St. Catharines artist Melanie MacDonald's Skids
Call someone a ‘skid’ and you’re using a piece of Canadian slang that has an imprecise definition. For me, they were the kids I hung out with in the ‘smoke hole’ at my high school—located next to the tech wing.
Their character seemed to be defined by class and adolescent angst. There was self-defeating nihilism but it was balanced with an unwavering faith in partying. There were other hallmarks too: a love of heavy metal music, drugs and alcohol, and a ‘fuck-you attitude’ that was both playful and genuine.
I’ve made these paintings from found photographs. These aren’t people I know directly. Their portraits are a re-consideration and celebration of a distinctive coming of age, masculinity, rebellion, and the dubious difference between low and high brow.
This series of paintings takes as its title a scrawl of graffiti on a rock-cut along the Trans Canada Highway near Sudbury.
Melanie MacDonald is an emerging artist to watch. She has an exhibition opening at A.K. Collings Gallery on July 5.I'm glad she has come to your attention!
ReplyDeleteThese are great. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI posted her "Dirty Dishes" a while ago: http://nagonthelake.blogspot.com/2008/09/melanie-macdonald.html
ReplyDeleteAurelie, I think we've talked about her before. I like to support local artists when I can -and your gallery that showcases so many excellent artists.
ReplyDeleteThese are great. I remember my children calling the troubled young couple next door "married skids". Yeah, that described the situation quite well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for a later version of skids, I like the movie Fubar.
I hope I'm not a skid.
ReplyDelete