The art world can often work like an old boys’ club, but a few young Canadian talents are shaking things up with their work – sometimes shocking, sometimes beautiful, always evocative. Watch closely as these young talents take the art world by storm.
Carlos and Jason Sanchez are brothers from Montreal. Several years ago, they started collaborating on installation pieces and photographs that comment on current affairs and mass media, constructing fictional scenes for the camera that both engage and manipulate the viewer. They are known for larger-than-life installations and billboard-size photographs like Natural Selection (2005) a giant picture of two dogs getting ready to attack a third one. Their next show is at L.A.’s DNJ Gallery in February.
Kim Dorland, who was born in Wainwright, Alberta but lives in Toronto, is raising eyebrows with his colorful, surreal and unexpected painting style. Inspired by Canadian landscapes and offbeat relationships, Dorland’s paintings are characterized by a textured mix of oils, acrylics and spray paint. A semi-finalist for the 2007 Canadian RBC painting award, Dorland works have appeared across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and his star continues to rise. He is currently represented by Skew Gallery in Calgary and Angell Gallery in Toronto
David Altmejd, who was born and raised in Montreal, is recognized for unusual sculptures that incorporate gruesome fantasy, glitter and glam, severed werewolf heads and taxidermy. Altmejd, known for juxtaposing images of life and death, represented Canada in the 2007 Venice Biennale with an exhibition of mutant birds (The Index, 2007) and a huge decomposing creature (The Giant 2, 2007). Some of his work is on display at the Andrea Rosen Gallery in New York City.
Image, Overflowing Sink, courtesy of the Sanchez Brothers.
