Seriously? Comedy and Satire in Canadian Art, 1970s–Now
Griffin Art Projects, North Vancouver, BC - To May 18
There hasn’t been much to laugh about this century. Though the expansion of the internet has given us some hilarious moments through YouTube and our social media feeds, the totality of the internet has become its own crushing force. So too has a contemporary art that, when not adrift in a sea of grief, offers up formal propositions that can feel out of touch with the political and economic extremes of our post-pandemic lives. Joy is one thing, but laughter’s release is another. For those who know the difference, the Griffin is listening.
Guest curated by Melissa E. Feldman, this exhibition draws on works from Canadian and US private collections, in addition to artists’ studios and public museums, to do what humour does best: upend societal norms, revealing to us the presuppositions that contribute to what we once saw as immutable. In the words of Griffin director Lisa Baldissera, “In a world marked by political polarization and social unrest, humour emerges as a meeting point for diverse audiences to come together to create community, activate forms of solidarity and, crucially, foster friendship.”
Notable contributions include ceramic works by Vancouver-based Cree artist Judy Chartrand that focus on the effects of colonization and the resilience of identity; Gary Pearson’s hilariously melancholic oil paintings of interwar European café society; Adrian Norvid’s new performance-cum-installation of an outsized cadaver composed of colourful paper cut-outs; and a series of sculptural beaded works by 2024 Sobey Art Award winner Nico Williams, an Anishinaabe artist from Aamjiwnaang First Nation.
Also included are works by Eleanor Antin, Shuvinai Ashoona, Peter Aspell, Sonny Assu, Anna Banana, Maxwell Bates, Victor Cicansky, Marcel Dzama, Maud Lewis, Andrea Mortson, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Maija Peeples-Bright, Walter Scott, Vincent Trasov and William T. Wiley.
