Tuesday, August 21, 2007

EXHIBITION: shameless promotion at open studio

Shameless Promotion
September 6 -29, 2007
Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-9pm.
Open for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche sunset Sept 29 to sunrise Sept 30.
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 104, Toronto

shameless promotion
Poster from the Hamilton exhibition, by Seripop.

Open Studio is pleased to present Shameless Promotion, a group exhibition curated by Suzanne Carte-Blanchenot and featuring artists and design groups Stacey Case, Doublenaut, Jeff Garcia, Jesjit Gill and Nicholas Kennedy from September 6 to 27, 2007. This exhibition presents the crossover between promotional material, particularly in the form of posters, and the art object. Part of the blurring between these usually distinct products is that the works in Shameless Promotion are screenprinted by hand sometimes in large volumes or in small editions, making them even more coveted and collectible.


The posters produced by these artists are promotional vehicles for musicians, artists, companies and other parties interested in attracting special attention in our cluttered visual culture. They are also incredibly crafted and original often with a wider conceptual approach – for example one of the artists Nicholas Kennedy who runs his commercial studio shop Trip Print Press exclusively uses found images, “scavenged” paper and materials, and unique typography arrangements using salvaged type on his letterpress. He avoids the confines of branding and appreciates reusable materials and tools that are made fresh under his design. The approach by the artists in this show demonstrate the range of possibilities – Doublenaut is the digital savvy group that opts for hand screenprinting over offset printing both for lower production costs and a preferred aesthetic; and Jesjit Gill, currently an OCAD student working out of the group Punchclock, produces popular limited edition posters – as low as 20 – for the alternative music and DJ culture.

Curator Suzanne Carte-Blanchenot points out, “handprinted materials have become fetish objects and rarities,” and participating artist Stacey Case, printer/owner of Merchguy Showprint that is distinctly recognizable for its vintage poster appeal, echoes that his work has been “torn down from street posts for years, often ending up in picture frames by admirers.” An essay by Suzanne Carte-Blanchenot accompanies the exhibition.

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