XLife
(Video) XLife is where my brush and my camera meet the civic pulse of Alberta. It’s a living record of art made in public spaces, sometimes welcomed, sometimes challenged, and of a democracy tested by weather, politics, and the human spirit. My social art practice stands at the intersection of free expression and public witness, shaped by the same forces that move through our province: fire, rain, and renewal. Each painting, video, and street performance becomes part of that conversation between citizens and government, between land and law, and between the circle and the square.
XLife — Figures of Speech in an Alberta Democracy. This website serves as a tribute to Virgil Abloh’s Figures of Speech (Chicago, 2019), the spark behind my personal LISTEN label — formerly Speakers Banned Speech and Wear — and the Art is Freedom line of baseball hats, LISTEN T‑shirts, hoodies, and Toques of Alberta. Abloh’s work reminded me that fashion, like painting, can carry a message, confront a system, and speak without permission. Fashion, as Virgil once said, defines who we are. XLife, Homme Made...
2025, Acrylic, Homme Made - Dundee Law
Painted by 7 Painters during Black History Month
XLife is also created in memory of Dennis Edney, whose courage and conviction pushed me to go beyond the creativity that comes from within and to practice free press — a form of free speech and freedom of expression that every lover of truth, beauty, freedom, and the love of the arts must uphold. His example taught me that democracy is not a spectator sport; it is something we defend through witness, documentation, and the refusal to be silent. XLife stands at that intersection: art, fashion, free press, and the ongoing work of protecting expression in a Canadian democracy.
 | ||||
🍁US, Cover Art: This sketch study is inspired by Norval Morrisseau’s Blood Tear. Morrisseau, a member of the Group of Seven Indigenous artists, is known for his vibrant, spiritually rich works. This piece was drawn at the Alberta Museum and serves as the cover art for this social art video.
🎨 Pop Pop Dazzled by Every Day and Abstracts of Light and Shadows presents a découpé visual narrative cut-up on YouTube(s). A look into the past to glimpse the future unknown. I’ve interlaced recent and archived citizen-free news stories with layered sounds and visuals. This process births a new art form, crafting fresh narratives through the cut-up technique. Enjoy! See, Language is a Virus
Good leadership in politics isn’t about mastering the game with media colleagues or staying one step ahead of being exposed. When politics turns into a performance built on avoiding accountability, it’s only a matter of time before the act collapses.
Typically, on most days, the Alberta 31st Legislature press gallery seats sit empty during question period; the Loyal Opposition Leader, Nenshi, arrives late and punches out early, while the Premier shows up on time and stays for the full shift, listening to questions from members.
Often, after question period for the leaders, I take the elevator from the fourth floor to the basement, next to the cafeteria — as I’ve done many times before — and find the room packed with reporters, lights, cameras, and Mr. Nenshi front and centre, drawing the full attention of the media.
Public Gallery, Quick-Drawn Conclusions, Spring Session of the Alberta 31st Legislature.
