirits, but Jess was still home and her neck still very sore and painful, I drove her to her studio and then back to put the kids to bed. We read the 500 hats of Bartholemew Cubbins. Again. I also impulsively bought Super Mario Party on their switch, because it looks fun and I want to play it with them. I am planning some IRL activities for them this weekend, going to see Atom’s work in a show opening at Oboro, and then the Biodome on Sunday. Can you believe I have lived in Montreal for over 15 years and I’ve never been inside?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 8, 2021, 10:28 PM subject 138 – 62 – 0811
Dear Justin,
Happy Mondays. Up early to finish lunches, was burned out from an active weekend and didn’t have time Sunday night. We visited the Biosphere during the day and then wandered Chinatown, eating more dumplings – we had them on Saturday night too, after going to see Atom’s work in a new show. Bought the kids Super Mario Party for their Switch and we played all together a couple times over the weekend. It’s a fun distraction from the mess of the world. Oh I had also ran to the Bulk Barn and a couple other grocery stores on Sunday evening and managed to go vote, not that it helped Mouvement Montreal any, they finished a distant third. I’m not that disappointed, Valérie is better than Denis, although she seems just as gung-ho about funding the SPVM to the teeth, which is depressing. Just goes to show that you don’t need to be all that informed or intelligent to be elected as a progressive: you just need to smile lots. In other news, I sanded, plastered, primed and painted up a storm today, getting walls ready to hang photos. We’ll just be placing works in their general locations tomorrow, probably start hanging on Wednesday. Helped Rose with her video interview for the Arts Multimedia program at Lucien-Pagé. Oh, and she moved up from the waiting list at Père Marquette and is now officially in the programme EI. She hasn’t made a final decision between the schools yet, I suppose it depends if she gets into the Arts program at Lucien-Pagé. Off to bed, I’m zonked.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 9, 2021, 9:42 PM subject 139 – 190 – 0911
Dear Justin,
Ouff, another full day. Quick final coat of paint on the corner wall and then cleaning up and organizing then all of us moving the works to their assigned places for a final placement visit with Sorel, who came early afternoon. Myles was at the CC for the morning, they are still a bit behind, but he came in the afternoon and we hung the big triptych on the corner wall, and two other large works from the NGC. The room is painted a dark grey and all the photos are on a dark black background, with the low lighting the colours really pop, the photos seem to come alive in a reverent space. It’s going to be a really good show. Then I was off to get the kids, Sol stayed with his mom all day as he wasn’t feeling well, he went for a covid test but he is negative – got the result a few minutes ago. Made glass noodles stirfry for supper, then biked over to Miwa’s for a haircut – first time on my bike in almost 2 months! WTF! They have a friend who has a barn where we might be able to store Ramsay! Fingers crossed. Not really looking forward to throwing tarps all over him. Also need to get my winter tires on Ericka at some point. Did you get my tweet about electoral reform? I’m tired!
