Past Conduits
September 17th, 2015 - November 20th, 2015
Graffiti Art Programming is pleased to announce Dany Reede’s first solo exhibit at Graffiti Gallery, Past Conduits.
Amidst landscapes of gliding fish and aimlessly floating dining room chairs, Past Conduits sets the foundation of a sentimental search for youth, and an abandon of adulthood. While narratives in my work typically comprise themes of anxiety and depression, Past Conduits supports the acceptance of childlike exploration into creative processes. Experimenting with different mediums and methods allowed me to create a nostalgic body of work that navigates a naïve, two-dimensional universe. Using simple lines and shapes of colour, I have worked to create an unadulterated environment based on childhood memories and the attempted denial of growing up.
Artist Statement
Dany Reede uses different outlandish and eccentric characters as non-traditional self-portraits, which are frequently the centre of his illustrations and paintings. These reoccurring characters always cohabit the space with different imagery: landscapes, patterns, and text. His studio practice exemplifies the struggle between his mind’s habitual cravings for a place, while his body is stuck in another. By confronting this disconnect, he is able to create honest, specific, and autobiographical work.
“I have never felt comfortable within the realms of the “conceptual insider art world.” Using art as a method to achieve some sort of social status through intellect is something I can’t grasp, and prefer to use it as a therapeutic device to cope with my—often debilitating—social anxiety and depression. My work exemplifies the struggle between my mind’s habitual cravings for a place, while my body is stuck in another. Through reoccurring imagery and text, I am able to create honest, specific, and autobiographical work about the different routines that help me confront this disconnect.”
Accompanying his exhibit at Graffiti Gallery, Reede will also be creating a mural at Hunter & Gunn for Synonym Art Consultation’s Wall-to-Wall Mural & Culture Festival. The mural project is a mentorship opportunity for youth artists from Graffiti Art Programming. Reede will be working with youth to bring the mural to completion. The mural unveiling will be held September 25, 2015 at Hunter & Gunn, 567 Broadway.
Zine Workshops: GAP will be offering a zine workshop in conjunction with Dany Reede’s Past Conduits exhibit, where an artist facilitator will lead youth through the process of creating a DIY style photocopied magazine. Participants will be encouraged to create drawings, collages and written submissions to contribute to these collaborative works.