Metamorphosis

Andrew Pawlowski, The Rider of the Apocalypse 2 (Pest), 2012. Mixed media, 22 x 40 x 2 inches

Group show by Andrew Pawlowski, David Cumming and Peter Alexander Por

Upon walking in, the atmosphere of whimsy, lightheartedness, and a community of open dialogue, rich with fresh ideas, was undeniable.  All three artists have mastered the challenge of transforming the mundane into the magnificent and the banal into the beautiful.

Peter Alexander Por, Doubleextra Virgin, 2007. Mixed media, 10 x 10 x 6 inches

By breathing new life into these found objects, the ready-mades make for what, initially, appears as a simple object, but then draws the viewer into the process and creation of the piece; however, the artists do not offer their audience with clear answers to their methods or intentions. As a result, they leave it to their audience to interpret meaning for themselves through the title, and the work itself.

David Cumming, 3-D- Magritte, 2010. Wood (walnut), Mixed media 9 ½ x 6 ½ x 9 inches

Peter Alexander Por and David Cumming, having been inspired by literary and art historical references (such as: Duchamp, J.M. Whistler’s Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1, (1871), Rene Magritte’s L’Anniversaire, 1959, Dickens’ Miss Havisham from Great Expectations, etc.), the viewer is left to digest a personal, and sculptural, interpretation that is imbued with playfulness.

David Cumming, Miss Haversham, 2010. Plywood, Mixed media, 15 x 12 x 8 inches

The spirit of these artists, like former Dadaists, resides in their intuitive experimentation with everyday objects. By prizing intuitive practice, without fear of judgement (ex: to put Snoopy inside a marble pyramid, or to use and play with Barbie to produce a fresh view of a literary character), they produce new narratives by combining two (or more) unlikely/improbable objects.

Andrew Pawlowski, The Trompeter, 2012. Bronze, 25 x 7 x 6 inches

Peter Alexander Por, Garden of Earthly Delights, 2013.  Steel, brass, and aluminum, 8.5x4x9.5 inches

Though we are left to contemplate and engage in intellectual dialogue in regards to the metamorphosis of the resurrected found objects, what they imply about their historical references, or the everyday, these works also inspire cheer by making their viewer smile.

Text and photo: Leanne Simaan

*Exhibition dates: February 8 – March 8, 2014 ,  Articsók Gallery, 1697 St Clair Avenue West. Gallery hours: Wed – Sat 12 – 6 p.m.
*Featured image: David Cumming’s Evolution , 2013. Purple Wonderstone, Mixed media, 45 x 16 x 10 inches

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