MICHELE PROVOST

MICHELE PROVOST

OFFSET
Offset is an ode to printing. Drawing upon the tools of the trade, the letterpress, the printing plate, the typeface and the fonts, it underlines the nobility and historical importance of the craft, and celebrates its product; the printed page, disseminator of words and information, thoughts and images.

Through these works, the printing process is uncharacteristically given center stage, by use of handcrafted, reversed imagery and text. The pages on display, while being celebrated as works of art in their own right, compose the subtext, conveying a general sense of who we are, what interests us, what we’ve been through and where we’re going as humans. Culled from magazines, comic books, literature and dictionaries, this collection of quotes and images presents itself to the viewer as would, for example, a CD of music lovingly compiled by a friend.

SELLING OUT
Tuesday afternoon, 2008. Art history repeats itself. On a loop. Even new media couldn’t save the day. All has been said and done. Enough art has been created; we have reached the point of saturation. Time to start recycling. And maybe turn art history into a lucrative little venture, why don’t we? Licensed merchandizing is the way to go. After all, it is well established that the Star Wars venture will have generated even more profits in merchandizing than its phenomenal box office revenues. And with the ever-shrinking cultural budgets… Action figures it is, then. Six inches, trade standard. At long last, some tangible art for everyone to grasp (and collect!). Step aside Batman and Robin, here come Arshile Gorky and his mother.

A serious reflection on the place of art creation in our consumer-oriented society, this exhibition comprises over one hundred action figures based on historical and contemporary works of art. Paradoxically the carefully hand made and hand painted figures are trapped in sealed industrial packaging with printed reproductions of the original work; the resulting “product” sits precariously between work of art and commodity. Another section of the exhibition features classical works reworked into Marvel-style comic-book covers; painstakingly hand-embroidered, and exuberantly framed to further confuse the issue of disposable commodity versus precious work of art, they refer to the cheaply produced comic magazine turned pricey collectible. Add to the mix a selection of collector’s cards featuring artists and their artworks, and we’re in business.

Appropriation, copyright, the commerce of art, the relevance of art and art history for the general public, as well as heroism and violence in comic book culture are all issues that lay very close to the surface of this playful, store-like installation.

Curatorial statement:
“Selling Out debuts a new body of work by Gatineau artist Michèle Provost, whose canny and compelling textile works have garnered national acclaim. Provost sends up art world commercialism, everyday consumerism, and merchandising mayhem with 155 action-figure-style sculptures, 12 intricate textiles and a set of 200 trading cards, all of which pay homage to the work of artists from Caravaggio to Beuys, Kahlo to Kruger, and Graham to Wall, while re-framing it for a souvenir market.

The exhibition is installed to mimic ubiquitous styles of contemporary merchandising display. The cards are presented in the hard-plastic cases typically used by collectors of sports trading cards, while the action figures — each in their own clamshell package — hang from wall-mounted pegboard. Provost’s “products” cleverly blur the boundaries between original and copy, handmade and mass-produced, fine art and kitsch. They are one-off collectibles, and they’re not for sale. So the show won’t sell out. But has Provost?”
Sandra Dyck, Curator


AWARDS AND BURSARIES
2010 Mid-Career Achievement Award, Council for the arts in Ottawa
Artist residency at the Banff Centre for the performing arts and production grant, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
2009 Prix du Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec pour la création artistique (Région de l’Outaouais)
2007 Canada Council for the Arts (Production grant)
2004 Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (Production grant)
2003 Canada Council for the Arts (Production grant)
2003 Prix de la Relève-Fondation pour les arts et lettres en Outaouais
2003 Council for the Arts in Ottawa (Corel Endowment Fund)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011 Abstracts/Résumés, Galerie du Nouvel Ontario (Sudbury)
2011 Vocabulaire Galerie de l’Université du Québec en Outaouais
Selling out Art Gallery of Sudbury, On
Playlist Dale Smith Gallery, Ottawa On
2010 Selling out Dunlop Gallery, Regina, Sk
2009 Selling out Maison de la culture Pointe-aux-trembles (Montreal)
It’s only Rock and Roll Maison de la culture Rivière-des-prairies
2008 Selling out Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
Offset Dale Smith Gallery, Ottawa
Une journée dans la vie de Maggy M. Musée du costume et du textile du Québec
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
2007 Une journée dans la vie de Maggy M. Maison Hamel Bruneau,Quebec City
Vendesi Blublauspazioarte, Alghero, Italy
2006 Une journée dans la vie de Maggy M. Centre d’exposition de Val-d’Or , Qc
Probing the limits (with Phil Rose) Dale Smith Gallery (Ottawa)
Une journée dans la vie de Maggy M. Galerie Montcalm (Hull)
2005 It’s only Rock and Roll Gallery 101 (Ottawa)
The sampler: une histoire urbaine Maison de la culture Côte-des-neiges (Montreal)
Us and them Dale Smith Gallery (Ottawa)
The sampler: une histoire urbaine Richmond Art Gallery (Richmond BC)
Journal intime Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario (Sudbury)
2004 Journal intime Centre des arts de Shawinigan
The sampler: une histoire urbaine Karsh-Masson Gallery (Ottawa)
2003 Journal intime Maison de la culture de Gatineau
2002 Games people play Espial Gallery, Ottawa
2001 États primaires Centre d’exposition l’Imagier, Aylmer
2000 Easy living kits Elle McLaughlin Gallery, Ottawa

