Sept 23 - Dec 16, 2017
Exhibition curated by Lee Plested and Rui Amaral, including works by other artists sourced from Vancouver collections selected by Paul P. and the curators.
Opening reception Friday, September 22, 7-9pm
Griffin Art Projects is thrilled to present Civilization (inverted), an exhibition of works by Paul P. (1977, Canada). Paul P. came to international attention in 2003 for his drawings and paintings of young men that systematically re-imagined found erotic photographs along nineteenth century aesthetic modes. In recent years, the artist’s interests in transience, desire, cataloging, notation and repeat observation has expanded to include evocative landscapes and their abstraction, often created en plein air, and the realization of sculpture in the form of furniture. To expand this special exhibition project, which originated at Scrap Metal, Toronto, the curators have selected additional work from private collections for inclusion in the show to realize conversations, both historical and aesthetic, that further illuminate the artist’s interests. In Paul’s words, “for this exhibition I am interested in the impulses within intimate milieux, whether dandy, bohemian, Beat, or otherwise, which prioritized aesthetic and social ideals - often to the point of fantasy - as a form of insolence to the general sway of philistinism and moral indignation that dominates.” These additional artistic perspectives including work and ephemera by Roy Arden, Scott Burton, Brion Gyson, Bryan Mulvihill, Marchesa Casati, Edouard Manet, and Sunny Suits. Paul P.’s work was included in the 2014 Whitney Biennial, as well as in group exhibitions around the world including MoMA, New York, and the Freud Museum, London. He has been collected by MoMA, LACMA, The Brooklyn Museum, SFMoMA, and The Whitney, among others. Paul P. would like to acknowledge the support of the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council, Paul P. is represented by Maureen Paley, London and Massimo Minnini, Brescia, Italy.
Read the exhibition text by the artist.
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Civilization Coordinates (Scrap Books), 2015, Mahogany, 71.12 x 109.22 x 59.59 cm, Shlesinger-Walbohm Family Collection, Toronto; Paul P., Brian Howard, 2017, Ash wood, mahogany and lacquer, Three parts: 55 x 65 cm, 31 x 30 x 42 cm, 33 x, 31.5 x 45 cm, Collection of Anouchka Freybe; Paul P., Portrait of Nancy Mitford as a Reflection of her Gay Friends, 2014-2017, Collage and ink on paper, 61 x 83 cm, Courtesy the artist
Paul P., Civilization Coordinates (Scrap Books), 2015, Mahogany, 71.12 x 109.22 x 59.59 cm, Shlesinger-Walbohm Family Collection, Toronto
Paul P., Civilization Coordinates (Scrap Books), 2015, Mahogany, 71.12 x 109.22 x 59.59 cm, Shlesinger-Walbohm Family Collection, Toronto
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Brian Howard, 2017, Ash wood, mahogany and lacquer, Three parts: 55 x 65 cm, 31 x 30 x 42 cm, 33 x 31.5 x 45 cm, Collection of Anouchka Freybe; Paul P., Portrait of Nancy Mitford as a Reflection of her Gay Friends, 2014-2017, Collage and ink on paper, 61 x 83 cm, Courtesy the artist; Edouard Manet, Portrait of Baudelaire, 1867/68, Etching, 10 x 12 cm, Collection of Ian Wallace
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2016, Oil on canvas, 55 x 46 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2016, Oil on canvas, 27 x 22 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2011, Oil on canvas, 27 x 22 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Paul P., Untitled, 2012, Ash wood, mahogany and lacquer, Three Parts: 55 x 65 cm, 31 x 30 x 42 cm, 33 x 31.5 x 45 cm, Collection of Anouchka Freybe
Paul P., Untitled, 2012, Ash wood, mahogany and lacquer, Three Parts: 55 x 65 cm, 31 x 30 x 42 cm, 33 x 31.5 x 45 cm, Collection of Anouchka Freybe
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2016, Oil on canvas, 27 x 22 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2016, Oil on canvas, 27 x 22 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2011, Oil on canvas, 27 x 22 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2012, Oil on canvas, 24 x 19 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Brian Howard, 2017, Ash wood, mahogany and lacquer, Three parts: 55 x 65 cm, 31 x 30 x 42 cm, 33 x 31.5 x 45 cm, Collection of Anouchka Freybe; Paul P., Portrait of Nancy Mitford as a Reflection of her Gay Friends, 2014-2017, Collage and ink on paper, 61 x 83 cm, Courtesy the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled (Forest Fire Sunset, Wreck Beach), 2017, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled (Forest Fire Sunset, Wreck Beach), 2017, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2012, Oil on canvas, 33 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2012, Oil on canvas, 33 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Roy Arden, Greg Girard with Coat, 1981-85, Cibachrome print, Ed. 7/10, 45 x 40.5 cm, Collection of Paul P.; Paul P., Hamish St Clair-Erskine, 2014, Mahogany, lacquer with patinated brass hinges (unique), 180 x 126 cm, 42 x 33 x 40 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2017, Oil on canvas, 35 x 27 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, 27 x 19 cm, Collection of Roy Arden
