DAX MORRISON | THE WILLING AND ABLE
SATURDAY 27 JUNE 2009 – SATURDAY 08 AUGUST 2009
OPENING RECEPTION | FRIDAY26 JUNE 2009, 8:00PM – 10:00PM
DAX MORRISON‘s site-specific installation initiates collaboration between himself and art galleries in the city of Toronto. A number of local galleries, representing the full spectrum of the art system in Toronto, will be contacted and requested to donate a small sample of their exhibition wall paint. These samples will then be painted on a wall in YYZ in an attempt to represent the current context of the gallery in relation to other art venues in the city. The end result will be a work that documents galleries in the city at a very specific moment in time.
Selecting galleries through either the Yellow Pages or Slate Art Guide, Morrison uses these external sources in attempt to mimic the ordinary process of a gallery-goer.
There are few opportunities that allow for the non-hierarchical dissemination of various art venues (public, commercial, private, artist-run) that exist within a city like Toronto. Morrison’s site-specific installation challenges this trope of position and rank. By taking on the roles of artist and installation technician, Morrison creates an environment whereby discussing the complex interrelationships about a social and geographic setting is encouraged. One might be able to see the community as an expansive and diverse group.
DAX MORRISON completed his MFA at the University of Windsor in 2004 and did his undergraduate training at the Ontario College of Art and Design. He has had solo exhibitions at Diaz Contemporary (Toronto), CSA Space (Vancouver), The Art Gallery of Windsor (Windsor), Open Studio (Toronto) and has participated in group exhibitions held at Gallery 44 (Toronto), Forest City Gallery (London) and Access Artist Run Centre (Vancouver). Morrison has twice received an Emerging Artist grant from the Ontario Arts Council as well as scholarships from Open Studio and the University of Windsor. Morrison is represented by Diaz Contemporary.