Artist Jeff Goring, aka Sonz1, has an exhibition titled Thinking of Others at the Esplanade until Nov. 13. (Photo Courtesy of Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

Exhibition titled Thinking of Others

Jeff Goring’s graffiti is welcome inside the Esplanade

Sep 10, 2020 | 2:44 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Graffiti has become more accepted in the mainstream art world over the past few years and Medicine Hat artist Jeff Goring is reaping the benefits at the Esplanade.

Even though he’s been painting graffiti for more than 20 years, Goring, the man behind Medicine Hat Mural Fest, just opened his first-ever exhibition and says he and fellow graffiti artists are getting more opportunities these days.

“People are appreciating more the art aspect of it, rather than just a lot of times with graffiti people just see the illegal tags on trains. But now it seems like people are more appreciating the art aspect and where you can go with it,” says Goring, who is known as Sonz1 in the graffiti community.

Goring’s exhibition is titled Thinking of Others and the 16-foot graffiti works are all based on biblical verses centred on kindness, including to love your neighbor as yourself and selling possessions and goods and sharing with those in need.

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“The message I want people to take away is it doesn’t take much to stop and think of other people. It doesn’t take much to change somebody’s day. We have no idea what people go through day-to-day, we have no idea what they’ve been through an hour ago,” he says.

Goring says he hopes to change people’s mindsets with the chosen verses and the exhibition.

“We’re in such a selfish world and with so much crazy stuff going on right now. It’s a good time to not be thinking of yourself and thinking how you can help others. So even if you’re not into the Bible, a lot of these are just good principles to live by.”

The exhibition includes a tagging wall, basically a “Hello, My Name Is…” sticker so anyone who stops by can leave their own “tag.”

And Goring will host a graffiti workshop on the Esplanade rooftop Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.

“We’ll be teaching a little bit of the history, a little bit of the structure of how to do graffiti letters,” he says. “Really hands-on, we’ll actually get you playing with spray paint as well.”

Running alongside Thinking of Others is Outgrowth by Regina-based artist Zachari Logan. The Esplanade website says “These exquisitely rendered pastel drawings and ceramic sculptures metaphorically communicate perceptions of memory, mortality, the body and queer identity.”

Both exhibitions run until Nov. 13.

To book a time for the exhibitions or your spot at the workshop visit esplanade.ca.