Marcel Dzama is one of Canada's most internationally successful artists. With one foot in reality and the other in the subconscious, Dzama's unmistakable version of contemporary Surrealism is as comical as it is otherworldly.
Dzama's works are instantly recognizable for their subject and style. He draws as much from the visual language of folk art as he does from the art historical. His images dance right on the edge of our familiarity, often evoking the feeling of leafing through a child's picture book and stopping at random to examine a page.
Featuring a stand-off, this image is packed with tense resolve. A stern-looking, eye-patch-wearing critter stands atop a solemnly interred bug. The latter lies belly up, sporting a stony expression and narrowed eyes. Is the round-faced bug dancing on a grave? Is he even aware of the other bug's whereabouts? While this sense of curious incompleteness might feel limiting, it is in fact one of the charms of Dzama's work. Â
Evoking the same effects as incomplete storyboards or figurative Rorshach tests, Dzama's carefully composed images invite viewers to engage imaginatively--encouraged to weave together the "befores" and "afters" that surround the "nows" that each piece offers.
Born in Winnipeg in 1974, Dzama would begin exhibiting internationally just a year after graduating from the University of Manitoba with early champions of his work including Jim Carrey and Nicholas Cage. In the 1990's, as one of the founding members of the Royal Art Lodge, Dzama contributed to the renaissance of figurative art and simultaneously put Winnipeg on the map as a center for Canadian creativity.
Dzama's work can be found in a host of prestigious public and private collections including Paris' Centre Georges Pompidou, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the MoMA, Le Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. He is particularly favored by celebrity collectors including Brad Pitt, Jim Carrey and Steve Martin.
Questions about this artwork? Email us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
Untitled (Over/Under)
Canada, 1998
Ink and mixed media on paper
Signed by the artist
12.5"H & 10"W (sheet)
15.25"H 12.5"W (framed)
Very good condition.
Provenance: David Zwirner Gallery, New York | Private Collection
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