Panel Discussion tomorrow at OCADU

I don't think anyone actually reads this blog anymore because I stopped updating it for a bit, but I'm trying to get back on it. Hopefully later this week I'll have a major update with some shots of some work in progress, my new studio, my new bike, and maybe my crappy apartment or something.

Anyway, just want to post that tomorrow I'll be a part of a panel discussion at OCADU, if you go to OCAD and want to see it, come on by...

Blogger is all different than it used to be, I can't figure out how to left-justify that text up there. Anyway, Bruce Sellery is going to give a talk about managing your money as an artist, and then a few of us who have been living as artists will talk a bit and answer questions. I think this talk is a really good idea, when I first went to art school I really really blew through my OSAP very quickly during my first year, and kinda messed everything up. I still kinda do stuff like that, so I'm not sure if anyone should take my advice, but maybe people can learn from my past and current mistakes.

It says on the flyer that you have to register beforehand, but I don't really think they will not let you in if you just show up, the last time I did one of these the auditorium was only half full. Use some line about a portion of your tuition fees going towards the student union or something or other....

Anyway, I'm really excited to be a part of this, I like doing any sort of panel discussion or public speaking that allows me to get in touch with people I've never met before, if anyone from OCADU reads this, thanks for inviting me to talk!

Mobile app test...

This is just me testing out the blogger app for my phone, gonna get back into updating this thing. Here's a couple of photos of what my two workstations look like this afternoon...

a couple things

Hey everyone, so it's been forever since I updated this blog, the last time was before my solo show in Paris. I took a little rest after the show, and have been back in the studio for the last couple of months, experimenting with some new work. It's 3D work, which is a bit weird for me. I actually studied sculpture back in college, but it's been years since I made anything other than drawings. Once I get this work to a point that I'm confident with, I'll post some progress shots here. I also want to post some shots from Paris, the opening, and thank some of the people that helped me get my show together. This will all be included in my next update.

For now, just a short one. I am taking part in a group show at Neurotitan in Berlin at the end of this week, the opening reception is Friday February 10th and it runs for about a month. Neurrotitan is a really cool place, probably my favourite spot in Berlin. The front is a large art shop, selling comings, books, prints (I've been selling my stuff there since around 2008), and the back room is a large gallery. Below are links to the gallery's website (in German), and the facebook event page:

http://www.neurotitan.de/

http://www.facebook.com/events/104018139727051/

The next thing is a big thank you to James Craig, my highschool art teacher. James (formerly known, to me, as Mr. Craig), is the guy responsible for my decision to go to art college. In highschool I was always drawing and painting, but didn't realize that it could actually be a career, and I wasn't particularly talented, I just liked doing it. James told me one day that a lot of 'what it takes to make it' is just drive, and that he thought I might have enough drive to make a career out of it, and I never looked back. We have kept in touch ever since. James went through teacher's college very quickly, and got the teaching job when I was in grade 13, so he was around 22 years old, and I was 18 when we met, so we're basically the same age.

James asked me to come and talk to his classes in my hometown a couple of weeks ago, it was great to go back to my old school and wander the halls that I used to spend so much time in, and to see some of my little cousins that still go there. Anyway, thank you James, I had a great time. Here is a photo of the two of us together.

I think James has a unique way of teaching that touches students differently than any teacher I have met before. He teaches the old art history stuff that must be taught, but fills his room with examples of really exciting contemporary art and is always turning his students onto new artists. Anyway, I won't go on and on, but trust me, this guy is great. He's also become a teacher of mine again in a sense. James constructs and paints brilliant miniatures, and has one multiple awards for his work. As I said above, I'm starting to make some 3D work again, dioramas, and I'm starting to bug James for little nuggets of info. Below is some of James' award winning work:

Here Is James' website if you want to see more: http://www.lostinthewarp.com/

Ok, that's it for now, next time I will finally post some Paris stuff, and maybe some pics of what I've been working on if I can make them suck a little less before then.

Best, Nicholas

Preemptive Evolution in Paris

Hey Everyone, just wanted to finally make a blog post about my solo show in Paris with the press release, happening this thursday November 10th. I've been working on it for what seems like forever, but was actually 18 months. If anyone is in Paris, come on by, or if you know someone is Paris that you think may be interested, please let them know about it. I've posted these before, but I just want to put a cross section of my work for the show on here, and below that is the press release. Just to make it simple though, here is the name and location of the gallery:

Galerie Dukan Hourdequin

24 rue Pastourelle

75003, Paris

Opening thursday November 10th, 6-9 pm.

And HERE is the event page on Facebook.

If you come to the opening, come up to me or Andrew and introduce yourself, we don't really know anyone there so we're looking for friends. Ok, here are some images (I know I've posted them before in separate posts, this will be the last time) and press release. There will be 18 pieces in the show but I don't want to post them all here. Thank you so much to William Huffman for writing the press release.

dukan hourdequin gallery is pleased to present Preemptive Evolution, the first solo exhibition in France by Canadian artist Nicholas Di Genova (1981).

Nicholas Di Genova has developed a unique practice that is as firmly rooted in the utterly fantastical as it is in the deeply scientific. His depictions of hybrid creatures examine wildlife illustration through a Sci-fi lens. Di Genova’s highly detailed, and often encyclopaedic investigations of the natural world, yield monstrosities that are the most unlikely of amalgamations – these can be, for instance, a fusion of cat, goat and snake with cormorant, or tortoise merging into carnivorous plant and even a toad with eight, tentacle-like tongues. His depictions are obviously imagined; but Di Genova’s illustrative precision, makes these Audubon caricatures almost plausible.

