›› Jillian Player
The dynamic art duo of Trace Nelson and Peter Sandmark have so much going on that I can only scratch the surface of their achievements in this short article. Not only are they the force behind the rockabilly band Slim Sandy – who will have you dancing in the isles – but they also have established individual visual art careers.
Trace and Peter met at university in Montreal, where they were both studying various forms of art. After many years of being active in the Montreal art scene, they decided to move to Victoria. Friends told them about our thriving artists community in Fernwood, so they came to check it out. They have made their home and careers here for the last ten years.
Trace Nelson works in a variety of media: soft sculpture, painting, drawing, video animation, and interactive media. She has exhibited her work in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and she has worked as an art educator for the past 15 years, teaching at Concordia University and, most recently, teaching drawing and painting at the Vancouver Island School of Art in Victoria. Trace’s soft sculptural installations – which are odd and slightly mischievous figures – originated from the sock monkey. From there, her sculptures have morphed into organic-looking creatures or soft inanimate objects with unique personalities. As a prolific visual artist, she also creates costumes for the band.
Along with being the lead vocals in Slim Sandy, Peter Sandmark has a long history as an independent film-maker. As well as music videos, he has made about a dozen short, experimental films since the eighties. His latest, made in 2013, titled Quantum Zen, was exhibited at the Antimatter Film Festival at Deluge Gallery last year. He is currently the executive director of MediaNet. He is also the creator of the Village Vibe’s “Max Roach” cartoon.
Both Trace and Peter collaborate on the lyrics and music for Slim Sandy. You can catch their shows at various venues around town and listen to their album, Jump Back, on iTunes, or check them out at slimsandy.com. You can view Trace’s work at tracenelson.com.
