-- Advertisement --

                           

-- Advertisement --

Canadian Art

See It

Alex Morrison: Politics and Partnership

CSA Space, Vancouver Jun 5 to Jul 16 2009
Alex Morrison  <I>Untitled</I>  2009  Courtesy Catriona Jeffries Gallery Alex Morrison Untitled 2009 Courtesy Catriona Jeffries Gallery

Alex Morrison <I>Untitled</I> 2009 Courtesy Catriona Jeffries Gallery

Vancouver artist Alex Morrison broke onto the scene in the late 1990s with drawings of discarded houses and videos of casually destructive skateboarders. These works may seem different from Morrison’s newer art—like politically pointed photos of protest recreations, or monument proposals for 1970s-kitsch dissidents.

But what remains remarkably consistent in Morrison’s art is an interest in subcultures of rebellion, as well as their eventual integration into (or appropriation by) mainstream architectures of power.

Now, a Morrison solo show at CSA Space in Vancouver refracts his practice through the lens of exhibition curator (and fellow artist) Brad Phillips.

Like Morrison, Phillips has long had an interest in rebellious, youthfully disaffected people, as well as the places they haunt. But unlike Morrison, Phillips tends to a painterly approach that draws on dark humour, literature and figuration to make its point.

The pairing of these two mirrored talents in one space most certainly generates sufficient intrigue for a drop-by—be it by scurrilous skateboard or psychologically fraught family sedan. (5-2414 Main St, Vancouver BC)

This article was first published online on June 25, 2009.

RELATED STORIES

 

FOUNDATION NEWS

More Foundation news

ONLINE

  • Will Munro: Ecstatic Legacies

    In 2010, at the age of 35, Toronto artist/DJ/promoter/activist Will Munro succumbed to brain cancer. Here, David Balzer reviews the first big survey of Munro’s work, which makes apparent how talented, prolific and perceptive this creator was.

  • Painting Canada: Artistry in the UK

    The Dulwich Picture Gallery’s recent Group of Seven show was one of the UK museum’s biggest hits ever, drawing 41,000 visitors. The attention was deserved, writes Sarah Milroy, as the exhibition offered new insights even to seasoned Canadian-art observers.

  • David Altmejd: In the Belly of the Beast

    The Occupy movement has galvanized the way we think about haves and have-nots. But where do artists fit in? As Joseph R. Wolin observes in this review of David Altmejd’s show at the Brant Foundation, context can be as powerful as content in determining the split.

  • A Stake in the Ground: When Language Wounds

    What happens to identity when our relationship to land and language is disrupted? This is a key question raised in “A Stake in the Ground,” an exhibition of works by 25 First Nations artists, curated by Nadia Myre, that’s currently at Montreal gallery Art Mûr.

  • Canadianartschool.ca: Tips for a Successful Winter Term

    Our education and careers site has just posted more stories and tips to help students achieve a great winter term. Highlights include a profile of internationally renowned fashion designer Jeremy Laing, a Q&A on grad schools and more.

More Online

- Advertisements -



- Advertisements -
Report a problem