Artifact 459
2008, edition of 6 (per size)
archival lightjet print
26½ x 20 and 40 x 30 in
3:22pm October 26 Chapel [from the Vancouver Scrapbook Series] Stars and Stripes [from the Vancouver Scrapbook Series] Double Boiled Linseed Oil [from the Street Series] Artifact 459 Pistol 463 [donated to Unite With Art] Pistol 418 Artifact 269
Mark Mizgala’s paintings are rife with irony. They appear child-like, or naïve, in the handling of the figures, but are in fact quite sophisticated in their composition, bold colour treatment, and subject matter. It is possible to describe Mizgala as an ‘urbane’ Neo-Folk artist. His innocent, intuitive gestures explore very ordinary ‘stuff’ in our lives. The subjects reveal at times a sardonic side, and at others, a more light-hearted ‘pop-art’ approach. Overall, there is a high degree of intelligence at play in these works – be it in their capricious subject matter or compelling execution.
Mark Mizgala, a Vancouver artist, was born in Montreal in 1963. He graduated from the Ontario School of Art in 1987, where he was awarded full scholarship for three consecutive years. Since that time, he has exhibited his art regularly throughout British Columbia. His works are found in private and corporate collections throughout North America and Europe.
"I have moved freely between painting and photography during the course of my art practice. I have worked as an art director for most of my professional career, and advertising is familiar territory. I am fascinated by the corporate machine, its by-products, and the manner in which they are represented in popular culture. To that end, advertising has informed both my early paintings, and more recent photo-based work. I am also interested in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, and the plight of homeless people in our state of advanced capitalism."
- Mark Mizgala