Ian Shatilla, Masking Grief Behind His Masks
At first glance, Montreal artist Ian Shatilla’s latest series of paintings appear to be an exploration
of SM sexuality. The show, titledConsuming Defeat, features gorgeous images of men in
latex masks, some also donning leather gear and chains.
of SM sexuality. The show, titledConsuming Defeat, features gorgeous images of men in
latex masks, some also donning leather gear and chains.
Ian Shatilla's Gear (8" X 10" oil on wood) is one of the pieces in
his show Consuming Defeat.
his show Consuming Defeat.
Ian Shatilla's Party for One (72.5" X 72" oil on convas) is one
of the pieces in his show Consuming Defeat.
of the pieces in his show Consuming Defeat.
But that’s at first glance. As with most great art, there’s something lurking beneath the surface of these striking paintings. Indeed, Shatilla says he painted them after hearing the news that his long-time boyfriend had cancer and was facing an uphill battle for survival.
“The past four months made me think about how we hide behind masks at all times,” says Shatilla. “My intention was never really to get into SM issues. But I can see how that became a theme, inadvertently.”
Shatilla points out that “a mask allows us to cover up, to become anonymous. I think when people are grieving there’s a sense that they want to retreat. We all deal with defeat in many different ways. We deal with defeat when we watch the news every day, which generally shows us bad news, like earthquakes.”
Shatilla’s work is over-the-top, at once real and pushing the envelope into the surreal. He uses oversaturated primary colours to make the works inviting to the eye – at the same time, you can sense something darker when you look at the series in its entirety. One self-portrait depicts Shatilla with a terribly pained and anguished expression on his face. “I painted that while
thinking about the BP oil spill. How do we deal with defeat on that level, politically, culturally
and personally? That can be terribly hard. I called it simply Oil Spill."
thinking about the BP oil spill. How do we deal with defeat on that level, politically, culturally
and personally? That can be terribly hard. I called it simply Oil Spill."
A graduate of Dawson College and Concordia University, Shatilla says he wanted to paint
the works in big, bold colours and to make them gorgeous to behold, in stark contrast to
the dark themes and ideas he was confronting. “The subject matter is a downer,
but I wanted the paintings to be beautiful.”
the works in big, bold colours and to make them gorgeous to behold, in stark contrast to
the dark themes and ideas he was confronting. “The subject matter is a downer,
but I wanted the paintings to be beautiful.”
A gay artist confronting mortality prompts the obvious question: is our community especially
well-versed with the spectre of death and illness, given our collective experience with AIDS?
“I think that’s quite generational. I am 28, so I never had to go through that.
This is new to me.”
well-versed with the spectre of death and illness, given our collective experience with AIDS?
“I think that’s quite generational. I am 28, so I never had to go through that.
This is new to me.”
Shatilla says he wasn’t even sure what the paintings were really about as he created them.
His grief and shock came to the fore after, when he was composing his artist’s statement for
the show. “A lot of conceptualizing went into the work after the fact. I realized how
much of my personal situation went into the work. It is distinctly autobiographical. Even
though I was thinking
about politics as I did these paintings, what I have been going through makes the work
much more personal.”
His grief and shock came to the fore after, when he was composing his artist’s statement for
the show. “A lot of conceptualizing went into the work after the fact. I realized how
much of my personal situation went into the work. It is distinctly autobiographical. Even
though I was thinking
about politics as I did these paintings, what I have been going through makes the work
much more personal.”
Ian Shatilla’s exhibit of new paintings, Consuming Defeat, will run from Feb 24 to March 12 at the
Warren G Flowers Gallery in Montreal (4001 de Maisonneuve W). The vernissage will be held this Friday,
Feb 24, 5:30-7:30pm.
Warren G Flowers Gallery in Montreal (4001 de Maisonneuve W). The vernissage will be held this Friday,
Feb 24, 5:30-7:30pm.
This article posted on http://www.xtra.ca
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