Currently on show at Espace Robert Poulin is the electrifying group exhibition Mixed Grill which features the artists Michel Beaucage, Mirana Zuger, Peter Rochon, Michel Martineau, Guy Boutin, Mathieu Beauséjour, Michel Guilbeault and Henriette Valium.

Upon entering the main gallery, the patron is immediately struck by a large canvas created by Michel Beaucage. This piece, entitled “Open Leave” is striking because of its bold use of colour. Working mostly with oil and acrylic, Mr. Beaucage has also incorporated the use of brown paper to create a texturing effect. Varying layers are created with the paper as they intersect the round open spaces which allude to being windows into his abstract world. Acrylic paint is used as a final layer of colour as the piece is awash in a subdued shade of lavender. The mix of the bold blue and the lavender create a solarised effect providing movement for the eye. A truly stunning display of colour!

The work of Mirana Zuger is alive and diverse with a plethora of individual marks that juxtaposed to each other generate movement in their musings on the canvas.  With all the use of colour accounted for, each mark and each brushstroke occupy a distinct place upon the canvas, each with their own symbology of meaning. Working with oil on canvas in one of her pieces entitled “Graveyard Painting” makes extensive use of her personal iconography to create an image that is organic in nature. Through the liberal use of varying shades of green, brown and blue one is reminded of the overgrowth of brush often found in graveyards.

Artist Peter Rochon provides an engaging display of frenzied slats of colour all vying for attention. In his piece presented in the main gallery, the artist has used oil on canvas with thick individual strokes that are interdependent of one another. Rochon has chosen to stick with a warm palette which makes liberal use of yellows, oranges, and greens all the while delineated by intermittent black strokes. Careful consideration is made to avoid the blending of colour; instead the eye is forced to find continuity in the chaos.

Making my way through the main gallery, I encountered the work of Michel Martineau. Dominated by bright colours, Martineau’s piece “L’inversion des mondes” is a fusion of rhetorical and abstract forms interlaced with playful shapes. In this particular piece, Martineau has presented his vision using individual sections with each section representing a dislocated story. His piece reminds us that we are living in a modern age that is rife with disjointed images and lost meaning. Unlike a traditional canvas that asks the viewer to focus on context, Martineau’s work focuses on content as the driving force of expression.

Upon entering the enclosed section of the gallery, the whimsical work of Michel Guilbeault is on display. Incorporating familiar images combined with the silkscreen process, Guilbeault’ work provides us with an alternative view of historical iconography. In this exhibition, we are presented with two pieces, each borrowing from one another through form and function. In the first piece the top half of the head of Queen Elizabeth is placed on the bottom half of a male figure that seems to denote a member of the Blackwatch Scottish guard. The second piece is a reversal of the first and both images are sepia toned prints on paper. These two works are then divided up into nine individual squares in which each square is enhanced with repetitive shapes such as stars, colourful dots and triangles. While each square is in itself an individual piece, the continuity of the image is held together through the iconic image it represents.

In keeping with the theme of iconic images, Mathieu Beauséjour also uses images derived from currency to tell a story. Working with digital colour impressions, Beauséjour’s work is much less whimsical; rather it is contemplative in the act of revealing a hidden truth behind the image. In one piece entitled Empire #2 we see the face of Velazquez engaging the viewer while he is flanked by soldiers in 17th century looking uniforms. In the adjoining piece, Empire #1 we are presented with a monochromatic green figure of a political figure superimposed over a figure reminiscent of a Greek god. History is full of examples of politicians who see themselves as powerful gods of war and industry.   Beauséjour circumvents the emblem of power as is often portrayed in currency and diminishes their powerful representations with the imposition of ironic images.

The piece presented by Guy Boutin borrows heavily from street art and in particular graffiti art which has become pervasive in the modern art world. As with many styles that are considered “street” and outside the mainstream, sooner or later, artists of the traditional school begin to appropriate these off beaten styles to make them their own. To go one step further, Boutin has done away with a stiff canvas opting instead for run of the mill brown wrapping paper with star cut-outs of the same material to add a subtle three dimensional effect. The piece is that of the head of a man that is cartoonish in nature with swirly eyes and exaggerated teeth which seems to denote the intense emotion of a total freak-out. The cut-out stars and dollar signs surrounding the head accentuate his troubled state of mind while the bold and bright colours are hyperactive in their application. A total assault on the senses!!

Another notable presentation in the Mixed Grill exhibit is the work of Henriette Valium. The name Henriette Valium is the pseudonym for Patrick Henley who first started out as a comic book artist. As part of the underground comics scene in Montreal since the early 80s, Henley has gained recognition for his work in both North America and Europe while keeping his distance from the mainstream comic industry. In his piece “Mr. Mathes” Valium is experimenting with collage and surrealism to deconstruct the human form.  “Mr. Mathes” uses individual squares to piece together the face of a man. Each square contains a multitude of shapes with a swirl of patterns accentuated by neon colours offset with black which serves to contain the disintegration of the facial features. The human figure is placed overtop more squares with individual images of sections of the human anatomy.  The underlying squares are painted in monochromatic beige but provide a subtle backdrop for the main image.

Espace Robert Poulin, space 411
Michel Beaucage, Mirana Zuger, Peter Rochon, Michel Martineau, Guy Boutin, Mathieu Beauséjour, Michel Guilbeault and Henriette Valium
Mixed Grill
August 23 – September 15, 2012
www.espacerobertpoulin.com