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2012 An Embarrassment of Riches: The Collection in Focus, Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
2012 Papier 12 Contemporary Art Fair, Montreal
2012 PMG Editions Project, Patrick Mikhail Gallery, Ottawa
2011 Fibred Optics Richmond Art Gallery, B.C.
Hybrid Maps Projetto Arti Visivi, Berchidda, Italy
Sineddoche Galleria Bonaire Contemporanea,
Alghero, Italy
2009 Fibred Optics The Ottawa Art Gallery
2009 What is Stephen Harper reading? Patrick Gordon Gallery, Ottawa
2008 Close to you Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto 2008 Buildup The Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa ON
2007 Close to you Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax N.S
2007 Considérations quotidiennes Maison des artistes, Winnipeg, Man.
2005 Métamorphoses Centre d’exposition l’Imagier ( Aylmer, Qc)
2005 Fiberworks Art Gallery of Peterborough (Ontario)
2004 Lines of descent Karsh-Masson Gallery (Ottawa)
2004 Opposition party SAW Gallery, Ottawa
2004 Fiberworks Cambridge Galleries (Ontario)
2004 Équilibre? Galeria de la Aduana, Baranquilla (Colombia)
2003 Barbiemanie Espace Pierre Debain, Aylmer
2003 Entre les deux... Galerie Montcalm, Hull
2002 Fusion Centre d’exposition l’Imagier (touring Canada and Cuba)
2002 A penchant for play Galerie Montcalm, Hull
2002 Biennale l’Art et le papier, Galerie Jean-Claude Bergeron, Ottawa
2001 The other city: urban objects in crisis Ottawa School of Art Gallery
2001 Aux jeux! Centre d’exposition Art-image, Gatineau, Qc
2001 L’être et la bête Centre d’exposition l’Imagier, Aylmer, Qc
2000 Public art at Arts Court Outdoor sculptures, Arts court, Ottawa
2000 Cognito Ottawa School of Art Gallery
1999 Changing hands Karsh-Masson Gallery, Ottawa
1999 Juried exhibition Ottawa School of Art Gallery
1998 Cubism in transition Carl Davis Gallery, Ottawa

ART TRAINING
Diploma in visual arts
Ottawa School of Art, 2000
Woodcarving and photography
Norwich Arts Centre Norwich, England 1994-1995
Printmaking and mixed media
Artists’ Warehouse Studios Norwich, England 1994-1995

PUBLIC ART
2011 Centrepointe Theatre Expansion Project (with Lynda Cronin)
Commissioned works:
2000 City of Ottawa, Public Art Program
1999 C.A.D Railway Services, Montréal
1998 National Arts Centre, Ottawa

COLLECTIONS - Loto Québec - Canada Council Art Bank
- Comunika (Montréal) - City of Gatineau
- City of Ottawa - Carleton University
- Seneca College (Toronto) - The Ottawa Art Gallery

EXHIBITION CATALOGUES
- Selling Out (Carleton University)
- Fibred optics (The Ottawa Art Gallery)
- Close to you (Dalhousie University)
- Une journée dans la vie de Maggy M. (Ville de Gatineau)
- Changing hands (Public art program, Ottawa
- Public Art at Arts Court (Public art program, Ottawa)
- Biennale L’art et le papier V (Galerie Jean-Claude Bergeron)
- Barbiemanie (Ville d’Aylmer)

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