Canadian Surrealism is confronted head-on by Stephen Gibb’s Bubblegum Surrealism in an upside down Mother Goose world of humour and social commentary.
Always in the state of flux, my perspective on the world and how it informs my artwork is in constant modulation. Part of the input process involves pairing themes and concepts with emotion and contrast, which is then output using my Mother Goose meets Mad Magazine style of Pop Surrealism.
As children, we come to understand abstract concepts like morality and virtue in the form of nursery rhyme and fairy tale messages. What I imagine is the evolution of that form into an adult iteration, inducing an inner turmoil the viewer has to reconcile by navigating the more mature themes disguised as children’s story imagery.
What is perceived at the start is a layer of humourous innocence but what is arrived at in the end is a complex and hopefully intriguing conclusion.
Here we go round the prickly apple at 5 o’clock in the morning
A painting also known as The Hollow Man
The painting is an allegorical blend of biblical, nursery rhyme and psychological references,
taking cues from T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men.
Canadian Surrealism.
Stephen Gibb – Canadian Surrealism disguised as an Artist Statement (Or, at least a feeble attempt to excuse my behaviour to those present with good taste)
What exactly is Canadian Surrealism? What exactly is Surrealism? Formally established in the 1920s by Andre Breton and others, it has persisted and evolved, becoming a shadow of itself but also becoming widely recognized and exploited by media and popular culture. Canadian Surrealism may at its root have a foundation in the indigenous art of Canada. Mystical, spiritual and certainly grounded in the realm of dreams the resonance of that foundation can’t help but manifest itself in Canadian Surrealism and Canadian Art. What I try to do as a surrealist is play with concepts and ideas that appear dreamlike but draw more from a symbolic and more allegorical mindset. A sense of humour also permeates my work, whether you find it funny or not, which I’m sure adds to the mystery and levels of understanding invested in the painting. Canadian Surrealism. Canadian Surrealism
Canadian Surrealism Is Alive
Canadian Surrealism is alive!
Waiting For The Death Blow
A painting also known as The Porpoise Waves Goodbye
The painting is an allegorical blend of sources, specifically songs by The Cure and
The Monkees as well as nursery rhyme and psychological references.
Artist: Stephen Gibb, oil on panel, 2015
Canadian Surrealism is confronted head-on by Stephen Gibb’s Bubblegum Surrealism in an upside down Mother Goose world of humour and social commentary.
Always in the state of flux, my perspective on the world and how it informs my artwork is in constant modulation. Part of the input process involves pairing themes and concepts with emotion and contrast, which is then output using my Mother Goose meets Mad Magazine style of Pop Surrealism.
As children, we come to understand abstract concepts like morality and virtue in the form of nursery rhyme and fairy tale messages. What I imagine is the evolution of that form into an adult iteration, inducing an inner turmoil the viewer has to reconcile by navigating the more mature themes disguised as children’s story imagery.
What is perceived at the start is a layer of humourous innocence but what is arrived at in the end is a complex and hopefully intriguing conclusion.
Here we go round the prickly apple at 5 o’clock in the morning
A painting also known as The Hollow Man
The painting is an allegorical blend of biblical, nursery rhyme and psychological references,
taking cues from T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men.
Artist: Stephen Gibb, oil on panel, 2017
Dopamine
The painting is an allegory of mass consumption and various degrees of desire and disgust.
Artist: Stephen Gibb, oil on panel, 2016
The Panpsychic Candy Apple, Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2020
Canadian Surrealism.
Stephen Gibb – Canadian Surrealism disguised as an Artist Statement (Or, at least a feeble attempt to excuse my behaviour to those present with good taste)
What exactly is Canadian Surrealism? What exactly is Surrealism? Formally established in the 1920s by Andre Breton and others, it has persisted and evolved, becoming a shadow of itself but also becoming widely recognized and exploited by media and popular culture. Canadian Surrealism may at its root have a foundation in the indigenous art of Canada. Mystical, spiritual and certainly grounded in the realm of dreams the resonance of that foundation can’t help but manifest itself in Canadian Surrealism and Canadian Art. What I try to do as a surrealist is play with concepts and ideas that appear dreamlike but draw more from a symbolic and more allegorical mindset. A sense of humour also permeates my work, whether you find it funny or not, which I’m sure adds to the mystery and levels of understanding invested in the painting. Canadian Surrealism. Canadian Surrealism