As the buzz begins to grow, famed Canadian artist Rodney Graham prepares to present his work at the prestigious Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona later this month.
Starting out in Vancouver in the 1970s, among one of his earliest works was Camera Obscura (1979; destroyed 1981) a site-specific work that consisted of a shed-sized optical device on his family’s farm field near Abbotsford. Entering the shed, the observer was confronted with an inverted image of a solitary tree. Both prior to this and throughout the 1980s and 90s, Graham employed the technique of the camera obscura in his work.
During the crazy snowstorm of ’08, we had the pleasure of shooting the artist in his home here in Vancouver. We were asked by Tony Millares III of Urthwurks to come by Graham’s home to photograph a book shelf he had designed for the artist and ended up capturing a few candid snaps.
An outstanding element of Graham’s upcoming exhibition – Through the Forest – is a major compilation of books and sculptures, installations and machines based on books of Graham’s that come from a peculiar library that shows his interpolations, appendices, bookmarks, reading and exhibition devices in the style of Judd, among other pieces. The exhibition also includes the series of 21 pictures Picasso, My Master (2005), his first incursion into painting, which reconstructs the aura of mastery that surrounds Picasso’s work with a touch of humour.
Through the Forest runs from January 30th through May 18th. If you happen to be in Barcelona over the coming months, be sure to swing by.
Jonathan Cruz fotos 