2010 Festival ←

Group Exhibition The Mechanical Bride

Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art

Artists

Jaqueline Hassink
Dana Claxton
Matt Siber
Kota Ezawa
Josephine Meckseper
Alec Soth
Britta Thie
Ryan McGinley
John Armstrong & Paul Collins
David LaChapelle

Jacqueline Hassink, Toyota girl 1, Frankfurt, 2007 International Motor Show, 11 September 2007, from the series Car Girls, 2006-08 Courtesy of the artist and Amador Gallery, New York — Jacqueline Hassink, *Toyota girl 1, Frankfurt, 2007 International Motor Show, 11 September 2007, from the series Car Girls*, 2006-08 Courtesy of the artist and Amador Gallery, New York

Josephine Meckseper, Blow Up (Michelli, Knee Highs), 2006 Courtesy of the artist, New York, Elizabeth Dee, New York, Galerie Reinhard Hauff, Stuttgart, and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn — Josephine Meckseper, *Blow Up (Michelli, Knee Highs)*, 2006 Courtesy of the artist, New York, Elizabeth Dee, New York, Galerie Reinhard Hauff, Stuttgart, and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Kota Ezawa, NEW! ($2.99/ea), 2007 Courtesy of the artist and Murray Guy, New York — Kota Ezawa, *NEW! ($2.99/ea)*, 2007 Courtesy of the artist and Murray Guy, New York

Alec Soth, Florence, 2007 © Alec Soth/Magnum Photos — Alec Soth, *Florence*, 2007 © Alec Soth/Magnum Photos

Ryan McGinley, Blue Falling, 2007 Courtesy of the artist and Team Gallery, New York — Ryan McGinley, *Blue Falling*, 2007 Courtesy of the artist and Team Gallery, New York

Matt Siber, Untitled #25, 2004 Courtesy of the artist — Matt Siber, *Untitled #25*, 2004 Courtesy of the artist

Britta Thie, Shooting, 2009 Courtesy of the artist — Britta Thie, *Shooting*, 2009 Courtesy of the artist

Dana Claxton, Baby Girlz Gotta a Mustang, 2008 National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Purchase 2009 — Dana Claxton, *Baby Girlz Gotta a Mustang*, 2008 National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Purchase 2009

John Armstrong & Paul Collins, cache-misere, Betty Boop, 2007-09 Courtesy of the artists — John Armstrong & Paul Collins, *cache-misere, Betty Boop*, 2007-09 Courtesy of the artists

David LaChapelle, Lady Gaga: Electric Chair, 2009 Courtesy of the artist and Fred Torres Collaborations — David LaChapelle, *Lady Gaga: Electric Chair*, 2009 Courtesy of the artist and Fred Torres Collaborations

The renowned Canadian theorist Marshall McLuhan applied techniques of art criticism to assess the affect of mass media upon the public in his groundbreaking book published in 1951, The Mechanical Bride. His practice of analyzing and commenting upon the persuasive strategies applied in the media of his times remains relevant today within a global village consumed by widespread media saturation.

Mirroring a world devoted to the image, photo-based works by Canadian and international artists reveal vital connections between mass media, advertising, painting and photography. Reflecting the enduring influence of Marshall McLuhan, The Mechanical Bride exhibition explores the social and cultural affect of images and their emotional and political implications.

Curated by Bonnie Rubenstein

Presented in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art

Kota Ezawa, born 1969 in Cologne, is a German-Japanese artist and Professor of Film and Fine Arts at California College of the Arts. Ezawa studied at Art Academy Düsseldorf with Nam June Paik and holds an MFA from Stanford University. He has had solo shows at Hayward Gallery Projects Space, London, and at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and has participated in group exhibitions at the Whitney Museum, New York; The Art Institute of Chicago; and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. Ezawa was a resident at Goethe-Institut Villa Kamogawa, Japan, and his work is held in collections including MoMA and the Musée D’Art Contemporain de Montréal. Monographs include The Crime of Art and The History of Photography Remix.