Schism

Acrylic, gouache, and ink on canvas
48 x 60 in. / 122 x 152 cm
Unframed
2022

The pace of our technological hyperreality creates simultaneous growth and decay, articulated within the complex, drawn and painted works by Brendan A. de Montigny. Revolving around processes of assembly and deconstruction, de Montigny uses glue, silicons, inks, pint, and gouache, reinterpreting instructional guides from model cars, aeroplanes, microwaves, and other appliances. These forms inspire mechanical drawings; each form and shape is embedded with symbolic representational meaning. Borrowing text from the didactic instructions, the artworks bear ominous messages that disrupt societal assumptions of trustworthy structural mechanics. 

The skull in Schism is based on a sculpture by Picasso. The figures are pulled from studies and references from Goya, W. Blair Bruce, and the crucifixion of saint Andrew by Luca Giordano.  The black in the background is Black 3.0, the darkest matte acrylic you can buy (in Europe). It was created from a response to Kapoor buying the rights to Vanta Black.