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled (Wreck Beach), 2017, Ink on paper, 20 x 14 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Scribe's Table (Brion/Bryan), 2017, Nordic birch, 32 x 42 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Brion Gyson, Errata 1/2, 1978, Ink on paper, 20 x 28 cm, Collection of Bryan Mulvihill; Wang Ya-Bing, Mountain brush stand, 2016, Ceramic from porcelain factory, Jiagdezhen, 20 x 20 x 18 cm, Collection of Bryan Mulvihill; Paul P., Untitled, 2016, Oil on canvas, 55 x 46 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled (Wreck Beach), 2017, Ink on paper, 20 x 14 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Scribe's Table (Brion/Bryan), 2017, Nordic birch, 32 x 42 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Brion Gyson, Errata 1/2, 1978, Ink on paper, 20 x 28 cm, Collection of Bryan Mulvihill; Wang Ya-Bing, Mountain brush stand, 2016, Ceramic from porcelain factory, Jiagdezhen, 20 x 20 x 18 cm, Collection of Bryan Mulvihill
IInstallation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled (Forest Fire Sunset, Wreck Beach), 2017, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled (Forest Fire Sunset), 2017, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2014, Hand woven wool rug (ed. 2), 236 x 160 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled (three low tables), 2013 Mahogany (unique), 35 x 42 x 33 cm, 35 x 42 x 33 cm, 41 x 48 x 33 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Scott Burton:Individual Behaviour Tableau, exhibition poster, University Art Museum, Berkeley, 1980, 56 x 28 cm, Courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled (Forest Fire Sunset, Wreck Beach), 2017, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled (Forest Fire Sunset, Wreck Beach), 2017, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 24 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2014, Hand woven wool rug (ed. 2), 236 x 160 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled (three low tables), 2013 Mahogany (unique), 35 x 42 x 33 cm, 35 x 42 x 33 cm, 41 x 48 x 33 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2014, Hand woven wool rug (ed. 2), 236 x 160 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled (three low tables), 2013 Mahogany (unique), 35 x 42 x 33 cm, 35 x 42 x 33 cm, 41 x 48 x 33 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Scott Burton:Individual Behaviour Tableau, exhibition poster, University Art Museum, Berkeley, 1980, 56 x 28 cm, Courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film
Installation view, from left to right: Scott Burton:Individual Behaviour Tableau, exhibition poster, University Art Museum, Berkeley, 1980, 56 x 28 cm, Courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film; Paul P., Untitled, 2013, Oil on canvas, 22 x 16 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2013 Oil on canvas, 22 x 16 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2017, 27 x 22 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, Courtesy of the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2013, Oil on canvas, 22 x 16 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2013 Oil on canvas, 22 x 16 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2017, 27 x 22 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, Courtesy of the artist
Installation view, from left to right: Roy Arden, Greg Girard with Coat, 1981-85, Cibachrome print, Ed. 7/10, 45 x 40.5 cm, Collection of Paul P.; Paul P., Hamish St Clair-Erskine, 2014, Mahogany, lacquer with patinated brass hinges (unique), 180 x 126 cm, 42 x 33 x 40 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Paul P., Hamish St Clair-Erskine, 2014, Mahogany, lacquer with patinated brass hinges (unique), 180 x 126 cm, 42 x 33 x 40 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Roy Arden, Greg Girard With Coat, 1981-85, Cibachrome print, Ed. 7/10, 45 x 40.5 cm, Collection of Paul P.
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2017, Oil on canvas, 35 x 27 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, 27 x 19, Collection of Roy Arden; Baron Adolph de Meyer, Marchese Casati, 1912, Photogravure, 16 x 22 cm, Collection of Ian Wallace; Paul P., Writing Table for Nancy Mitford (Blitz Era), 2013, Mahogany (unique), 75 x 90 x 41.5 cm, 43 x 33 x 33 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, 55 x 46 cm, Shlesinger-Walbohm Family Collection, Toronto; Sunny Suits, Joey at home, Brooklyn, 2013, Digital C print, 15 x 21 cm, Private collection
Sunny Suits, Joey at home, Brooklyn, 2013, Digital C print, 15 x 21 cm, Private collection
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2017, Oil on canvas, 35 x 27 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, 27 x 19, Collection of Roy Arden; Baron Adolph de Meyer, Marchese Casati, 1912, Photogravure, 16 x 22 cm, Collection of Ian Wallace; Paul P., Writing Table for Nancy Mitford (Blitz Era), 2013, Mahogany (unique), 75 x 90 x 41.5 cm, 43 x 33 x 33 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, 55 x 46 cm, Shlesinger-Walbohm Family Collection, Toronto
Installation view, from left to right: Paul P., Untitled, 2017, Oil on canvas, 35 x 27 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, 27 x 19, Collection of Roy Arden
Installation view, from left to right: Baron Adolph de Meyer, Marchese Casati, 1912, Photogravure, 16 x 22 cm, Collection of Ian Wallace; Paul P., Writing Table for Nancy Mitford (Blitz Era), 2013, Mahogany (unique), 75 x 90 x 41.5 cm, 43 x 33 x 33 cm, Courtesy of the artist; Paul P., Untitled, 2015, Oil on canvas, 55 x 46 cm, Shlesinger-Walbohm Family Collection, Toronto
Paul P., Writing Table for Nancy Mitford (Blitz Era), 2013, Mahogany (unique), 75 x 90 x 41.5 cm, 43 x 33 x 33 cm, Courtesy of the artist
Trolley Bus(Bryan Mulvihill), Sur La Mer (Calligrafitti), 2015, Acrylic and pigments on found painting, 51 x 61 cm, Courtesy of the artist