His materials are simple; he looks to the conventions of analogue animation, which employs gouache paint on Mylar, or the very basic approach of ink on paper. But Di Genova pushes line-work and a compact colour palette to the extreme; his seamless and fluid application of medium is in the service of an unparalleled intricacy of image. From the tiniest black and white elements (which can be a mere couple of centimetres square) to the robust and colourful, full-sized works, Di Genova’s articulation of shape and texture is nothing short of masterful.

For this exhibition the artist presents a new work entitled10,000 Vertebrates which takes the form of a genus grid comprising 10,000 micro-portraits – perhaps a periodic table of this morphed and grotesque animal species. This particular work is pivotal; certainly because it embodies Di Genova’s relentless capacity for minutiae and detail but moreover, it gives reference to the research back story of his practice. From books, the internet, film and television – this is a practice contingent on mining a diversity of source materials, from factual to absolutely fiction. Not merely a random selection of beaks, claws, fangs, feathers, fur and scales, these creatures are built conceptually first – each telling a distinctive story that is equal parts biology and mythology.

William Huffman, Toronto, July 2011

William Huffman is an visual arts educator, writer and curator based in Toronto, Canada. He currently holds the post of Associate Director at Toronto Arts Council.

La galerie dukan hourdequin est heureuse de présenterPreemptive Evolution, la première exposition personnelle en France de l’artiste canadien Nicholas Di Genova (1981).

Nicholas Di Genova développe une pratique artistique unique en son genre qui est aussi fermement ancrée dans l’absolu fantastique que dans le profondément scientifique. Ses représentations de créatures hybrides examinent l’illustration de la faune à travers le prisme de la science-fiction. Les recherches extrêmement détaillées, et souvent encyclopédiques, de Di Genova sur le monde naturel donnent lieu à des monstruosités qui résultent en des mélanges improbables – il peut s’agir, par exemple, de la fusion d’un chat, d’une chèvre et d’un serpent avec un cormoran, ou une tortue s’amalgamant en une plante carnivore voire même un crapaud avec huit langues en forme de tentacules. Ses représentations sont évidemment le fruit de son imagination ; mais la précision illustrative de Di Genova rend ces caricatures d’Audubon quasiment vraisemblables.

Ses matériaux sont simples ; il s’approprie les conventions de l’animation analogique, qui emploie la gouache sur Mylar, ou la démarche élémentaire de l’encre sur papier. Mais Di Genova étend sa ligne et sa palette de couleurs à l’extrême ; l’application fluide et continue de sa technique est au service d’une imagerie à la complexité sans égal. Du moindre élément en noir et blanc (qui peut avoir la taille d’un carré d’à peine quelques centimètres) aux travaux les plus imposants et colorés, l’articulation de la forme et de la texture de Di Genova est tout simplement irrésistible.

Pour cette exposition, l’artiste présente une nouvelle pièce intitulée 10,000 Vertebrates qui prend la forme d’une grille de genre comprenant 10 000 micro portraits – peut-être un tableau périodique de ces espèces animales métamorphosées et grotesques. Cette œuvre en particulier est cruciale ; certainement parce qu’elle incarne la capacité implacable de Di Genova pour le détail mais plus encore, elle fait référence aux sources de sa pratique. Dans les livres, sur Internet, à la télévision ou dans les films – sa pratique est basée sur l’exploration de sources très diverses, du factuel au plus fictionnel possible. Ces créatures ne relèvent pas simplement d’une sélection aléatoire de becs, de serres, de crocs, de plumes et de fourrures, elles sont avant tout conçues conceptuellement – chacune d’entre elle racontant une histoire distincte ayant aussi bien attrait à la biologie qu’à la mythologie.

William Huffman, Toronto, Juillet 2011

William Huffman est un commissaire d'exposition basé à Toronto, Canada. Il occupe actullement le poste d'Associate Director du Toronto Arts Council.

THREE KNOCKS at Narwhal Art Projects

Just wanted to let you know that Jamiyla and Adrienne are in a three person show with Katy Horan at Narwhal Art Projects coming up on Friday Nov 11th. I think that Jamiyla and Adrienne's new work is looking amazing. I have never met Katy, but what she has done for the show is looking great as well.

Here is the banner from the show, and a couple of Jamiyla and Adrienne's new pieces. I think this is going to be great, they've been working very hard on it for months.

Here is a link to the FB page, and HERE is a link to the Narwhal page.

3 more pieces

Here are three more pieces I just finished for the show in Paris. My next post will hopefully include the press release and all of the information for the opening, although I don't know if anyone from Paris actually reads my blog. But maybe people with friends in Paris read my blog...

"Dirt Wolf", ink and animation paint on mylar, 24" x 24", 2011

"Ambush Sloth", ink and animation paint on mylar, 44" x 32", 2011

"Plumed Iguana", ink and animation paint on mylar, 24" x 32", 2011

Lesser Minotaur and group show in Paris

Here are a couple of things. I just finished one of the last drawings for my show, here it is:

"Lesser Minotaur", pen and ink on paper, 14" x 18", 2011

Also, I'm in a group show in Paris going on right now. You can check out the details HERE.