Down the Rabbit Hole: The Whimsical World of Pop Surrealism

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WINTER 2012


Cover Image Eric Louie, Reintegration II, 2011 Landon-Jon Ference, Man and the Pigs, 2011 Pilar Mehlis, Ya Vienela Primavera (Spring Chicken), 2011 Heather Watts, Tree of Life, 2012

Down the Rabbit Hole Organized by Interim Senior Art Curator, Anne Ewen and Associate Curator, Julianne Larson Exhibition Venue: The Art Gallery of Calgary February 10, 2012 to April 7, 2012 The Art Gallery of Calgary 117 – 8 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 1B4 403.770.1350 www.artgallerycalgary.org No part of this publication may be reproduced in any matter whatsoever without permission from The Art Gallery of Calgary.


CON T E N T S

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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INTRODUCTION

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THE ARTISTS - HEATHER WATTS - ERIC LOUIE - PILAR MEHLIS - LANDON-JON FERENCE

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LIST OF WORKS IN EXHIBITION

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1


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PR ESI D E N T ’S ME S S AG E The Art Gallery of Calgary (The AGC) continues to push boundaries and explore new fields of expression with our Winter Exhibition, Down the Rabbit Hole:The Whimsical World of Pop Surrealism. The concept of a Lowbrow art exhibition was the brain child of Curator Kayleigh Hall, further explored and realized by Interim Senior Art Curator Anne Ewen. This contemporary art exhibition explores a broad range of themes within the genre including fantasy, fairytales and urban mythology. At one end of the spectrum, Eric Louie’s large, powerful and luminous canvases emphasize the surreal. Heather Watts captivates us with her adroitly detailed and inventively rendered fairytale characters. In the work of Pilar Mehlis, whimsy and metaphor are captured with flare and imagination. At the other end are the spiritually inspired, grunge influenced cartoon style works of Landon-Jon Ference. We are most grateful to Direct Ca$h, the presenting sponsor for this exhibition. I would also like to thank all of The AGC staff and the generous support of our corporate sponsors. They understand and champion the role of art in fostering strong communities thus enabling The AGC to continue to serve as Calgary’s leading-edge space for contemporary art. With this exhibition we continue to engage the local community in an exceptional display of new and innovative contemporary art. Valerie Cooper, President & CEO The Art Gallery of Calgary

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DOW N T H E R ABB I T H O L E By Anne Ewen, Interim Senior Art Curator

INTRODUCTION: Cloaked in emotion and ripe with fanciful and bizarre images, Down the Rabbit Hole is an exhibition brimming with convoluted dreamlike qualities. Enmeshed somewhere between sleep and awake, the vague and indescribable scenes depicted in these artworks involuntarily blend to stimulate sensations of joy, amusement, fear, bewilderment, enchantment, sadness and excitement. Featuring artists Eric Louie, Pilar Mehlis, Heather Watts and Landon-Jon Ference, this contemporary group exhibition showcases the broad range of Pop Surrealism from its lowbrow influences and magical qualities to the darkly surprising and traditionally surreal. Pop Surrealism originated in hot-rod culture, graffiti, sci-fi, punk music and the underground comic scene and has evolved into a vital art movement. Derogatorily described as “Lowbrow Art”, it addresses the underground movement that first appeared in the 1960s but was popularized in Los Angeles in the late 1970s. A central figure in the southern California Kustom Kulture and hot-rod movement was “Big Daddy” Ed Roth; an artist, cartoonist, custom car painter and pinstriper. Differentiated by the custom work of others were the Rat Fink caricatures on his custom hot rods. Among his many accomplishments, were the first VW powered trike, plus one of the first 16 die-cast toy cars produced by Mattel. Ed Roth’s shop was the epicenter of the movement, providing employment for fellow artists and a drop-in point for other anti-establishment non-conformists. Regulars included Roth’s mentor, legendary pinstriper Kenneth Robert Howard (aka Von Dutch) and American artists and cartoonist Robert Williams1. Others were R. Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Spain Rodriguez, Gilbert Shelton,Victor Moscoso and celebrated album cover designer Rick Griffin2. Together, Williams and Griffin helped define the imagery of the Hippie era. Additional mavericks and malcontents included Erich Maria Robert Williams was also founder of Juxtapoz Art & culture magazine and the founding contributor to the commix collective anthology Zap. 2 Rick Griffin designed some of the best known posters and record covers for the Grateful Dead and participated in the Ken Kesey Acid Tests, the subject of the book One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, among other claims to fame. 1

