This series of works started in 2009 saw the return to painting on canvas. Using pre-stretched canvas was a big change from the previous paintings with a less defined format. The size of the canvas dictated the composition. The canvas is prepared with gesso and absorbent grounds and a variety of paint applications are used. This includes fibre and foam brushes along with trowels. The travel pigment is used as an accent rather than for an overall effect.
The paintings produced in 2007 to 2009 featured the use of travel pigment on plastic substrates. Travel pigment or flip colours, as they are also referred to, change colour when viewed from a different angle. Golden Artists Colors Inc. developed this water-based version of paint that was pioneered in the automobile industry. After some experimentation Albi found that this paint adhered well on plastic substrates due to the smooth nature of the surface. These paintings feature the irregular edge and shape, which is characteristic of three-dimensional work that was produced prior to 2007.
The paintings produced prior to 2001 were on canvas. Experimentation has always been a part of Albi’s studio. The paintings leading to this series incorporated heavy applications of gel. This method of paint application evolved to the production of 3-D forms. A custom product consisting of acrylic and urethane was made-up by Golden Artists Colors Inc. Four works from this series were exhibited in the Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art 2002. Some of the pieces were not stable so fragments were incorporated in a series of collage paintings on canvas.
A Taste of Edmonton is one of Canada’s largest food and beverage festivals. For the past twenty-eighth year thousands of visitors have enjoyed a variety of offerings. During Giuseppe’s tenure as General Manager the festival has expanded to a full ten-day event that includes A Taste of Wine and Beer. In 2010 the festival became green through the use of compostable cutlery and dinnerware.
New Year’s Eve Downtown is Edmonton official civic New Year’s Eve celebration. In 2001 Events Edmonton took over staging First Night and renamed it. The festival consists of three indoor venues and an outdoor stage. A spectacular pyrotechnics display produced by the City of Edmonton ushers in the New Year.
Metropolis is a unique winter festival conceptualized by Giuseppe. This event was based on cold climate construction technology that was pioneered in Edmonton with the construction of the Professional Building completed in 1961. Four pavilions built from scaffolding wrapped with shrink-wrap were erected on Sir Winston Churchill Square. These heated and architectural designed structures featured a variety of activities, which included an art display, fashion show and sale, aerial trapeze performance by Firefly Theatre and food fair. The festival ran for seven weeks and took two months to erect and one month to dismantle. It is the largest and longest running festival to be staged on Sir Winston Churchill Square.
This project produced was a partnership with Carlyle & Associates a prominent landscape design firm in Edmonton. In 1999 Doug Carlyle designed a modern gazebo, which required a screen that would function year round. The climate in Calgary ranges from 30 C to – 30 C with wind, snow, rain and hail. A painted screen was not suitable so Albi developed a screen made from coloured PVC mesh. This meant all the climatic conditions while being a unique art piece. The appearance of the screen changes throughout the day and year as it is animated by the natural light and meteorological conditions.
In 2005 the Province of Alberta celebrated its 100th anniversary. For this occasion the National Congress of Italian Canadians (NCIC) Edmonton District on behalf of the Italian community of Alberta decided to donate a monument to the Province. This monument would also immortalize the accomplishments of the Italian community in this Province over the last 100 years. As a result of a national competition over 21 artists presented their proposals from all over the Country. A Selection Committee of 8 people composed of 5 members of the Board of directors: Massimo Verdicchio, Marisa Trinca, Salvatore Amelio, Jennifer DeStefanis-Dimas and Paola DiToppa along with Caterina Edwards, the Consul of Italy, Arnaldo Minuti, and Tony Luppino. The terms of reference for the points to be evaluated by the committee members where prepared by Antonella Cortese in cooperation with the writer. It was left up to the elected Board of Directors of the NCIC-Edmonton to make the final decision as to the best proposal presented. Giuseppe Albi, an Edmonton artist, was the successful artist.
In describing his project Giuseppe Albi stated “This monument will mark the centennial of the Province of Alberta, our chosen home. My hope is that it will invite people to reflect on their lives and think about something Italian that they have adopted or experienced.”
The monument is based on a variation of the obelisk, a sculptural form assimilated by the Romans centuries ago. It was used to mark an event of special significance. The sculpture consists of a black granite podium that supports a tapered red granite column with an oversize bronze sundial on the top. The overall height is over 4 meters. Objects of historical significance will be cast in bronze and arranged around the base of the cylinder. An appropriate inscription in Italian, English and French will be engraved on the column at eye level. The crown will have lights imbedded on the underside that will illuminate the column and artifacts. The community contributed by donating tools and artifacts that were cast in bronze.
The monument is positioned prominently on the north side of the Alberta Legislative Building near 109 Street. It was inaugurated in the fall of 2007.
Read the Edmonton Journal Article
In 1974, after living in Europe for three years, Albi returned to Edmonton. Shortly after his return he started to work for Northlands producing Klondike Days feature exhibits where he worked until 1995. He started an event planning company and produced a number of events including Cheers Food and Beverage Show, Art of CAD, The Works International Festival and the Cold Weather Construction Symposium Expo Shaw Conference Centre. In 2001 he was contracted by Edmonton Klondike Days Association (EKDA) to work on Sunday in the City. The position of General Manger became available in 2003, which he held until his retirement in the summer of 2012. During this tenure he oversaw the change to Events Edmonton. Albi managed the production A Taste of Edmonton and New Year’s Eve Downtown. He also staged Canada Day festivities and in 2011/12 produced METROPILIS Edmonton Winter Festival. This event was based on cold climate construction technology, which in large part has been developed in Edmonton.
