Hockey, deer tracks, flannel shirts, a canoe, an array or Tartan designs – what could be more Canadian? Each of Sean Montgomery‘s bold, brightly coloured paintings depicts a quintessential Canadian icon, distilled down to its basic elements. Montgomery’s small-format canvases are hung in clusters on the gallery walls at Laroche/Joncas, each a vivid cloud of Canadiana. Some paintings are simple abstracts, such as the series Original Six and Expansion Six, which feature the colours of Canadian hockey teams reduced to a composition of minimalist stripes. Other paintings are more playful, such as the furry Paw, the bullet-riddled canvas Target Practice, or the semi-abstract Undershirt. Most of the motifs are extreme close-ups – I love the whimsical Toothless sporting the smile of what I presume is a hockey player, the four crookedly drawn spirals on a flat pink background titled Chest Hair, and Men at Work, an orange roadside panel without any infographics on it (I guess the men in question are taking a break).

With his use of primary colours, the thick impasto application of paint, and his skilfully childlike style of expression, Montgomery fuses the bold visual language of Pop Art with the romantic charm of Folk Art. Rugged lumberjacks, les voyageurs, hockey stars, Mounties – these are the stereotypes Canadians – for better or for worse – are saddled with. Montgomery’s work is a mildly self-depreciating, humourous celebration of national identity. So very friendly. So very Canadian.

Galerie Laroche/Joncas, space 410
Sean Montgomery
Avant Garage
February 18 – March 24, 2012
www.larochejoncas.com