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Remarque, author of All Quiet on the Western Front; off road American racing legend and land speed record holder Mickey Thompson; Ralph Hubert “Sonny” Barger, founding member of the Oakland chapter of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club and best-selling author and journalist, Thomas Kennerly “Tom” Wolfe, Jr. 3 Aside from its tempermental, rebellious and unconventional appeal, Pop Surrealism also provides a means of narration through fantasy, mythology, celestial imagery and imagination. Anthropomorphic figures, trees and animals, cartoon and celestial beings all exist within their own world and deliberately play on the sincerity of our own. On another level many of the works point towards human growth, relationships, obligations and constraints. At other times mortality, fragility and spirituality infuse the narrative. Each work is meticulous, elaborate and ripe with symbols and allegories. By also referencing new technologies and scientific discoveries, the genre provides infinite possibilities of exploration and discussion full of metaphor and wonder. At the core of Louie’s work is a relationship to Pop Surrealism but in the past 2 years his canvases have morphed into a dissimilar context, emphasizing purely surrealist qualities. Ference explores the figure in skeletal, cartoon and imaginary ways with emphasis on the dark and sinister. Reoccurring religious references are often juxtaposed metaphorically with his youth. Evident in the work of Mehlis and Watts are images of mythological characters and the rose; both reoccurring images throughout the genre. Mythological creatures range from hybrids with human and animal attributes to divine or semi-divine mortal and immortal beings. Some are representative of specific deities such as the sky, the sea, health, or agriculture concerns. Others are remarkable for their sheer size (Giants and Amazons) or for their dominant presence (Titans and Kings). All stimulate our fascination and curiousity about the anomalies within our natural order. Used metaphorically and symbolically or simply for its inherent beauty, the appearance of the rose throughout history is commonplace. The flower of choice on emblems and birthday cakes, in art and architecture, for Valentine’s Day, proms, graduations and expressions of love, the blossom’s natural beauty, secure a top a thorny, spiky piercing stem, alludes to the joys and perils of seduction, maturity, courtship, chivalry and relationships. Myths and legends abound and surround the rose, connecting us to lost and past civilizations, beliefs and cultures.

In 1965 and 1968 Wolfe wrote The Kandy-Koloured Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, non-fiction accounts centering on Ed Roth’s Kustom Kulture and Ken Kesey’s band of “Merry Pranksters”.

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T HE ART I S T S HEATHER WATTS Vancouver based artist Heather Watts taunts our moral fiber with heroes and martyred anthropomorphic figures. Detailed in acrylic, her images blur the division between reality and imagination. Watts’ characters are vigorous and alive, heroic or ferocious and cruel. Glimmers of hope are juxtaposed against tragic loss, sinister threats are countered by the victorious underdog; yet, amid the turmoil and darkness emanates a sense that good will triumph over evil. Her work questions the validity of conforming to arbitrary societal rules and the robotic stance we automate in adhering to them. Her small, intricately detailed works consume hundreds of painterly hours. In her work The Rat King, Watts explores the courage and determination to escape from the constraints and restrictions placed by greater forces. The artist asks, “At what point do we succumb to the failures of the systems and institutions that govern our lives? When we feel overcome by powerlessness or indifference how do we find a willingness to influence change and untangle ourselves from the malignant whole?”

