|
|
Post by thinkspace on Sept 21, 2012 13:28:48 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by saL on Oct 2, 2012 10:07:55 GMT -8
I love noticing how much Jacub sharpened up his skills.. that hedgehog looks spot on!.. looking fwd to this one..
|
|
|
|
Post by thinkspace on Oct 24, 2012 18:17:01 GMT -8
 Kevin Peterson 'Jantzen' - oil on canvas - one of his new works from 'Amended' opening Nov. 3rd at ThinkspaceKevin Peterson’s work is fundamentally motivated by the tension of unexpected juxtapositions; a device the artist uses to evoke psychic states, and affective associations. As an artist with a psychologically driven interest in his subject matter, his understated portrayals of isolation speak of subtle emotional estrangement and social alienation. Peterson extracts, with sensitive acuity, a shared state of human fissure and disconnect, a theme saliently represented within the imperfect context of the urban landscape. The dirty grittiness of urbanity is often the bereft backdrop for lonely portraits of innocent children, or for symbols of innocence degraded by the unrelenting havoc of their surroundings. The juxtaposition of these polarities forces us to reconsider subjectivity in context, and quite literally situates the subject as an enigmatic and contentious force within its environment; as something independent of, and yet intrinsically affected by, the conditions of its world. His empathetic depictions of these scenes betray the insights of someone who has perhaps suffered in kind. Despite the haunting sense of absence and loss that pervades these paintings, the possibility of innocence and beauty remains intact against desolate landscapes. In the face of decay and squalor something nonetheless exceeds its confines, and a sort of beautiful destitution prevails. The artist’s studies in psychology, and his subsequent struggle with addiction, have informed a very human depiction of dysfunction, loss, and estrangement. His paintings depict a contemporary reality defined by contradiction, irresolution, and imperfection, and yet they also remind us of the possibility of change. The realistically rendered figurative elements of the work are set against great expanses of surrounding negative space, effectively isolating the subject within the charged absence of the city. The artist plays with contradiction and expectation, and allows the concept of “self” to emerge as a complex and unresolved entity in a constant state of becoming.  One of Jacub Gagnon's new works for 'More Human Than Human' opening Nov. 3rd at ThinkspaceJacub Gagnon is one of Toronto’s emerging contemporary talents. The artist’s paintings are composed of dramatic expanses of pitch black negative space, populated by colorful hyper-realist renderings of wildlife in whimsical situations. The little creatures of Gagnon’s imaginings surrealistically activate human objects with both absurd and adorable end results. Meticulously detailed and rendered, with the application of delicate layers, Gagnon’s colors and textures are jewel like. The artist’s scenarios are those of fantasy, summoned by an unfettered imagination and uninhibited by the restrictive logic of reality. Gagnon probes the fine line between the innocuous and the sinister, effortlessly subverting the order of the natural world. The work combines the preciousness of miniaturization with the whimsy of fantastical narrative. At times uncanny and dark in their unlikely combinations, the pieces activate unprecedented relationships between the animal and human worlds, and transfigure wild animals into anthropomorphic guises; like eerie little impostors of the human. We are seduced by a detailed and luminous surface, and fascinated by its circus of creatures. The paintings are almost Baroque in their drama and intensity, but undeniably contemporary in their aesthetic. Humor abounds in this land of carnival and inversion: scale is subverted, and natural relationships are defied. It is a world of disproportion and excess, as anything is possible, and nothing too perverse, in the descent down the rabbit hole. Gagnon deploys a trove of visual pleasures for the viewer, and creates a threshold into a world of boundless fantasy. *Digital previews for both shows will be ready next Tuesday or Wednesday. Will be sure to post here once both are ready to be shared. |
|
|
|
Post by devours on Oct 25, 2012 10:21:06 GMT -8
Very excited about this show. Will there be a print release from either Andrew??  |
|
|
|
Post by thinkspace on Oct 26, 2012 22:03:49 GMT -8
Very excited about this show. Will there be a print release from either Andrew?? Hopefully both but not timed with the show, but shortly thereafter for sure. We'll have the preview ready next Tuesday or Wednesday. Excited to share with all. Looks like 7 or 8 new works from Jacub and 17 new paintings and one sculpture from Peterson. |
|
|
|
Post by hillsj2001 on Oct 29, 2012 8:21:44 GMT -8
Very excited about this show. Will there be a print release from either Andrew?? Hopefully both but not timed with the show, but shortly thereafter for sure. We'll have the preview ready next Tuesday or Wednesday. Excited to share with all. Looks like 7 or 8 new works from Jacub and 17 new paintings and one sculpture from Peterson. thanks for the info...interested in info if possible |
|
|
|
Post by thinkspace on Oct 31, 2012 8:18:41 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by sleepboy on Nov 3, 2012 12:49:54 GMT -8
Some strong works from both artists. Good luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by wenters on Nov 3, 2012 13:09:19 GMT -8
Jacub's 'Flight of Knowledge' is a cracking painting  |
|
|
|
Post by swabie2424 on Nov 3, 2012 13:21:11 GMT -8
Jacub's 'Flight of Knowledge' is a cracking painting Indeed. It was my favorite piece in the whole show. Peterson has a few amazing pieces in the show also. Would have loved a piece or two, but timing was bad. I've just bought waaaay too much lately. Had to restrain myself unfortunately. I'm sure I'll regret it.  |
|
|
|
Post by saL on Nov 3, 2012 14:01:18 GMT -8
Im on the road the last few days, touring Europe with misses, and generally enjoying life, so I didnt have the chance to say I really like the works these guys brought for this show!
Im always amazed how Jacub is upping his game with every single piece he does, and this body of work is definitely proving that once again!
Congrats to everyone involved!
|
|
|
|
Post by thinkspace on Nov 7, 2012 1:00:50 GMT -8
|
|
