[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”96c65ff2-b827-4dd4-99bf-85ab8d6c7be8″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”bc2e28d3-0689-41ff-a461-b7fee1386fe1″ global_colors_info=”{}” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”|30px|||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” header_2_font_last_edited=”on|phone” sticky_enabled=”0″ header_2_line_height_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_2_line_height_phone=”1.2em”]<\/p>\n
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Over 20 years ago, Alan Belcher introduced the notion of mascot production into the medium of sculpture with his series entitled \u2018Friends\u2019. Although his history includes photography, sculpture, installation, and painting; Belcher\u2019s prime concentration has always remained in objectification, no matter what the medium. In the mid-90\u2019s, Alan set his sights on Japan, where he had already exhibited and visited several times. He studied the Japanese language for three years, and received the Japan Foundation Fellowship. The \u2018Friends\u2019 body of works sprouted from both this tangent of study as well as from his prior experiences living in K\u00f6ln where he was exposed to the Sugar Punk techno culture that had incubated in Germany during his five years living there (1991-96). These works were exhibited in 1996 at Free Parking in Toronto, and in 1997 at both Jack Shainman Gallery In New York and Cold City Gallery in Toronto, and then at The Japan Foundation Toronto in 1999.<\/p>\n
\u201cNamed after various friends, Belcher\u2019s huggable plush sculptures are collages sewn by the artist himself, using random items that he has taken from everyday life: a roll of toilet paper, a soccer ball, bruised bananas, ginger, stuffed olives. Some of the other components he uses are slightly odder\u2014aspirin, the plastic close tab from a bread bag, a computer mouse, and assorted Asian medicinals, primarily aphrodisiacs. These disparate objects are rendered in acrylic plush and then stuffed with polyester fibrefill. The artist describes the works as \u201cpat images… when the shapes are combined they negate themselves. The artist\u2019s intentional meaningless is an acute account of the triumph of pop culture in the visual arts.\u201d Belcher\u2019s conceptual practice is decidedly multi-layered and object orientated. He has been recognized in the past as an originator of a tactile fusion of photography and object-making. A transparency of vision and simplicity of fabrication with a concentrated regard for materials remain hallmarks of his serial productions. Belcher is known for a directness and a sharp simplicity when approaching difficult subject matter. A sense of humour and a reverence for a Pop sensibility, as well as a hands-on approach, invade much of his work. He was co-founder and co-director of Gallery Nature Morte with artist Peter Nagy in New York\u2019s East Village from 1982\u201388. Works by Alan Belcher are held in several public collections including the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), Morris & Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC (Vancouver), Musee des Beaux-Arts (Montr\u00e9al), Fotomuseum Winterthur (Zurich), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), Chase Manhattan Bank, Credit Suisse Collection, and Mus\u00e9e Nic\u00e9phore Ni\u00e9pce (Chalon-sur-Sa\u00f4ne, France); as well as various prominent private collections. \u2014balanelcher.com<\/a><\/p>\n Come meet Doug, Stephen, Alessandra, Lenny, Romeo, Sabine, Mundy, Kostas, Jenny, Robin, Olivia, and Alice !<\/p>\n May 2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”115,97,96,95,94,93,92,91,90,89,88,87,85,84,83,82,81,80″ posts_number=”20″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” zoom_icon_color=”#000000″ hover_icon=”.||divi||400″ module_class=”pa-image-gallery-1-1″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|-15px|||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”|0px|||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”|0px|||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”||||true|true” custom_css_gallery_item=”margin: 0 !important;||width: 100% !important;||clear: none !important;||padding: 5px;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Friends<\/i>
\u2014Jonathan Goodman, Canadian Art Magazine<\/em>, Summer 1997<\/p>\n
\nMay 2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1080","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exhibitions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":647,"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63\/revisions\/647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beautysupplyroom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}