"Man Trap" by Dana Holst - FRESH PICK Volume 1 Edition 22

Man Trap” by Dana Holst is from a new series "Prey" which explores from a psychological perspective the human/animal instinct to stalk other beings - sometimes for survival but mostly for fun. It is a look at the need to act out upon and keep in touch with primal urges, filtered through a sanitized world of industrial and computer prowess where human hunters use technology against lowly beasts, often to unfair advantage. In the drawing “Man Trap” a young woman in silk tights and a frilly can-can costume lifts her skirt up, concealing her face and exposing her legs and panties, setting her trap. Playfully humorous, drawn with delicate and bold marks in black oil paint on pink paper, “Man Trap” uses feminine wiles alone, with the viewer being the stalked prey. "Prey"evokes fairy tale darkness, surreal charm and wry wit, all commenting on human ignorance and our oblivious desire for fun.

Award-winning artist, Dana Holst was born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1972. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BA in Fine Arts in 1995. Post graduation, she received the Don Phillips Scholarship resulting in a year long printmaking residency at Open Studio in Toronto.

Her work has been exhibited across Canada and is in private collections throughout North America. Public collections include:The Glenbow Museum in Calgary, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston; Carleton University Art Gallery in Ottawa; the Alberta Foundation for the Arts in Edmonton; the Art Bank ; the Colart Collection in Montreal and Ernst & Young in Toronto. Original works are available at Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture, Edmonton, Katharine Mulherin, Toronto and Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Ottawa. Her 2010 exhibition schedule includes the Odd Gallery, Dawson City Yukon and the White Water Gallery in North Bay Ontaro. Her personal web site is www.DanaHolst.com.

Buy "Man Trap" by Dana Holst here starting at $45+!

"Green Crocodile Hermes" by Biliana Velkova - FRESH PICK Edition 21

Shop 'Till You Drop!

And do so in style with "Green Crocodile Hermes" by Biliana Velkova whose work examines consumerism by exploring motifs of glamour, brand names and celebrity culture. Velkova searches for ways to fit these references into her everyday reality, incorporating photography, drawing, performance and social interventions into her art practice. As a teen, Velkova immigrated with her family from Bulgaria to Canada, basically transplanted from a Communist, childhood upbringing directly into Western, youth culture. Such profound culture shock provides an unique perception and fascination with consumerism, in both its shallow and far-ranging, socio-cultural effects.

Biliana Velkova has her BFA from Concordia and is a MFA candidate at the University of Saskatchewan, 2010. She is currently working on using performance and multi-media to blend the line between art, advertising and commodity to another level; producing a body of work that utilizes tools actually used in marketing campaigns, including video ads, poster campaigns, and “product launch” performances. Reminiscent of celebrity marketing campaigns that use a popular icon to create a brand name, this work challenges this phenomenon with the creation of “media-hype” around an unknown persona that is devoid of any famous trademark. This project questions how and when a common person becomes a brand, thus blurring the lines of art, commodity, and social identity. Biliana Velkova is represented in Vancouver by the Jeffrey Boone Gallery, www.jeffreyboonegallery.com.

OLIO FESTIVAL - "The Shoe Show" opening at Grace Gallery, Friday Aug. 14/09

VANTAGE ART PROJECTS supports Olio Festival and the arts events and showings around Vancouver. Check out the artists showing at each venue and "The Shoe Show" at Grace Gallery, 1898 Main Street. Opening party Friday, August 14th at 8pm.

[oh-lee-oh] -noun, plural olios.

1. a medley, as of musical or literary selections; miscellany.
2. a mixture of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge.
3. a dish of many ingredients.

MISSION STATEMENT

Olio Festival is a not-for-profit Vancouver based cultural expose focused on bringing together taste-making music, comedy, design, art, and film to Vancouver, from across Canada, and around the world. As a reflection of the diversity of both the artists and the city, Olio festival moves through the neighborhoods of Vancouver creating exposure for businesses across the city.

http://www.oliofestival.com/