Heather Watts The Rat King 2011 Acrylic on board 12” X 16” Collection of the artist

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Set against the back-drop of WWI, rats are the central characters providing a disturbingly iconic reference to trench warfare. Formidable and commonplace among the mud, stench, rot, disease and lice ridden trenches; their nonchalant presence intensified the horror stricken youthful recruits. With unrequited allegiance to King and country, soldiers were reduced to rodent like vestiges of mankind, burrowing for safety, swarming for warmth. The trauma of No Man’s Land or more specifically Flanders Field is further illustrated by the presences of the Red Cross insignia stenciled on a medic’s helmet and a poppy worn by the rat king himself. In The Rat King, the ruler sits on a throne of tails, tall and powerful, exuding imperialist distain. His blank eye emits zero empathy. The hero is small but with strength of ideals and resolve, wielding a sword to extricate himself from external entangled influences. The title alone provides a clue to the imagery; “The Rat King” occurs when numerous rats become entangled by their tails4 and is used metaphorically in novels, comic books and folklore.

Heather Watts She Sees Things Differently 2008 Acrylic on canvas 11” X 14” Collection of the artist

In her newest work, Tree of Life, Watts explores the distinction between reality and pretending or imaging when children are immersed in play. To them, dress up mode or intense play is real and exists in the norm. In the painting we observe a tree surrounded by a ring of frolicking characters; children dressed as animals and one clothed adult. There is also a fox, is it a cunning real fox, a child dressed as one, or are the imaginations of the children fully engaged? The artist interprets the tree as a mirage imagined by the children for us to observe, but one may also assume they discovered 4

The largest known mummification is housed at the Nature History Mauritianum Museum, Germany.

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it and now celebrate, protect and worship it. Within the branches flowers, cherubs, birds, and a Griffin5 suggest growth, strength and truth. A single lamb and a snake summon Christian symbolism. Within the surrounding forest with its brown, decaying autumn foliage, a bear approaches. An ominous mood signals a shift in perspective.

Heather Watts New Gods 2011 Acrylic on roofing tile slate 8” X 16” Collection of the artist

In New Gods, collection of the artist, a Jackalope6 cradles an infant feeding and fawning love and adoration amid the deformation and destruction of their catastrophic surroundings. Warm light radiates from the baby suggesting hope and survival in the face of darkness and uncertainty. At its feet, the Jackalope is entwined by a snake, a traditional symbol of knowledge sporting two heads to affirm technology as both helpful and harmful. The death in the desert after a nuclear blast is represented in the anonyminity of the skull. The old god is replaced by a new ruler; a bulbous fall out cloud, resplendent with the atomic symbol as a third eye and crowned by gas masked cherubs. Watts studied history and politics and then streamed into Asian culture. Her fascination with art was inspired at a young age by illustrated children’s books, trips to the Museum of Anthropology From Greek mythology, the Griffin is a powerful majestic creature of part lion and part eagle. A mythology animal and a portmanteau of jackrabbit and the archaic word for antelope

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and later, travels with her family through Northern British Columbia including Haida Gwaii where the symbolism and representational quality found in indigenous works particularly intrigued her. Her greatest inspiration was derived from the animated characters produced by the Walt Disney Studios whom she copied, read about and watched in each and every movie. Since University she has spent the past 8 years focused on painting. Pop culture has been the major influence of her artistic voice and it is in the Pop Surrealism genre where she feels whole.

