Montreal hearts Art [ Winter 2013 ]

Clockwise: (1) Dominique Blain, Mao - Wei Wei, 2012; (2) Samuel Roy-Bois, Allusion, 2012; (3) Mike Bayne, Marina, 2012; (4) Laurent Grasso, Uraniborg, 2012; (5) Michael A. Robinson, the origin of ideas, 2012; (6) Exhibition view, DHC/ART; (7) Holly King, from the exhibit Grand Canyon: Unseen, 2012; (8) Jennifer Lefort, Message received, 2012.

Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran

Dominique Blain, Jacynthe Carrier, Michael A. Robinson   |   December - January 26, 2013

From the website: "With this new exhibition of three major artists, galerie antoine ertaskiran offers a glimpse of its curatorial direction for the 2013 programming.

The gallery is showing several works by Dominique Blain: Dress, an important work of 1993, consisting of a men’s camisole to which are attached actual numerous war medals and two new photographic works, Mao–Weiwei and once you taste freedom it stays with you, both inspired by the iconic outspoken political artist Ai Weiwei. Also, a photographic series entitled La Fabrique by Jacynthe Carrier, winner of the Prix Pierre-Ayot 2012,  and a fascinating monumental sculpture by Michael A. Robinson, The Origin of Ideas, accompanied by a series of letraset drawings."

Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran   |   1892 Rue payette   |   Montreal, QC, H3J 1P3   |   (514) 989 7886   |   www.galerieantoineertaskiran.com   |

Parisian Laundry

Jennifer Lefort: Balise (en couleur) | Beacon (in colour)
Samuel Roy-Bois: J'ai moonwalké, sans cesse, jusqu'à l'épuisement  

January 17 - February 16, 2013

From the press release: "PARISIAN LAUNDRY is thrilled to announce the opening of its winter season 2013 with J’ai Moonwalké, sans cesse, jusqu’a l’épuisement, a Bunker project by invited artist Samuel Roy-Bois and Beacon (in colour), the highly anticipated solo exhibition by represented artist Jennifer Lefort.

Beacon (in colour), Lefort’s third solo with the gallery represents the artist’s ongoing interest in how intangible themes and ideas explored in representational work can exist in abstraction. In this new body of work the departure point of her visual lexicon is light. This direction of exploration for Lefort has lead to new visual discoveries and associations in her paintings. Painted rays meet and break in vivid colour and form and shadows, prisms, and beacons all imply a coming to light through gesture. Beyond the reflective qualities conjured through the exploration of light as theme are thoughts of spirit, signals, and communication critical to Lefort’s practice."

"Samuel Roy-Bois transforms PARISIAN LAUNDRY’s coveted bunker space into a private site for performance, inviting the viewer/participant to consider the following: An eclipse is not a disappearance. Neither is someone moving to a different room a missing person. Through the exhibition J'ai moonwalké, sans cesse, jusqu'à l'épuisement, ideas of remoteness and concealment are explored. These concepts seem to imply a certain narrative, a chain of events: there is a before and there is an after. Roy-Bois’s interest lies in what can be found between these two moments and more precisely in how our understanding of sites and events is strangely augmented through obliteration. His approach for this exhibition is multilateral and is comprised of three components: 1. a group of monochrome paintings on photographs; 2. a room dedicated to musical practice where the public is invited to privately play the drums; 3. a very limited edition artist book synthesizing the exhibition."

From January 17 - February 16, 2013. Opening January 16th, 6-8 pm.

Parisian Laundry   |   3550 St-Antoine Ouest (entrance Greene and Bel-Air)   |   Montréal, QC, H4C 1A9  |   (514) 989-1056   |   www.parisianlaundry.com    |

Art Mur 

Holly King: Grand Canyon: Unseen   |   January 12 - March 2, 2013

From the Website: "Holly King’s photographs draw from memories of landscapes, and reference film, art and literature. Her images are cinematic and striking, seemingly real and other-worldly. She painstakingly constructs these scenes with miniatures and then takes photographs of them in large-format, which she then exhibits. King claims that the actual sets are very humble, and the process of photographing these sets transforms them into artworks, although I believe that the sets themselves may be sights to be seen.

In 2005, King moved from working with color photography to black and white. The objects contained in these photographs (the trees, stones, water and brush) are detailed rather than creating atmospheric scapes that were ethereal and less linked to actual inhabitable spaces, as she has in earlier works. With this most recent series, Grand Canyon: Unseen, King tackles the monumental cleft in the Arizona desert that has captivated tourists and writers alike for so many years. King takes a place that has been photographed, documented, discussed and memorialized and manages to create novel images, which is no small feat. For the first time in her oeuvre, she combines photographs of the land with her set ups, and additionally integrates black ink drawings. She suspends transparent images of the Grand Canyon behind the sets, and places miniatures in both the foreground and behind the transparencies. Her prints are reflective, luminous, pensive terrains of rock, earth and sky.

