Two local artists returned for a “One-Night-Stand” Nov. 25 at La Petite Mort Gallery.
Dominic Laporte, a student at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont., chatted with guests as the DJ’s tracks resonated through the gallery.
Laporte uses mixed media: collaging paper under oil and acrylic paint, adding graffiti, dripping wax, and even varnishing insects.
Creating a work with these subtle details took about two months to complete, Laporte said.
Azdead, also known as Elliot Fockyer, also exhibited his works at the gallery. The Montreal-based artist used acrylic, ink and ash on cardboard to create 3D pieces, which he referred to as “creepy people,” “delinquents” and “sketchier folk.”
“I don’t paint Gap-wearing, SUV-owner kind of people,” he laughed.
Most of his work stems from his childhood, where “every early ‘90s cartoon was really spooky,” he said.
“We had Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters, and I never really lost that Halloween feel.”
The gallery was particularly fitting for the eccentric artists, as it is an environment which welcomes individuality and originality, said curator Guy Bérubé.
“I always want the artists to have their own thing going on,” Bérubé said. “I thrive on individuality. So when someone comes in and says, ‘I hope you love my work, it’s reminiscent of Jackson Pollock,’ I say, ‘That’s great, I love Jackson Pollock, but I would want you to come through in your own work.’”
In light of the challenges of maintaining his gallery, Bérubé said he’s pleased with what has ultimately come out of his initial goal.
“To open a gallery with things that don’t fit the norm is a real challenge,” he said. “But it’s all I know.”
