{"id":30209,"date":"2015-10-01T14:23:10","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T18:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artoronto.ca\/?p=30209"},"modified":"2015-10-11T18:46:36","modified_gmt":"2015-10-11T22:46:36","slug":"stephen-appleby-barr-sigillum-at-nicholas-metivier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/v2.artoronto.ca\/?p=30209","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Appleby-Barr: Sigillum at Nicholas Metivier Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pastiche has been a prevalent creative motif in artistic oeuvres throughout the postmodern era, producing a wide variety of knowingly referential and nostalgic works. From Quentin Tarantino\u2019s cinematic quotation of seventies B-movie affairs, to Yasumasa Morimura\u2019s parodies of classic Western portraiture, artists have appropriated earlier stylistic motifs for newer, more contemporary audiences. Stephen Appleby-Barr\u2019s solo exhibition Sigillum<\/em>, on now <\/em>at the Nicholas Metivier gallery, continues this tradition of quotation by consciously synthesizing aesthetic movements throughout art history in this collection of uncanny yet oddly familiar paintings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Stephen Appleby-Barr, The Pale Path, 2015, oil on linen, 60 x 66 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery<\/p>\n

Appleby-Barr\u2019s expressive brushwork is undoubtedly reminiscent of revered seventeenth and eighteenth-century painters including Vel\u00e1zquez, Rembrandt and Goya. His images are rendered in a slightly painterly fashion; yet retain the verisimilitude that defined the artistic production of yore. With regards to subject matter, Appleby-Barr\u2019s images cite Napoleonic equestrian portraiture, eerie still life compositions of the baroque, and surrealist fantasia as explicit reference points. Furthermore, his canvases range in size, from the hierarchal monumentality of traditional history painting; to more decorative and modestly scaled compositions of post-Reformation Dutch art. This effortless blending of technique and thematic preoccupation showcases the artist\u2019s deep understanding and reverence towards his artistic predecessors, and their formative influence on the production of artworks within the exhibition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Stephen Appleby-Barr, Felipe, 2015, oil on linen, 50 x 40 inches.\u00a0Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Stephen Appleby-Barr, Bird Rider, 2015, oil on linen, 96 x 72 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery<\/p>\n

The artist\u2019s blending of aesthetic tropes allows his paintings to transcend beyond any specific era or oeuvre his work may bring to mind. Human heads are often replaced with those of animals or other non-mortal configurations, rendering their corporeal presence bizarre and otherworldly. An equestrian figure decked in military garb is placed in a fantastical landscape, enabling the seemingly historical connotations of the image to become obsolete. Appleby-Barr also incorporates his artist friends into the mix, showcasing contemporary subject matter fashioned in a more traditional manner of representation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Stephen Appleby-Barr, Jessica, 2015, oil on linen, 40 x 32 inches.\u00a0Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Stephen Appleby-Barr, Flowers and Skull, 2015, oil on linen, 14 x 12 inches.\u00a0Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery<\/p>\n

Throughout Sigillum<\/em>, Appleby-Barr keeps his tongue firmly planted in cheek, allowing a sense of playfulness and wit to permeate throughout the exhibition. His awareness of past artistic trends and tropes has provided a wealth of inspiration for this uncanny collection of images, which dually act as thematically succinct collection contemporary artworks, and a whimsical art history lesson.<\/p>\n

David Saric<\/p>\n

*Exhibition information: September 17 – October 10, 2015, Nicholas Metivier Gallery\u00a0451 King Street West, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tue – Sat, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by David Saric<\/strong><\/p>\n

His awareness of past artistic trends and tropes has provided a wealth of inspiration for this uncanny collection of images, which dually act as thematically succinct collection contemporary artworks, and a whimsical art history lesson.<\/p>\n

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