ERIC LOUIE Eric Louie’s work is built on fictitious scenes and biomorphic shapes floating in an illusionary environment that merge with identifiable earthly objects and creatures. Scenes of a fictitious and celestial nature are painted with a primary palette tonally manipulated to define form and emphasize ethereal beauty. Defying gravity, their transcendent qualities flourish in multiple layers. Like awakening in a dream or virtual environment or when the conscious mind collides with the subconscious. In his recent work, his approach is to simplify the shapes thus providing a natural ambiguity and extension to their intrinsic movement. By adding or subtracting colour the work gains depth with each stroke or application morphing, growing and evolving in context. Eric Louie’s current series is a culmination of two years of painting. The departure from real to surreal, from worldly to imaginary are blurred in transition and spun at different velocities. In

Eric Louie Periphery 2011 Oil on canvas 72” X 144” (diptych-close-up of one panel) Collection of the artist

Periphery, Louie builds the colour from white and grey through to yellow and gold, dragging and

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pulling, wet on wet with controlled looseness. Resembling a vortex within the cosmos, ripples within an organism or energy inside a hurricane, the paintings address other realms of existence and the life forms that might inhabit them. Our sense of reality is profoundly challenged by these virtual

Eric Louie Pinnacle 2011 Oil on canvas 60” X 96” (diptych) Collection of the artist

and simulated worlds. Both Initiation and Pinnacle, exude monochromatic brilliance playing against localized complementary colours. Stunningly intricate details are finessed creating imagery tailored to his perceptions. Spatial relationships are manipulated by the placement of hot colours against cool ones and blasts of light over rich dark grounds. Vibrant and alive, the artist’s knowledge of materials is deftly demonstrated. In Reintegration and Reintegration II, respectively, these sepia veneered works are infused with botanical imagery, scientific manifestations and involuntary sensations. Spherical luminousity, weightless aeronautics and lunar gravitational forces combine in a celestial scene. Of his art the artist explains, “My work examines and employs modes of surrealism and abstraction to discuss states of our existence. On many levels, experiences, relationships and identity within society are explored through paintings of a celestial nature. The complexity of each painting reflects the currents and diversity found in our lives. Every situation portrayed attempts to put in perspective our rites of passage and development as individuals. This sociological and psycho-analytical angle is crucial to the paintings’

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meaning and intent. The work is charged with an energy and vitality of another life or outer-worldly sensation. I feel this empowers myself as an artist, and for my viewers, a sense of forward momentum to that point beyond the line of sight; where the allegorical nature of the work stimulates a multitude of connections and bridges to our own lives. What happens is an emotional response to a complex situation and finding that zone between what’s happening around us and where we are spiritually and mentally in that particular moment.” Born in Boston, Massachusetts, painting has been a constant obsession for Louie. Awakened by art lessons at the Winnipeg Art Gallery at age nine, he continued to explore painting, drawing and sculpture after moving to Calgary, Alberta in 1988. After attending the University of Calgary Business/Management program for several years he made the decision to return to art and enroll at the Alberta College of Art and Design where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting in 2002. Since then he has continued a full time, hard working practice. His first solo exhibition, “Hidden Spaces” March 2003, was the onset of his interest in Biomorphism. Later that year he began exhibiting at Dalgliesh Gallery in the Mission area of Calgary, participating in several group shows. In early 2006 Louie opened his studio to the public at Art Central in downtown Calgary, Alberta. This was a pivotal career move in creating an independent presence as both an abstract artist and commissioned portrait painter. Throughout his three years at Art Central he developed several diverse bodies of work, many with a socially conscious edge. He now works from his Vancouver studio but continues to exhibit at Axis Contemporary Art Gallery in Calgary.

Eric Louie Interposition 2012 Oil on canvas 72” X 144” (diptych-close-up of one panel) Collection of the artist

Louie’s work is collected by many private and corporate clients in North America and Europe

