Programming
Mitch Robertson
Famous TM
This young Toronto artist has transformed the gallery into a "Graceland that pays homage" evoking a museum gift store.
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This young Toronto artist has transformed the gallery into a "Graceland that pays homage" evoking a museum gift store. His famousTM Buddhas, a display of 120 plaster Buddhas all painted differently, printed T-shirts, coloring books and trading cards featuring 30 of Toronto's best-known artists were sold "at unbeatable prices. The artist made promotional flyers available to buyers stating that "although you can buy factory-made Buddhas at any store, only the possession of a famousTM Buddhas will allow you to attain revelation."
Using a wide range of materials, Mitch Robertson creates work based on these four pop-culture obsessions in such way best described as "condemning by celebrating" their importance to our society. Like every major museum, hall-of-fame, or tourist attraction, famousM is comprised of two key elements: The attraction you came for. The souvenir you left with. While most tourist attractions have unavoidable gift shops selling a range of merchandise covered with the images you've just viewed, famous M pushes the impulse buying mentality of the gift shop right into the "museum". The doll portraits are actual advertisements from "women's magazines" that, with a heartwarming slogan, you may actually purchase over the phone. The buddhas, on the other hand, represent a collision of cultures: the image of someone who rejects wordly things has become a mass-produced collectible. With "pretty doll paintings" and affordable buddha sculptures in the gallery, the exhibition is complete with tourist trap merchandise ranging from T-Shirts and postcards to doll head candles, and just the right amount of glam, charm and arrogance.
Buy Sell Trade. Obsessions of fame, beauty, wealth, and collectibles; we are all part of it, I just want to make you aware.
Does 15 minutes of fame include commercial breaks? - Mitch Robertson
Mitch Robertson is a young Toronto-based artist. Since 1993, he was part of several group and solo exhibitons. Most recently he presented famous™ at Latitude 53 in Edmonton. Robertson Is the author of the famous™ artstars project, "a series of trading cards featuring some of the best artists in the Toronto art scene", wich can be purchased at DARE-DARE.