It has been said that the size of King’s prints allows people to enter the unreal places that she creates. I think that viewers are only allowed to step to the precipice of these landscapes, see their tiny details and be overwhelmed by their heights, but then they are held back. They must stop to think about what they see. The power of these images lies in the fact that they warrant a second look, and a third. They are the type of photographs that I want to try to enter over and over because of where I could be transported were I to enter." - Text by Marsha Taichman

Art Mur   |   5826 St-Hubert   |   Montréal, Québec, H2S 2L7   |   (514) 933 0711   |   www.artmur.com   |

Galerie Division

SOUNDTRACK : VOLUME 1   |    January 19, 2013 - March 9th 2013

"Join us in the New Year for the opening of our next exhibition Soundtrack: Volume 1 with Mike Bayne, Karel Funk, Tim Gardner, Myfanwy MacLeod, Allison Schulnik and Etienne Zack on January 19^th."

Galerie Division   |   L'Arsenal, 2020 Rue William   |   Montréal, Québec, H3J 1R8   |   (514) 938-3863   |   www.galeriedivision.com   |

Musee D'Art Contemporain de Montreal

Laurent Grasso: Uraniborg   |    February 7, 2013 - April 28, 2013

From the website: "The exhibition Laurent Grasso: Uraniborg, co-produced by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal and the Jeu de Paume in Paris, offers a unique foray into space and time. Videos, paintings from the Studies into the Past series, drawings, neons, objects and sculptures cohabit in a presentation conceived by the artist as a work in itself.  Here, Grasso continues his exploration of space and temporality as he seeks to create what he calls a “false historical memory.” In this in-between place where true and false intermingle, the all-pervading observation of the sky underlies a broader examination of seeing, watching and surveillance, at the same time as it opens up a path to possible worlds.

This exhibition is coproduced by the Jeu de Paume, Paris, and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal."

MACM   |   185 St. Catherine Ouest (Corner Jeanne-Mance)   |   Montreal, QC, H2X 3X5   |   www.macm.org    |

DHC/ART 

Chronicles of a Disappearance   |   January 19, 2012 — May 13, 2012

From the website: "DHC/ART Foundation is delighted to present a thematic group show titled Chronicles of a Disappearance, bringing together major works by five acclaimed international artists: Philippe Parreno, Taryn Simon, Teresa Margolles, Omer Fast and José Toirac. The exhibition explores different notions of disappearance articulated across the personal, social and political realms. All the works stage and conceptualize mourning, absence and loss, offering rich associative histories while also uncovering the hidden and inaccessible – or that which is made to disappear from view."

DHC/ART   |  451 & 465, St-Jean Street   |   Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 2R5   |   (514) 849 3742 / 1 (888) 934 2278   |   www.dhc-art.org   |

Papier12 Montreal

From the press release

April 12th to 15th, 2012:

The Contemporary Art Galleries Association  (AGAC)  is pleased to announce that the PAPIER12 art fair will take place from April 12th to 15th. The sole contemporary art fair in Montreal composed exclusively of works of art on paper; the event is celebrating its 5th anniversary.

Like its previous edition, unifying and inclusive, PAPIER12 will be  presented only two steps from the Place des Festivals, in the heart of Quartier des spectacles, Montreal's cultural district, at the corner of Bleury and Maisonneuve Boulevard, in a temporary outdoor structure. PAPIER12 is a meeting place for professionals, art lovers, members of the artistic community and novices. This year, Dr. Diane Vachon, businesswoman and well-known supporter of the contemporary arts milieu, will be the patron of PAPIER12. Like last year, the spokeswoman of the event is Catherine Pogonat, host of the show Ste-Catherine on Musique Plus, also known to the public for the conception and animation of the late show Mange ta ville on ARTV, a multiple Gémeaux award-winner. 

The contemporary art fair hosted last year over 9000 visitors, and intends to maintain this record crowd. Artists and representatives of 38 galleries from Montreal, Quebec and Canada, will be highlighted during the weekend. PAPIER12 will once again exclusively showcase its educational program made freely available to all visitors of the fair. Through the form a catalog, it will also be presented through dailyguided tours. A public roundtable hosted by collectors will also present reflections on contemporary art collections and paper as a medium all while punctuating the three days devoted to art and contemporary creativity.

Only contemporary art fair in Montreal with national visibility, PAPIER12 is proud to promote the richness, diversity and cultural force in Montreal across Canada.

For more information, visit: http://www.papiermontreal.com/

Free admission to the public starting April 13th, 2012 

The Grand Burlesque Show

Any of my friends will tell you that, after seeing Midnight in Paris and The Artist last year, I developed what some could call a boundless enthusiasm for all things roaring 20's. Ostrich feathers and drop waist skirts stood for Gatsby glamour (a new obsession), while bourbon and pearls and costume jewelry reigned supreme. I guess its not surprising then that with my new jazz era love, I developed a deep and unfulfilled desire to go see Burlesque. Such is the reason I have been readily anticipating the Grand Burlesque Show, a fun and exciting diversion from the usual Friday night amusements in this city.