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PILAR MEHLIS Pilar Mehlis uses visual metaphor, allegory and magical realism to explore psychological truths and complexities about the human condition; distinguishing as well between the serious, the trivial, the tragic and the comic. Influenced in part by Magic Realism, her work is not bound by conventions of time, space or form but enhanced by classical compositions and colour palettes. Her painting influences include artists ranging from Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) and Sandro Botticelli7 (c. 1445 – 1510) to Odd Nerdrum (1944 -) and Lucian Freud (1922 - 2011). Flemish renaissance painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder (c.1525–1569) and Spanish romantic painter and printmaker Francisco Goya (1746 – 1828) have also been studied. Painted in multiple layers of oil, intense luminosity, opacity and depth accentuate every element of each canvas resulting in an orchestrated medley of fantasy. The deliberate indeterminacy is meant to draw the viewer into a dialogue with the work, deepening the experience and enjoyment. When asked about the process Mehlis revealed: “I paint from models and my imagination. Sometimes the characters in my work go through a few transformations before their final form emerge. I like to think this process is not unlike the building of my characters psychological dimensions. Aided by classical compositions and colour palettes, I “collage” different scene that come to mind in a constant process of addition and elimination as I build composition of each work.”

Pilar Mehlis Rubato (leitmotif) 2012 Oil on canvas 40” X 53 1/2” Collection of the artist

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His birth name was Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi


For Rubato (leitmotif), Mehlis used the small space of her dining room as the backdrop. Thirteen healthy, docile sheep descend amid the playfulness of floating bubbles; each to the rhythmic freedom and steady accompaniment of the conductor’s Rubato. In the chandelier we observe the artist as conductor. A practicing mezzo-soprano, one imagines the artist’s operatic voice accompanying, Bach’s Gloria: qui sedes Ad Dextram Patris, Handel’s Ombra mai Fu and Lascia la spina cogli la Rosa or Mozart’s K339: Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes. “I was also thinking that in singing one always tries to, in a way, “float” the voice above the throat; the voice then is visually directed to different places in the head. This is known in Bel Canto technique as Resonance Imagery. One visually directs and places the voice in different areas of the head such as the mask of the face, the nasal pharynx, sinuses or cheekbones, the back of the teeth, against the palate, etc. and localizes the voice’s vibrations to achieve good vocal function. I think Rubato is an interesting visual metaphor for this: there is one sheep firmly on the ground and the rest are easily floating in a chamber occupying different places just like the voice traveling from the throat to the different areas in the head.” Rubato (leitmotif) is a reiteration of her similarly titled 2010 painting currently held in a private collection. The appearance of the rose in Mehlis’ work stems from her Catholic heritage and references to the flower of the Virgin Mary. On a mundane note, the overgrowth of roses surrounding her Kelowna home were a constant nemesis. In Ya Vienela Primavera (Spring Chicken, 2011, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 36” x 46 3/4”, the rose adorns the maiden’s head and are tossed like chicken feed at her feet. Her crown, a full manicured plumage and prototypical empire style garment imply wealth and stature. The texture and opacity of the gown was achieved by experimenting with oil over gold leaf thus it shimmers, reflects and changes tone depending on the movement of light. Inspired by New York artists Julie Heffernan and influenced by the Spanish painter Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), the theatrically staged elements exude symbolism and irony. The Ties that Bind, is a playful contradiction in reality and an exploration of the philosophical concepts of yin and yang. Here the wolf is bound to the back of a docile lamb, blissfully distracted by floating bubbles in a non-threatening and amusing position. The use of a chandelier, bubbles and sheep re-occur throughout her paintings and her Spanish heritage is evident in her reverence for its landscapes and pageantry. In her painting, Horn of Plenty, roses are successfully employed

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with the South American landscape rendered true to its roots. By positioning the ram on a plateau overlooking the barren village, its vantage point is reminiscent of the famous El Greco (1541-1614) oil painting View of Toledo.

Pilar Mehlis Horn of Plenty 2011 Oil on canvas 30” X 40” Collection of the artist

Mehlis was born in Manhattan, NYC and immigrated with her family to La Paz, Bolivia when she was just a few months old. She grew up in La Paz until, at the age of twelve, her family moved to Whitehorse,Yukon in Canada. There she lived and attended Junior High School. She had her first painting lessons in Haines, Alaska where she lived and painted with artist Sherry Takala at Noah’s Art during the summer of 1985. At the age of 17 she moved back to La Paz where she attended

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Pilar Mehlis Ties That Bind 2011 Oil on canvas 36� X 46 3/4� Collection of the artist

the Academy of Art Hernando Siles and later enrolled in the Fine Arts program at Universidad Mayor de San Andres. Mehlis obtained her BFA from the University of Victoria with a double major in Art History and Visual Arts. After much traveling, Mehlis has settled in Vancouver where she paints full time.

