MADELEINE MAYO
Vex-Visceral
York Vitrines, Main Space, and Ste-Catherine Vitrine
September 12 – October 21, 2022
Madeleine Mayo, Defend and Befriend, 2022. Photo by Paul Litherland.
Exhibition description
Madeleine Mayo’s fantastical body of work, Vex-Visceral, considers how weapons of battle, and conversely, tools of play can be reinvented to grapple with the conflicting, but often complementary desires we share for connection and independence, surrender and self-preservation. Mayo transforms the gallery space into a scene where sculptural objects can be imagined to serve lovers, comrades, rivals and challengers. Mayo draws from the make-believe quality of theatrical props, Cosplay and erotic toys in order to query the symbolic power of weapons and to imbue forms with unaccustomed sensuality. In this installation, objects evoke power, desire, and a world where the rules of engagement are unclear.
About the Artist
Madeleine Mayo is an interdisciplinary artist who works with painting, sculpture and installation. Her works ride the edge between abstraction and figuration, expressing sensuality and an often mythical imagination. Using humour and openness, she strives to challenge moralistic biases in a playful way by imbuing a vision of uplifting imagination with contradiction and imperfection. Mayo holds a BFA in Painting from OCADU (The Ontario College of Art and Design University) and an MFA from Concordia University. She currently lives and works in Montréal, Québec.
Website : www.madeleinemayo.com
