Exhibition Statement
For an artist interested in kamikaze subject matter, drawing yields a distinct freedom: compared to, say, painting -- with its academic gravity -- drawing possesses a degree of levity, often making serious subjects feel less serious. Fusing the linear sensibilities of a caricature by Daumier with the madcap absurdity of a Looney Tunes cartoon, these drawings consider moral codes inherent in chthonic imagery and investigate the frissons delivered by images of humorous violence and sophomoric senselessness. Cindy Sherman once said that the "horrors of the real world are too profound and too unthinkable for art to match; it’s easier to absorb and understand if it’s done in a fake, humorous and artificial way.” These drawings, then, are tragic-slapstick narratives that provide the index for a pervasive cultural malaise.
Artist Biography
Erin Finley is an artist working in Toronto where she teaches drawing at OCAD University. Finley's artwork has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, France, and Italy. She has received research grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, and the University of Calgary, where she obtained an MFA in 2004.