Exhibitions Title: Remains
Artist: Mark Mizgala
Opening: December 12 2012, 7-10pm
Exhibition Dates: December 13, 2012 to January 6th, 2013

Artist Mark Mizgala presents posters of pop bottles and other containers coated in slip, creating a look of ancient clay vessels in this off-site exhibition entitled, Remains. Mizgala investigates contemporary food and beverage packaging, represented as mock archaeological findings. The artwork appears in a form that is intrinsic to advertising: posters printed on commercial-grade paper and displayed in bus shelters across the City of Vancouver.

Having worked as an art director for most of his professional career, advertising is familiar territory for Mizgala. He is fascinated by the corporate machine, its by-products, and the manner in which they are presented in popular culture. Mizgala immortalizes on film that which is already immortal: garbage, enjoying a particularly long life in our landfills, rivers, and ocean floors. The poster series is a testament to long-term environmental impact – a sharp contrast to the ephemera of advertising and mass media.

This exhibition runs from Wednesday, December 12th, 2012 to January 6th, 2013, punctuating a seasonal month known for its increased advertising meant to encourage inflated consumerism. Working with the City of Vancouver’s Transit Shelter Advertising Program, grunt gallery has facilitated the production and distribution of the posters across the city as an off-site exhibition.

Biography:
Mark Mizgala was born in Montreal in 1963, and graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1987 where he was awarded full scholarship for three consecutive years. In his graduating year he was the recipient of the prestigious Ontario College of Art Medal.

After attending the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University, Mark began working in Vancouver as an advertising art director, and went on to win numerous international awards for creative excellence, including Cannes, The New York One Show, Communications Arts Magazine, and Archive Magazine. Mark was nominated for Best Art Exhibit of 2011 in the Ottawa Xpress Magazine’s Best of Ottawa reader’s poll. His work is in collections throughout North America and Europe.

http://markmizgala.com/
————————–————————-
PLEASE NOTE: Although this exhibition is off-site, the opening reception will be held at grunt gallery.
350 E 2nd – Vancouver, BC V5T 4R8
————————–————————-

OFFSITE LOCATIONS OF POSTERS:

Burrard 28m North of Pacific, East Side.
W. Georgia 34m East of Broughton, South Side.
Granville 35M North of Robson, West Side.
Pacific Blvd 20M North of Davie St, East Side.
6th Ave 77M West of Cambie St, North Side.
Commercial 20m North of E. 14th, East Side.
W. 10th 20m East of Tolmie, South Side.
W. 16th 28m East of Trimble, South Side.
W. 49th 36m West of West Blvd., North Side.