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LANDON-JON FERENCE Alberta born and raised visual artist Landon-Jon Ference fuses comic book design with fine art pop culture and surrealism to create images associated with the spiritual and psychological realms. Dark and sinister with a salute to grunge, his anatomically detailed characters exude despair, angst and remorse. Like the transformation of a pupa to a butterfly, grotesque demonic creatures melt and morph into a new beginning. Behind the evil, beacons of salvation illuminate prospects for sanguinity, serenity and emancipation; with each new work nourishing the artist’s faith and restoring his inner core. Biblical references and parables are common threads cohesively stitched throughout in acknowledgment of God’s inspiration and role in his daily life. Ference’s childhood spent with an abusive alcoholic father repelled him from home and to escape he delved into the world of make believe, cartoons and drawing. A confessed comic book junkie, he was especially attracted to Calvin and Hobbs, super heroes and macabre creatures. Repeatedly beaten and mentally tortured, his very survival was dependent on art. At age twelve Landon attended art classes at the Edmonton Art Gallery (now Art Gallery of Alberta) cartooning and

Landon-Jon Ference Demonic Caterpillar 2011 Acryllic on Canvas 24” X 36” Collection of the artist

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illustrating with Spider Yardley Jones8 who inspired and motivated him to continue applying his talent. Moving to Calgary with his mother and step father, the change in geography did little to improve his demeanour. It is not surprising his early teenage years were fraught with anxiety and to compensate were drowned by a year of couch surfing, parties, drugs and alcohol. But a timely epiphany and attendance at the Alberta High School of Fine Arts in Okotoks impelled his quest to excel and, inspired by his art teacher Janie Zwack he graduated top artist of the year. Ference then enrolled at the Alberta College of Art + Design studying with Richard Brown, Dave Casey and Shelly Millar among others. Since then he has been painting full time and daily for a year. In addition, he is producing 20 illustrations for a child’s book of poetry by Joy-lynn Stickle of Lethbridge, Alberta. An autumn 2010 art exhibition at Concept Gallery, Calgary marked the beginning of his public exhibitions. Ference’s work is inspired by God and motivated by self reflection, prayer and meditation. When clarifying his artistic approach Ference remarked, “As a contemporary artist I feel it is my avant-garde calling to express a human condition of concepts surrounding spiritual, psychological and social attitudes. Some of my art aims to show a change from dark to light through metaphor and I use pop surrealism as a porthole into a fantasy experience. The paintings have representational symbolic subject matter supported by abstract backgrounds. Mixed media and elements used with vibrant colors discord traditional painting methods. Splashing and layering paint gives a grunge rock feel. The aestheticism of the paint reveals the complexity and feelings of an anxious mind. Surrealism is one way to express a supernatural view of the human condition. My paintings are windows for the viewer to look into the imagination of such narratives. Unlike the greats from the renaissance who painted spiritual narratives, my work is derived from modern pop culture.” Applied with broad and varying brush strokes, Man and the Pigs, is a manifestation of the artist’s youthful inner turmoil but also references a biblical story beginning at Mark 5,Verse 1 where to save one individual Jesus transfers the demons to a herd of pigs that run mad and drown in the From his web site we learn that Spyder Yardley Jones has been teaching cartooning and illustration in the Edmonton school system for the past 20 years, including as an artist in residence in elementary, junior and high schools. Spyder is also a long-time instructor at the Art Gallery of Alberta. When this well-known tattooed artist is not teaching he’s having art shows in Canada and the USA, and finds time for book illustrations, the odd mural and many private art commissions.

