The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria shows [i]'Turning Our World Upside Down'[/i] |
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| Written by rubin |
| Monday, 08 June 2009 02:35 |
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 Convention is not merely examined by these contemporary artists but is
often attacked or slyly subverted in a tongue in cheek relationship with the
viewer, using inversion to seek out existing hierarchy and often satirizing some
of the Western world’s most acclaimed works of art. Curator Richard Hill
describes the show as “a world visualized by artists where killer rabbits hunt
humans and Superman is a hero of the Soviet Union. It is the Planet of the Apes
and a planet where British aristocrats lose their heads when they find
themselves dressed in “African” fabrics. It is a place where Aboriginal North
Americans dine out alfresco at Edouard Manet’s expense.”Works include the installation of Yinka Shonibare’s Mr.and Mrs. Andrews without Their Heads from the National Gallery of Canada and Roger Shimomura’s Mr. Wong’s Theatre Company, a painting seemingly crafted over one of Warhol’s Marilyn silkscreens, with her nearly lost behind a frenzy of cartoons. T.C. Canon’s acrylic on canvas self-portrait Collector #2 depicting the Aboriginal artist as a collector of art and standing confidently in front of his Wheatfield with Cypresses by van Gogh, turns hierarchies on their head drawing from presumed stereotypes, racist norms and Cannon’s own experience as an artist whose work was collected by those outside his own culture. This exhibition also extends out into public spaces to include a commissioned billboard by Terrance Houle with Jarusha Brown, who use photography to parody the complexities of contemporary Aboriginal identity (Billboard is located on the Pat Bay Highway 3.9 km south of Mount Newton Cross Road facing east). In his Urban Indian Series, Houle depicts himself going about the tasks of daily life – like shopping for groceries and working at the office – while dressed in his powwow regalia, highlighting the perceived but far from actual schism between traditional Indigenous identity and contemporary life. In addition, Houle’s public performance, Casting Call, involves Aboriginal collaborators "auditioning" for roles in famous Hollywood westerns, responding to the Hollywood practice of casting white actors in "Indian" roles. World Upside Down runs June 5 to August 30, 2009 at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and is curated by Richard William Hill, organized by the Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Centre and produced in collaboration with the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and the Musée d'art de Joliette. This exhibition is presented with the support of the Museums Assistance Program of the Canadian Department of Heritage, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria 1040 Moss Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 4P1 250.384.4101 | www.aggv.bc.ca Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~ |
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