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 10, 2021, 9:38 PM subject 140 – 192 – 1011
Dear Justin,
Sol was home sick today, not with COVID but a nasty cough and fever. It was actually amazing, I think for us both. We watched Spider-man, Into the Spiderverse (again) and then he watched a series called the Hollow while I dealt with the giant basket of tiny green tomatoes I finally had time to harvest. I canned some, pickled some and made some salsa verdé. I also washed, dried and folded a load of laundry, and went to the Bulk Barn again to get all the things I had forgotten to get on Sunday. I swept the kitchen floor. I soaked chick peas, and made some cashew milk. I booked an appointment to put the winter tires on Erica. I played some Super Mario Party minigames with Sol, whose fever finally broke tonight before bed. My Ex dropped Rose off after her swimming lesson and she continued to make amazing drawings using her Wacom tablet. She saw me writing you and wanted to know why, as if she was hearing about the project for the first time.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 11, 2021, 10:29 PM subject 141 – 214 – 1111
Dear Justin,
Happy Remembrance Day. My uncle Danny died this morning. He wasn’t a veteran, just a misguided and misunderstood hermit. My parents went to NS today, I imagine trying to figure out what to do with the remnants. In other news, I took Sol to work with me today, he no longer had a fever but the cough was bad. It was another action-packed day, hanging speakers and photographs and adjusting lighting. Just trying to get it all done by the end of next week, then looking forward to a much lighter work schedule, and more studio / home time. I’ll be building bookshelves in the living room and a wall between our bedroom and Jessica’s studio so Sol can have his own room. The kids need more space apart. I wonder if they will continue to grow apart, or have a closer relationship when they are older? I hadn’t had any conversation with my uncle Danny since I last saw him at my grandfather’s funeral, back in 2015.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 14, 2021, 8:44 PM subject 142 – 228 – 1411
Dear Justin,
Had a good Friday, making good progress on the show, it is almost all hung, just mostly lighting and security hardware to install, except there are 4 video works to install for the “Rebours vers l’exhibition” show on Art et Feminisme that I haven’t started yet and the show opens Thursday, not Friday, so I have only 3 more days to get the shows done. Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘er done. Always do. Today I got into the studio and pulled a bunch of screen prints of the manhole cover to send to Tuck, they are running out from my last batch sent last year. Their holiday “Look Book” is out and I think sales are starting to pick up and those screen prints make nice gifts, especially in those nice round EQ frames.
My parents are still in NS trying to sort out the details in the aftermath of the death of Uncle Danny. Seems dying without a will or heirs is a real mess. They’ve already spent $3800 to have him cremated, but I wonder if they had just left him at the hospital would they have done it and absorbed the cost? Or is this just the minimal cost for disposing of a body? The province will name an executor of Danny’s estate tomorrow I believe, and from my understanding whatever is left of his estate after all the death expenses is split amongst his siblings, but my parents seem to think it will be a difficult process that could take years. Death is a real drain on the living. But try as I might, I have a real hard time trying to imagine the nothingness that comes after death.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 16, 2021, 10:08 PM subject 143 – 187 – 1611
Dear Justin,
Had a nice relaxing weekend, did zero yard work or winter prep and today we had the first flurries, and cold weather. Also I do believe I forgot to tell you about Fawn’s book launch we went to on Friday night at Cagibi, she married Jess and I at Brasserie Beaubien later that night. I think we’ll just keep getting married in different places, at different times. Maybe someday I won’t be spending my therapy sessions talking about my Ex. I’m very much looking forward to the end of this install, my back is all up in knots and tighter than a hangman’s knot. Work is nonstop now, lighting and changing the lighting then changing it back. Jess made a lovely spicy savoury sweet and funky kimchi tofu stew for supper tonight, I’d went to the Korean grocery store she likes near Concordia and bought one of those ceramic stovetop bowls. We’re going to have some peppermint tea and go listen to Spout Lore in bed. I’m going to put an electric heating pad on my back. I’m behind on all my podcasts because I didn’t know where I left my headphones. They were in the pocket of my bright yellow hoodie. I’m curious to hear the latest Canadaland take on the climate crisis and the failures of COP26. Do you honestly believe you can meet climate targets by building pipelines and subsidizing fossil fuels?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 18, 2021, 10:35 PM subject 144 – 229 – 1811
Dear Justin,
