Adrians and their Blemish(es)

by kit on March 28th, 2010

Saturday was a day spent bumping and bumbling around a few galleries, just taking in funny circumstances and enjoying the outdoors. I got a chance to see Adrian Norvid’s show at the Joyce Yahouda with what seemed like a bunch of CEGEP students yelping in the background - fortunately this did nothing to detract from the ambiance.

A further enhancement of my experience taking in Norvid’s intoxicating, uproariously hilarious work came in the form of another Adrian who had come to the gallery by chance. It’s already slightly weird when your name matches the name of the artists’ show that you find yourself in. Kind of an odd coincidence. However, this Adrian happened to have a red blemish on his nose. Sort of exactly in the spot where Adrian Norvid had drawn a blemish on his own nose in one of his works.

You can see here in this photo the intrepid Adrian-audience-member standing next to the ridiculous Blemish-drawing Adrian and how closely related their blemishes in fact are. I have circled the real life Adrian’s mark in Perez Hilton style red.

This would not happen at any other artists’ show. Guaranteed.

Secret Agent Norvid At it Again…

by kit on March 1st, 2010

I swear that my love of Adrian Norvid’s work is not only based in an appreciation for humour that resides in the ridiculous (e.g. the “spit it out” & “suck it up” milk container duo as seen above, Art Pop 2009). Although, to be honest, this element of his practice definitely endears me to it eternally, being a resident of Ridiculous myself.

Yet Norvid manages to always go beyond the instant pun or play-on-words with an almost mystical ability to imbue his drawings, sculptures and objects with a deeper sense of loss, of lamentation and of joy. And I am not being trite here, I truly mean that. Picture your uncle, the one you only ever saw during family vacations. The fellow whose face only comes to mind with the help of old photographs. Who always made you feel at home, smuggling warm candies from his pockets into greedy, grubby hands. With that way of shouting ironic phrases at adults that seemed like hilarious jokes for the kids.

At the time, he was just Crazy (re: amazing, awe-inspiring) Uncle Charley. Now, looking back on those moments, you see that he carried with him an incredible sadness and joy for life that likely few felt as deeply.

Adrian Norvid’s work is Crazy Uncle Charley, as art. For me, anyway.

I strongly recommend you go and find out if you feel similar.  Norvid’s got a new exhibition up (the opening was early on the night of Nuit Blanche) at the Joyce Yahouda gallery. I always find her programming interesting, and it’s high time you went back to the Belgo sans enough-people-to-create-a-giant-finnish-sauna-in-the-hallway, n’est pas?

His latest show, Wrongo, is a:

burgeoning collection of epic, large format drawings, massed hangings of smaller, poster-like works, rangy paper constructions and laconic found objects…

It runs until the 27th of March. It is ripe with themes of inappropriate behaviour. Take a date and do something nasty in the gallery while it’s up already. You have a month to find someone suitable.

Art Pop Poppin’ up.

by Julien on September 27th, 2009

So Art POP is happening soon soon soon, with the first vernissage on the 30th of September at 5pm at 6600 Hutchison….

There’s a ton of stuff going on, so make sure to check out all that’s going down here.

One of the coolest parts about this year is that there are 2 central locations so it’s easy to go see a whole whackload of stuff without feeling overwhelmed. Also, as everything is going on all week, you get aladda chances to swing by and check stuff out, so no pressure. Of the peer kind or otherwise.

The artists that are showcasing this year include Bridget Moser & Jessica Campbell, Adrian Norvid, Lalie Douglas, Dominique Sirois, Kim Kielhofner, Michelle Lacombe & Sheena Hosko, Daniel Iglesia, Brendan Reed, Paul Warne, Christian Pelletier & David Beaulieu, Jean-Philippe Harvey & Adam Bergeron, Richmond Lam & Mathieu Blanchette.

It’s going to be a pretty amazing week. I am going to attempt to interview as many of these fine folks as possible to get a sense of what they’re working on, etc. so stay tuned!!


Paper and Pine




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