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sea. In this painting Ference depicts a depressed individual, fanatically ripping off flesh to uncover a battle ravaged soul; a chilling metaphor exposing today’s societal anxiety. Symbolic of anxiety and depression, it similarly evokes the angst and terror found in Scream by Norwegian symbolist painter Edvard Munch’s (1863-1944). Fallen Angel, represents the banishment from heaven of Lucifer and his followers. Rendered with a “smart ass” swagger and pompous glare, the figure displays the characteristics of a foolish, neurotic, spoiled, modern day pirate insensibly indulging in an insincere and sinful life style. The gold leaf sky

Landon-Jon Ference Fallen Angel 2010 Graphite and gold leaf on paper 18” X 24” Collection of the artist

represents eternity and is influenced by the work of Byzantine era artist Cimabue, formally known as Bencivieni di Pepo (c.1240 – 1302).

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Self Portrait, is allegorically calculated, precisely rendered and uniquely presented revealing the muscular and skeletal elements of the cranium. Open and exposed it beckons for closer scrutiny and hints for further empathy. Disquietly disfigured by a pencil thrust through the face and embedded into the skull, the artist’s overwhelmingly obsessive need and desire to draw and paint is expressively articulated.

Landon-Jon Ference Self Portrait 2010 Graphite on paper 24� X 30� Collection of the artist

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LIST OF WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION Heather Watts Tree of Life 2012 Acrylic on board 18” x 24” Collection of the artist The Rat King 2011 Acrylic on board 12” x 16” Collection of the artist New Gods 2011 Acrylic on roofing tile slate 8” x 16” Collection of the artist She Sees Things Differently Acrylic on board 11” x 14” Collection of the artist

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2008


Eric Louie Interposition – 2012 Oil on canvas 72” x 144” Collection of the artist Periphery 2011 Oil on canvas 72” x 144” (diptych) Collection of the artist Initiation 2011 Oil on canvas 72” x 144” (triptych) Collection of the artist Pinnacle 2011 Oil on canvas 60” x 96” (diptych) Collection of the artist Reintegration 1 2011 Oil on canvas 30” x 60” Collection of the artist Reintegration II 2011 Oil on canvas 30” x 60” Collection of the artist

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Pilar Mehlis Comparison is the Death of Joy 2011 Oil on Canvas 36” x 46 ¾” Collection of the artist Horn of Plenty 2011 Oil on canvas 30” x 40” Private collection Rubato (leitmotif) 2012 Oil on canvas 40” x 53½” Collection of the artist Shepherd 2010 Oil on canvas 36” x 48” Collection of the artist Ya Vienela Primavera (Spring Chicken) 2011 Oil and gold leaf on canvas 36” x 46 ¾” Collection of the artist The Ties that Bind 2011 Oil on canvas 36” x 46 ¾” Private collection

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Sea Horse 2012 Oil on canvas 48” x 48” Collection of the artist


Landon-Jon Ference Fallen Angel 2010 Graphite and gold leaf on paper 18” x 24” Collection of the artists Man and the Pigs 2011 Acrylic on Canvas 36” x 48” Collection of the artist Self Portrait 2010 Graphite on paper 24” x 30” Collection of the artist Demonic Caterpillar 2011 Acrylic on canvas 24” x 36” Collection of the artist Venus of Willendorg 2011 Acrylic on canvas 16” x 20” Collection of the artist Smokin’ Hot 2011 Acrylic on canvas 16” x 20” Collection of the artist

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AC K N OWLE D GE ME NT S AXIS Contemporary Art Gallery and Rob Mabee At The Art Gallery of Calgary Anne Ewen, Interim Senior Art Curator Deidre Martin, Manager, Public & Education Programs Nisha Sridhar, Manager, Communications and Marketing, Graphic Designer Julianne Larson, Associate Curator

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