I thought today would be different, more laid back than the past few days of the install, but no, it was even more hectic. Cabling nightmare, last-minute changes, equipment malfunctions, cabling clusterfucks, it was a nightmare. I didn’t stop once, not even for lunch. I have Sol tonight, so needed to leave before the “opening” – which I wouldn’t have wanted to stay for anyway as I was in a bad mood. And now, I’m just stiff and sore and tired. There is more to do tomorrow, and a thorough cleanup and final fixes will probably wait until next week – although it shouldn’t be more than a day or two. Hey did I say that Miwa has a friend who has a barn and they can take Ramsay! $500 to store him until next May. I’m going to drive him there on Sunday with the kids. Jessica will be at Expozine at the SAT so the kids will have to help me hook it up. We’re going to go to the planetarium on Saturday.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 20, 2021, 10:19 PM subject 145 – 203 – 2011
Dear Justin,
Had a mostly lazy day at home, reading (finished Tara’s memoir Nothing will be different, now I want to combine selected Dear PM letters into a memoir), playing video games and then some Nerf gun outside with Sol, leaving only to take the metro to the Planetarium to see a couple films and then back home, where I made supper and we all watched the Lorax. The house is a mess, and I feel so much slowly slipping away. The kids are getting older and want to do their own things, so I feel torn between trying to do my own things – but what even are those things? I’m almost done regular gallery work until February – yet I’m already taking on painting contracts with Mo, and I wonder am I just doomed to repeat this feast or famine, low-wage earning cycle? Even with a couple thousand in the bank I stress about money – and now the season to stress about consumerism is upon us. Sol asked me the other day on the way to school what is vendredi fou? It’s where we as a species go even crazier than usual, and frantically try to fill that endless void inside of us with shopping, even though we know it is fuelling the climate crisis, somehow not making the link, somehow the news organisations telling us the news about climate change have no problem selling ads to businesses that just want to sell the latest fucking useless gizmo, or heck even useful gizmos, just replace that old thing with something new that won’t even last as long… sorry about the rant, but the RCMP are defending your stupid pipeline and gas lines and clearcutting while brutalizing land and water defenders and BC alternately burns and floods, it’s a painfully depressing world to leave to our kids, don’t you think? If only there was someone powerful enough to end subsidies for the fossil fuel industry and to stop propping up companies that refuse to invest in green technologies, if only there were people who had the power to do something right for a change instead of just staying powerful and maintaining the status quo. Fuck you, eat shit and get out of the fucking way. You’re not helping.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 22, 2021, 9:52 PM subject 146 – 103 – 2211
Dear Justin,
Time really does speed up as you get older, don’t you find? Christmas season is upon us. Also the season for the RCMP paramilitary units to begin invading unceded Indigenous territories. And the season for slips of the tongue: was your “Canada is a resource company – er – country” comment really a mistake or are you simply tired of pretending? I had a longer day at work than had hoped, the custom wood cable hides are taking longer than expected. Also the house is perpetually messy, cluttered and untidy, and I feel that my attempts to declutter or clean all backfire. Also the litter box smells bad despite the fact I empty it almost twice daily, or about ten times more often than I shower, which, now that I have shaved, I am about to do. I want to get to bed and keep working my way through Fawn’s latest book, Dumb show. A central character is based on Jordan Peterson. What’s that guy been up to lately? I’ll get up early to make lunches, the kids want to get up early to draw, Sol on tracing paper he re-discovered tonight, and Rose using her tablet on my computer. Oh yeah I bought her an iPad for her birthday / Christmas, with a non-Apple stylus. Oh, and yesterday we drove out to the country and left Ramsay in a barn until Spring. Still haven’t emptied the composting toilet.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 23, 2021, 9:35 PM subject 147 – 204 – 2311
Dear Justin,
Man, the bullshit RCMP militarized vehicles and stormtrooper cowboys intruding on Wet’suwet’en territory is appalling, but what’s even worse are your saccharine tweets and posts all day waxing poetic about the Throne Speech and reconciliation. You are either a fucking sociopath or an empty-headed idiot to go on the way you do. At least you do seem to recognize that your role is more of symbolic CEO of the resource extraction company called Canada than anyone with any actual power to do anything more than uphold the status quo. Keep the rich rich, and keep sucking that oil and gas from the ground, and cutting them there trees, and mining them there minerals, just keep feeding the beast. Anyway today was my last full time day at Vox for awhile, and I’m looking forward to taking on a very small handful of smaller contracts just to keep the lights on, so I can focus more on home renovations, studio work, and more overt activism. Time to #shutdowncanada (do hashtags work in email?)
