contemporary Art Bank   Artcore

Girls Who Love Shoes oil on canvas 36" X 48" 1999

Chinese New Year oil on canvas 40" X 50" 1999

Things You Wear oil on canvas 46" X 48" 1999

From the Studio May 29 - June 25, 1999 Graham and Yawnghwe's collaborative paintings take their cue from the contemporary culture in which the artists find themselves immersed. Images from fashion magazines, advertising, television and film are appropriated as familiar contemporary visual markers, and presented in a new way, combined with elements of urban detritus and the occasional reference to recognized painters or paintings. Some works seem to critique our materialistic culture, as in "Things You Wear", where the fragment of a woman floats among a giant dollar sign and a plethora of shoes. "The New Olympia" is a fashion model in evening wear lounging against a Basquiat-like backdrop. Graham and Yawnghwe's paintings, with their graffiti-like text and their fusion of seemingly disparate elements, can in some ways be likened to those of New York's 80s art star whose biographer fittingly described as "sampling the culture and spitting it back in scrambled bits". But these young artists are clearly carving out their own aesthetic - in thick, dense, sometimes dripping paint, and with a tightness of composition that shows increasing virtuosity. Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 - 5:00 For information, telephone (416) 920 3820

presented at the Laboratory for Modern and Contemporary Art, Vicenza, Italy

Italian Motorsports oil on canvas 32" X 42" 1998

Senza Pb oil on canvas 33" X 43" 1998

In the Studio 1945 oil on canvas 50" X 52" 1998

Alter Ego July 3 - August 29, 1999 Graham and Yawnghwe's collaborative paintings take their cue from the contemporary culture in which the artists find themselves immersed. Images from fashion magazines, advertising, television and film are appropriated as familiar contemporary visual markers, and presented in a new way, combined with elements of urban culture or, increasingly, juxtaposed with subtle references to historically recognized paintings. Fashion models are surrounded by graffiti, or lounge in Brueghelesque landscapes. Contrary to other contemporary collectives or duos which often emphasize the effacing of individual expression in multi-media works, Graham and Yawnghwe each maintain their distinct signature, and this within a single painting. The Laboratory for Modern and Contemporary Art (LaMec), located in the Palladian Basilica in the historic center of Vicenza, Italy, was opened in 1997 with the mandate of creating a forum for the presentation of new trends in international contemporary art. A particular focus on experimental projects and emerging artists allows new work to be shown in a museum setting, in a context where longer exhibitions of established modern artists are also held. With the goal of establishing Vicenza as a major center for art internationally, the LaMec is increasingly inviting foreign artists to exhibit. Vicenza is located in the north east of Italy, a half hour from the Venice Biennale. A full colour catalogue is available at the LaMec and at Artcore. For information, telephone Artcore in Toronto at (416) 920 3820

contemporary Art Bank   Artcore