Opening

Arsenal Toronto is proud to present a selection of works by Washington-based artist Mark Jenkins. This exhibition considers the implication of perception in public spaces, while revisiting key monuments and icons in Western cultural history.

Throughout his 2016 residency at Arsenal Contemporary Art in Montreal, Mark Jenkins developed a body of work that re-examines art historical imagery through the lens of contemporary culture. Goredilocks and Papa Bear reimagines Michelangelo’s Pieta played by a gored Goldilocks and repenting Poppa Bear, while Suicide Bombers atop a Skyscraper reimagines the iconic photo Lunch atop a Skyscraper. A centrepiece of the exhibition, this last work substitutes construction workers for suicide bombers wielding dynamite, Uzi automatic weapons and selfie sticks. The piece is intended to illuminate the irony of a new breed of “deconstruction” workers in the post 9/11 era. Known for his sculptural street installations that repurpose urban spaces as a theatrical stage, Jenkins employs an unconventional style of creating hyperrealist works, which includes the use of packing tape as a casting medium.

Mark Jenkins gained international acclaim through his guerrilla street art practice and an invitation in 2006 by British artist Banksy to participate in an international group exhibition in London. The artist has exhibited widely across Eastern and Western Europe, as well as in Asia, South America, the Middle East and the United States.