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 24, 2021, 10:33 PM subject 148 – 236 – 2411
Dear Justin,
It was so gratifying to be home today. I decided to tackle the drafts arund the outer back door – the door I had flipped and re-oriented this past summer. The frame was all wonky so I built inwards to make it fit better, and then added some expanding insulation in the gaps. Jessica came over for lunch, then we went to Mile End to sell and give away some books, then we had a coffee at Club Social, then I was back home working on that drafty door, then I picked the kids up, made an early supper, we finished the Christmas Chronicles 2, then drove them to their swim lesson, then we stopped for McDonald’s after that, then home, stories and minouche and bed. It’s a good life, and I recognize how wrapped up we are in privilege. After al, the RCMP are not kicking in our doors and dragging us off to prison for trying top protect the environment. I’m planning on showing my kids the videos of how the rcmp act and who they are acting for. How do you explain to your kids that you’re the guy in charge and you could make it stop with a phone call or two? You probably don’t, I’m sure you have a long, well-articulated narrative that does not paint you as the villain. You might be able to fool your kids, but there are many, many more who are learning of your true nature. Now excuse me while I clean up the kitchen and wash some laundry.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 25, 2021, 10:10 PM subject 149 – 236 – 2511
Dear Justin,
I really dislike falling into patterns of behaviour I recognize or remember from my parents, when it comes to parenting. But siblings can be so damn annoying! Rose is constantly needling poor Sol. I really need to get working on the apartment renos to get his room ready for Xmas. I just need to build a wall of bookshelves and then a wall. I have the Toronto trip coming up this week and possible painting with Mo – although that might get postponed, actually hoping it does. I showed the kids that video of the RCMP breaking down the door with an axe and chainsaw and they were almost as horrified as me. On the way to school Sol said he wanted to move away from Canada, he feels terrible about what this country continues to do to Indigenous Peoples in the name of constant resource extraction. Just pull the plug, you spineless sack of monkey shit. I had the winter tires put on the car this afternoon, and earlier in the day installed a bunch of shelves for François in his storage locker, and then in between I put up half of my homemade Abri-Tempo tarp thingy, it makes me think of my late Uncle Danny and his wacky constructions. I’m off to bed to fold laundry and listen to something, but I’m all caught up on Spout Lore, Canadaland, Commons, Media Indigena, and Sandy and Nora, so I’ll take a stab at a Warrior Life episode, but tbh, I’m feeling a bit saturated and overwhelmed with my own outrage.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Nov 28, 2021, 10:32 AM subject 150 – 255 – 2811
Dear Justin,
I am still alive (remember when I was starting all these letters with this On Kawara inspired greeting? Ah, those were the days). I also survived Black Friday at a mall of all places. Rose convinced me to go as she wanted to get some gifts for her secret santa at school, and for her friends who will be coming over to my place for an early birthday party for her. You probably did this as well when you were younger, having a birthday on Christmas Day means, of course, you can’t really have a birthday party on that day, even though almost everyone has that day off, but when you’re younger you’re stuck with your family. So the mall was not terrible, but we were going to meet Jess at the Biodome but the green line was shut down for over 45 minutes – someone unauthorized on the tracks. Is this a euphemism for suicide? I told the kids I hoped it was more a euphemism for sabotage in support of the #shutdowncanada movement in support of the Wet’suwet’en land defenders. I feel guilty for missing the protest in front of RCMP headquarters on Saturday but it was too cold and Jess and I had errands to run. She had collected some clothes she was giving to a trans support group, we had to get her laundry and bedding from her studio for our trip to Toronto, I had to get a few other things for the janky tarp construction in the back yard. We went to see Alexis and Atom’s show Ouff last night at the Maison de la culture Ahuntsic, which is such a great piece of confrontational performance. We followed that up by going to Baraoke, though we didn’t perform, there were some great acts and we’ll practice some routines before next time, probably after Christmas, if the new variant doesn’t shut things down again. I must admit, I wouldn’t mind that very much.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
DEAR PM 