Ideas & Art from Rob Elliott and Christine Cosby
I painted this handsome Chewbacca portrait for the Official Unofficial Show, a Star Wars themed fundraising exhibition for the MS Society. Chewie is available for $750, with 35% of proceeds going to charity.
Contact me swizzle [at] studio.ca for details.
When Super Wonder Gallery‘s Christian Aldo invited me to put work into his mammoth group show, The Amazing Candyland Show, I got a sugar rush. We didn’t eat a lot of sugar in my household growing up, so candy is still kind of a forbidden fruit for me. I also associate candy with post-psychedelic 1970s packaging, sketchy corner stores, and bursting Hallowe’en pillowcases.
I sketched a lot of berzerk stuff over the next week, more good ideas than I can possibly paint. After a 50 hour week in the studio, here are the eight small paintings I’ve completed.
The Amazing Candyland Show opening party is next Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., at Super Wonder Gallery (99 Sudbury Street, Toronto). $6 cover. For show updates, go to the Facebook page.
Tootsie Pop, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Gummy Goodbye, 6″x6″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Abscess, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Cavity, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Gumshoe, 6″x6″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Sourball, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Sugar Rush, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Sugar Crash, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014
Monkey Modern is the result of my recent rediscovery of stored studies I created in 2008. Upon showing them to Flying Pony owner and curator Andrew Horne, he encouraged me to revisit the work. The new four-painting suite offers a vibrant take on the natural world.
The featured monkeys – from Africa, India, South America and Indonesia – may be endangered and small. But in these paintings, they overwhelm the viewer with their personality and intelligence. Placed upon modernist backgrounds reminiscent of colour field paintings, the subjects become pop stars that demand our attention.
Preview the show at the Swizzle website: http://www.swizzle.ca/pages/Monkey_Modern.html
Paintings can be purchased with a cheque or through PayPal. Interested patrons can contact me at studio@swizzle.ca
MONKEY MODERN
Simian Portraits by Rob Elliott
November 1 to 30, 2013
Opening reception: Saturday, November 2nd, 5pm to 8pm
Flying Pony Gallery, 1481 Gerrard St E Toronto http://flyingpony.ca
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