Cars

Mixed Media; Digital Inkjet Reproduction, 2010

Artist Statement

The humour is these Calaveras images relates to the satirical use of skeletons in Mexican folk art and and were created shortly after moving from Xalapa to Toronto. For that reason I think that they can be understood in and out of the Mexican context. They began as paper cuts that I then manipulated digitally. The challenge I gave myself was to cut the paper in a way that resulted in both a positive and a negative image, and without wasting paper.

En Español

El humor en estas imágenes está relacionado con el uso satírico de calaveras en el arte popular mexicano y fueron realizadas a poco tiempo de haber mudado de Xalapa a Toronto. Por lo tanto pienso que se pueden entender dentro y fuera del contexto mexicano. Empecé con papel picado que luego manipulé digitalmente. Me di el reto de cortar el papel de tal manera que resultara en una imágen positiva y otra negativa, sin desperdiciar papel.

Cars

Mixed Media; Digital Inkjet Reproduction, 2010

These editions are printed with archival pigment inks on a matte Fine Art paper. The ink and paper combination have a display permanence rating of 200+ years.

Print Size: We never change the aspect ratio or crop the original image. Each image is sized to maximally fill the selected dimension. All of our prints have a minimum border of a 1/4 of an inch to allow for framing.

All our editions are supervised by the artist and are accompanied by a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity. Our prints are made with the greatest attention to quality and a concern for permanence. (Learn more about Print Permanence in the FAQ.)

Alec Dempster

b. Mexico City, 1971

Short Bio

Alec Dempster was born in Mexico and is now based in Toronto. He has gained notoriety for his multi-disciplinary projects related to Mexican popular culture. They combine printmaking, oral history, field recording, music and performance. This work has been collected and exhibited internationally, featured in numerous publications and is now part of the iconography associated with jarocho and huasteco culture. However, his thematic and conceptual exploration extends far beyond these parameters.

In addition Alec is an illustrator and an accomplished musician in the son jarocho genre, performing with the group Café Con Pan which he formed with his wife Kali Niño.

Website

www.alecdempster.com

Alec Dempster

Education

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours), York University, Department of Visual Arts, 1994

Solo Exhibitions

• Index G Gallery - Toronto Canada, 2010
• Galería La Iguana - Hervas, Spain, 2007
• Meztli Galería - Chicago, Illinois, 2007
• Inst. Mexicano de Planeación e Investigación - Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, 2007
• Mexic-arte Museum – Austin, Texas, 2006
• International Airport – Austin, Texas, 2006
• El Agora de la Ciudad, Xalapa, Veracruz, 2005
• Louche Gallery – Toronto, 2004
• Jardín de las Esculturas – Xalapa, Veracruz, 2004
• Espace Latinos – Lyon, France, 2003
• Galería Marie Louise Ferrari – Xalapa, Veracruz, 2003
• Pinacoteca Diego Rivera – Xalapa, Veracruz, 2001
• Galería Universitaria Alva de la Canal – Xalapa, Veracruz, 2000
• Galería AP de la Universidad Veracruzana–Xalapa, Veracruz, 1999
• Open Studio Gallery – Toronto, 1997
• Tableau Vivant Gallery –Toronto, 1996

Awards and Achievements

• Public Commission for the Liberty Village Public Bench Art Program, 2010
• First prize, International Ex-libris Competition in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, 2007
• Exhibition Assistance Grant from the government of the State of Veracruz, 2006
• Visiting Artist in the Serie Project at Coronado Studios in Austin, Texas, 2006
• Emerging artist grant from FONCA (National Fund for the Culture and Arts), 2005
• Emerging artist grant from FONCA (National Fund for the Culture and Arts), 2003
• Visiting artist at St. Michael's Printshop, St. John's, NL., 1995