Toronto-based Margaux Williamson once explained her visual fixation like so: "Looking at images has always been like candy for me." So when I interview her before the opening of Trophy Ghost, her new show at Fette's Gallery I have to ask—what kind of candy would her work be? "Candy that doesn't make you feel sick," she jokes. "It's a lofty goal." Not a surprising response from an artist known for including an element of humor in her deeply melancholic paintings. Who are the people who make her laugh? "My three biggest collaborators, author Sheila Heti, Ryan Kamstra of Tomboyfriend, and the host of the Trampoline Hall Lectures, Misha Glouberman," she says. "They kill me. Also, people who ask you not to laugh—they always get me going."

When she's not painting or stifling fits of giggles, Williamson loves making movies, a process that informs her artwork. "When I was watching other people's films and not making my own, my paintings often had a narrative element to them," she explains. "Once I started making 'Teenager Hamlet 2006' (which will be ready for viewing in about a month), my paintings became more sculptural and static. I think I started to enjoy the limitations of painting—to exploit and explore those elements. I've always thought more of art in general than a specific medium, but the craft of each medium can teach you a lot about the wider picture."

With "Superman comforter," one of the pieces in Trophy Ghost, the influence is even more direct. "In my head, Superman grew alongside Hamlet as Hamlet's brother. In my limited world, they were both princes of America—nice men, with good intentions. And though Hamlet's procrastination in the face of injustice is annoying, Superman's optimism and confidence seem more vulnerable and equally dangerous. I liked the thought of him generously lending his symbol to a place where one might want some comfort. It's kind of more lonely and daunting than if the comforter were covered in kittens."

See Trophy Ghost at Fette's Gallery (4255 Baldwin Avenue, 310-559-7733), now through March 22nd.

- Caroline Stanley

Similar Topics:art, gallery

comments (0) : Send to a Friend : Subscribe

:  digg this :  del.icio.us! :