Semai Gallery - Dan Donaldson - The Drawn Collage

May 16 - June 28, 2008

Opening Reception: Friday, May 16, 7:30pm - 10:00pm

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The title of this show is based on a series of drawings I have been making for the last year or so. There are a couple of different series that encompass this theme and title, the most prevalent being my compressed series, also known as "Hi-Lited 4 x 4's". It was this series that lead me towards the body of work I am doing now.

The Hi-Lited 4 x 4's began at my desk at work, during one of my coffee breaks. I felt the need to make some art, and had plenty of paper to work on, but could only find a black pen, pencil, and four Hi-Liter markers at my disposal. I decided to make the best with what I had, and started making art (for what ever reason) in a compressed four inch square area on my paper. When ever I had free time at work, I would do another, and eventually I started making them at my studio, and at home. Feeling the itch to work larger, I took the same materials and inspiration, and began expanding the themes and dimensions of these works. The bigger the works have become, the more diverse my materials have also become. You can only push Hi-Liter markers so far (and I have), so I began incorporating pencil crayons, gouache, and acrylics.

I am not trying for a sense of realism, of course, but I am trying to achieve a collage look and feel to these works... as though they were tightly assembled with cut or ripped pieces off paper and bright fabrics. Rather than having an array of old magazines to directly cut and paste my imagery though, I create my own images and textiles in an attempt to mimic a collage. This is both challenging and fun for me, as I have to try and draw a compressed, overlapping field of imagery, utilizing the look of "cut and paste," without the immediacy of the actual materials.

Dan Donaldson

EDUCATION
-BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, 1996
 DEANS HONOUR LIST

AWARDS
-GISSUR ELIASON MEMORIAL PAINTING SCHOLARSHIP
-JACK HART MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
-HEINZ JORDAN AWARD FOR PAINTING
-LIQUITEX EXCELLENCE IN ART STUDENT GRANT

EXHIBITIONS
2007     WINTER WARMER, GROUP SHOW
            ACE ART GALLERY, WINNIPEG
         
            ART IMITATING LIFE IMITATING ART, SOLO SHOW
            ACE ART GALLERY, WINNIPEG

            SQUARE FOOT V
            AWOL GALLERY, TORONTO

            DESIRES REVEALED. GROUP SHOW
            INFUSION GALLERY, LOS ANGELES

2006     FABULOUS FAKES.POP ART WITH A TWIST
            PLUG IN GALLERY, WINNIPEG
             
            SQUARE FOOT IV  
            AWOL GALLERY, TORONTO

            THREE GUYS IN A TRUCK
            THE CREAM GALLERY, WINNIPEG

2005     CAPPY DICK
            THE ANNEX GALLERY, WINNIPEG
 
2001     LE MOIS DE LA PHOTOCOPIE
            GROUP OF N, MONTREAL
 
1996     IF THE SHOE FITS GERALD
            PLUG IN GALLERY, WINNIPEG
                        
1995     GARFUNKLE POPEYE
            ONE NIGHT EVENT IN COLLABORATION WITH S.O.F.A
            (STUDENTS OF FINE ARTS), AGG (ARTISTS GALLERY
            GROUP) VENUE VIII AND THE MACARONI BAR, WINNIPEG

1994     MEMBERS  SHOW
            MAIN ACCESS GALLERY, WINNIPEG
             
            SCHOOL OF MUSIC SHOW
            UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

1993     SOLO SHOW
            OFF-ICE GALLERY, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

1993     STUDENT GROUP SHOW
            MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

            COMPUTER ART SHOW
            WEST END CULTURAL CENTER, WINNIPEG

            IN YOUR FACE (A TASTE OF MANITOBA)
            STUDENT BOLSHEVIC GALLERY, WINNIPEG

            INFEST MANITOBA
            ONE NIGHT EVENT IN COLLABORATION WITH STYLUS
            MAGAZINE, STUDENT BOLSHEVIC GALLERY AND 
            VENUE VIII, WINNNIPEG

1992     GOD DAMN US EVERYONE
            STUDENT BOLSHEVICS GALLERY, WINNIPEG

            PUNISHED IN SILK (STUDENT BOLSHEVICS)
            STUDENT BOLSHEVICS GALLERY, WINNIPEG

            HEDGE MANITOBA
            WAFFLE SHACK GALLERY, WINNIPEG

            STUDENT GROUP SHOW 
            MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

1991     SPRINGEN IN FRUGEN
            ACE ART OUTDOOR PROJECT IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE 
            WINNIPEG FRINGE FESTIVAL AND STUDENT BOLSHEVICS, 
            WINNIPEG

            MINISTRY OF ART (STUDENT BOLSHEVICS)
            WAFFLE SHACK GALLERY, WINNIPEG

            LENINS FURNITURE SHOW (STUDENT BOLSHEVICS)
            STUDENT BOLSHEVICS GALLERY, WINNIPEG

            BOOK 'EM DANO (STUDENT BOLSHEVICS)
            STUDENT BOLSHEVICS GALLERY, WINNIPEG

PERFORMANCES
1991     ENGULFMENT (MANNLICHER CARCANO AUDIO GROUP)
            DOUG HARVEY RETROSPECTIVE, PLUG IN GALLERY,
            WINNIPEG

PUBLICATIONS/PRESS COVERAGE
1992    "STORMING THE RAMPARTS WITH THE STUDENT 
            BOLSHEVICS" ARTICLE BY SCOTT ELLIS, BORDER 
            CROSSINGS. 

1994    "GARFUNKLE POPEYE TRULY ART FOR ART'S SAKE"
            ARTICLE BY CHUCK MOLGAT, UPTOWN MAGAZINE.

2005    "HEAD OF THE CLASS", REVIEW OF THE CAPPY DICK SHOW
            IN UPTOWN MAGAZINE.

2007    "THE ART OF LIFE", REVIEW OF 'ART IMITATING LIFE 
            IMITATING ART' BY KELLY NICKIE, THE UNITER.

            "THE PROVERBIAL QUESTION:DID ART IMITATE LIFE OR...",
            REVIEW BY LORNE ROBERTS, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS.

            "EXHIBITIONISM", ARTICLE BY KENTON SMITH, URBANITE 
            MAGAZINE. 

            "ANOTHER ACE AT ACE ART INC.", REVIEW BY LEAH 
             WERIER, THE MANITOBAN.

2007    COVER OF THE UNITER, UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG NEWS 
            PAPER.

MEDIA COVERAGE
1992     CKY NEWS HOUR, COVERAGE OF THE PUNISHED IN SILK 
            SHOW

            CBC EYE ON THE ARTS WITH ROBERT ENRIGHT, 
            COVERAGE OF INFEST MANITOBA AND THE STUDENT 
            BOLSHEVICS GALLERY.

            CKY NEWS HOUR, COVERAGE OF THE HEDGE MANITOBA 
            SHOW.