Burlesque, a musical theatre performance with roots in the Victorian era, underwent an exotic transformation towards "cooch" dance in late 19th century America, reportedly secondary to Syrian influence. Extravagance and elaborate stage costumes as well as female nudity took over in the early 20th century, with famed strippers like Sally Rand and Lili St. Cyr burgeoning onto the scene. Until now, one could hardly find a trace of these performances without flying to Crazyhorse in Paris, or googling Dita Von Teese and watching from home. It never made sense to me how Montreal, with its endless array of strip clubs, never capitalized on some much-wanted classy, gender-neutral cabaret. Thankfully, tickets to the Grand Burlesque show, a revue which starts this Thursday the 29th, have satisfied my craving for the short term!

From their website:

"Sit comfortably while our charming hostesses bring you the best Champagne. You will rediscover the world through Scarlett's eyes and live an evening of charm and wit! A thoughtful melange of artists will grace the stage and spice up the evening with surprising acts. Candy for the eyes and for the soul, Champagne as a main course, sparkly deserts with a feather on top! It is the time to wear your best hats, we want to see diamonds, pearls, lace, bow ties, glitz and glam!"

I'll be in the crowd Friday the 30th, and I hope all of you will too! Tickets start from $58 and come in a hand written envelopes. We're dressing to kill - Josephine Baker style, with hair pieces, feathers and vintage dresses, before we hit Dominion Square Tavern for dinner. Seats are first come, first serve, so come early!

The Grand Burlesque Show   |   Thursday, March 29th - Saturday, March 31st, 2012   |   8 pm, Club Soda, St. Laurent   |   www.grandburlesqueshow.com   |   Tickets available online or in select stores   | 

photo credits: www.grandeburlesqueshow.com 

Valerie Blass

February 2nd - April 22nd, 2012

Employing virtually every sculptural technique—from moulding, casting, carving and modelling to assemblage and bricolage— Valérie Blass explores the territories between animal, human and inanimate forms, creating strange, hybrid objects.

The impact of Valérie Blass’s work resides in the anachronistic way she navigates between two sculptural traditions. She makes free-standing, vertical, handmade, humanscale, autonomous pieces that locate her squarely within the classical tradition of figurative sculpture. But the diversity of her materials and the plethora of mass-produced, bought and found objects she uses, stemming from an enthusiastic engagement with the material culture of the twenty-first century, anchor her art in assemblage and bricolage.

The exhibition, which contains approximately thirty new works, is accompanied by a major publication that includes essays by the curator, Lesley Johnstone, and by feminist art historian Amelia Jones, as well as an interview with the artist by Wayne Baerwaldt. It is Blass’s largest exhibition to date, following her participation in the inaugural Québec Triennial at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal in 2008 and numerous group and solo exhibitions in Montréal and across Canada.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born in Montréal in 1967, Valérie Blass holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in visual and media arts from the Université du Québec à Montréal. In addition to participating in the first Triennial mounted by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, she has had solo exhibitions at Parisian Laundry, in 2008 and 2011, and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto, in 2009. In 2010, she took part in group exhibitions organized by the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. Her works were also previously seen at the Power Plant and the Blackwood Gallery in Toronto, and at Galerie Clark in Montréal.

From Curator Lesley Johnstone, all details and press release above from MACM website

Musee d'art Contemporain   |   185 Sainte-Catherine Ouest   |   Montreal, QC   |   (514) 847-6226   |   www.macm.org   |   $12 admission ($8 students)  

Jean Paul Riopelle - Over twenty unseen works

October 13th - December 24th, 2011

The Galerie Lounge TD is honoured to present this extraordinary exhibition assembling more than fifty works by Jean-Paul Riopelle: 27 prints, 3 sculptures in bronze, photos of the artist, a number of articles and objects from his daily painting routine and, above all, more than twenty previously unseen works on paper which Huguette Vachon, his companion, has painstakingly selected in order to share their beauty with all of us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jean-Paul Riopelle is one of the few Canadian painters, sculptors and engravers to have carved out an enviable place on the international scene. A passionate man, intensely in love with freedom, he scoffed at conventions and taboos throughout his career. Fiercely independent, he preceded currents and trends, ceaselessly exploring new techniques and new materials, constantly seeking to renew his creative approach, allowing his pictorial language to evolve towards an utterly original aesthetic. Riopelle found his principal source of inspiration in nature, and it would remain his preferred subject throughout his career. For Riopelle, the important thing was never the subject itself, but the mystery it revealed, through which the artist could express himself. He had an inimitable vision of things, and his representation of the real remains remarkable and novel.

“There is no such thing as abstraction, nor representation. There is only expression, and self-expression means placing yourself in front of things.”

Galerie Lounge TD   |   Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan   |   305 Ste. Catherine Street West, 2nd Floor   |   Free Admission

Closed Monday

Tuesday: 11:30 am to 6 pm

Wednesday to Saturday: 11:30 am to 9 pm

Sunday: 11:30 am - 5 pm