Art Spiegelman CO-MIX

Art Spiegelman CO-MIX

Vancouver Art Gallery

Art Spiegelman, Comics as a Medium for Self Expression? Cover, PRINT magazine. Ink and watercolor on paper. May–June 1981. Courtesy of the artist.

February 13, 2013

Art Spiegelman
CO-MIX: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps

February 16–June 9, 2013

Vancouver Art Gallery
750 Hornby St, Vancouver, Canada.

www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

Opening at the Vancouver Art Gallery on February 16, 2013, Art Spiegelman CO-MIX: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps will present the first retrospective exhibition of the work of acclaimed comic artist Art Spiegelman. This exclusive Canadian exhibition features work from over forty years of Spiegelman’s career, including more than 400 preparatory drawings, sketches, studies and panels relating to his early underground comix from the 1970s, his best-known and genre-defying work, Maus, and his more recent illustrations and comic art, including his powerful response to 9/11, In the Shadow of No Towers.

“We are honoured to bring this powerful and provocative exhibition to Vancouver and Canada,” said Gallery director Kathleen Bartels, “Building on past exhibitions such as KRAZY! and The Uncanny, CO-MIX is part of the Gallery’s commitment to supporting visual culture and presenting the leading artists working in this field today.”

The exhibition provides insight into Spiegelman’s pioneering work channeling cultural and autobiographical commentary into biting, subversive comics, and demonstrates his enormous influence on the medium. Starting from the artist’s early forays in the underground comix scene with colleagues Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton, the exhibition includes a selection of his contributions to the influential Arcade magazine, as well as examples from Breakdowns, a pivotal work in Spiegelman’s career. CO-MIX also features a wide range of Spiegelman’s work as writer, illustrator, art director, and a graphic designer for Topps Candy Company. In presenting these diverse works, CO-MIX traces Spiegelman’s exploration of complex notions of narrative and styles of expression.

“Spiegelman is a pivotal figure in the comic form,” said Gallery senior curator Bruce Grenville, “Drawing on a wide range of influences and inspirations—from various styles drawn from the long history of the comic form to traditional woodcuts to Cubism—he has, and continues to, develop dynamic new ideas within the field of comics which are showcased in this exhibition. Spiegelman’s influence on the modern comic form, both as graphic novel and comic strip, cannot be overstated.”

A notable portion of CO-MIX is devoted to Maus, the Pulitzer prize-winning work that in its myriad forms has compelled the artist throughout his career. Published between 1978 and 1991, this autobiographical graphic novel juxtaposes Spiegelman’s father’s experience during the Holocaust with an account of the strained relationship between father and son in the present. The exhibition presents rarely seen research material, preliminary sketches, photographs and storyboards related to the production of Maus.

Other sections of the exhibition present some of Spiegelman’s work before and after Maus, including RAW, an influential magazine he created and edited along with Françoise Mouly from 1980 to 1991, New Yorker magazine covers, children’s comics and his books In the Shadow of No Towers and Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@?*!.

This is the first major exhibition of Spiegelman’s work since the MoMA exhibition of Maus in 1992. The exhibition is co-produced with the Museum Ludwig, Köln and the Jewish Museum, New York. The Vancouver exhibition is generously supported by The Arnold and Anita Silber Family Foundation, Nerd Corps Entertainment Inc. and the Lohn Family Foundation.

Media information:
Carolyn Jack, Communications Manager, M 604 671 2358 / cjack [​at​] vanartgallery.bc.ca

 

Art Spiegelman CO-MIX at Vancouver Art Gallery
Advertisement
RSVP
RSVP for Art Spiegelman CO-MIX
Vancouver Art Gallery
February 13, 2013

Thank you for your RSVP.

Vancouver Art Gallery will be in touch.

Subscribe

e-flux announcements are emailed press releases for art exhibitions from all over the world.

Agenda delivers news from galleries, art spaces, and publications, while Criticism publishes reviews of exhibitions and books.

Architecture announcements cover current architecture and design projects, symposia, exhibitions, and publications from all over the world.

Film announcements are newsletters about screenings, film festivals, and exhibitions of moving image.

Education announces academic employment opportunities, calls for applications, symposia, publications, exhibitions, and educational programs.

Sign up to receive information about events organized by e-flux at e-flux Screening Room, Bar Laika, or elsewhere.

I have read e-flux’s privacy policy and agree that e-flux may send me announcements to the email address entered above and that my data will be processed for this purpose in accordance with e-flux’s privacy policy*

Thank you for your interest in e-flux. Check your inbox to confirm your subscription.