Stuff Seen - Paradoxal at Projex Mtl

Howdy!



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Projex Mtl is one of the better kept secrets in the Montreal art world. I sort of learned about them organically. They occupy the same space that used to be occupied by Sylvianne Poirier. One of the artists that they exhibit used to be represented by Pierre Francois Ouellette Art Contemporain (Louis Joncas). Another of the artists that exhibit there is responsible for one of the more memorable shows I have ever seen in Montreal ( Michel Denée). And yet another is a good friend of my sweetie and therefore a friend of mine (Robert Walker). But enough of the secrets, I personally prefer things when they are out in the open.

Projex Mtl is located at 1000 Amherst, #103. The phone number there is (514) 570-9130, and they are open pretty much standard issue gallery hours. It is run by André Laroche, and if you go, tell him I say 'hi.'

Anyhows, back to the show I saw. it was a hodgepodge of cool stuff that according to André was not exactly 'straight.' As I was not as intimately familiar with the work of all of the artists, I did not instantaneously glom onto what made the art paradoxal (isn't the word paradoxical?) outside of Robert Walker's photograph of flowers (the stuff of his that I am familiar with is more of a landscape type of picture with really bright colors). I really like Mr. Walker's work, not only because he is a friend of my sweetie, but because he knows his way around a camera. The pictures of flowers while not anything like what I was expecting from him, seemed to be extremely appropriate especially given the vivid colors in them. But there was a bunch of really cool stuff that turned my crank, and some stuff that didn't turn my crank but still managed to make me realize that the folk making the stuff weren't wanking off.

Obviously Reuel Dechene's work is going to be stuff that I remember, and once you realize that he works with LEDs that flash in relatively quick patterns on hubcaps, you can probably sympathize as to how the images were almost burned onto the back of my eyelids. I can't say that he does the most original work, but it sure as shootin' is purty and sorta easy on the eyes.

On the flip side Jan Andriesse's work is stuff that I'm not entirely certain I can remember, even if I use the images on their blog. I'm endlessly fascinated by him, 'cuz apparently he is married (or is going out with, or something) to Marlene Dumas. This doesn't mean it is bad, just that it isn't memorable.

Then, in between the two is Louis Joncas' work. He makes highly detailed photographs of staged scenes. Back when I wrote about Jeff Wall, he asked me to stop an email service that he had signed up for that enabled him to receive this blog by email - as a consequence I'm not entirely certain I'm going to say that his work is phenomenal and amazing. On the other hand I am not going to stop going to see his work. Since I can't see Mr. Wall's stuff he is a close approximation, and at some point I figure if I see enough of them I can either figure out why everyone else is going gaga over these sorta photographs, or be able to see what makes me think that they aren't the best thing since sliced white bread.

And finally, Richard Lanctôt and Peter Schuyff make work that looks good on Projex Mtl's website, but they suffer from the Jan Andriesse syndrome without being somehow attached to a really really famous artist. Obviously I'm going to have to go back and check out their work some more.