JAY ISAAC on view at Paul Petro
Contemporary Art (265A Queen West)
until April 7. 416-979-7874. Rating: NNN
Rating: NNN
jay isaac plunges himself whole- heartedly into an utterly fake rococo sensibility, painting romanticized landscapes so obviously based on tabletop props, it’s hard to imagine that Modernism, or even the 19th century, ever happened.It’s a tough aesthetic indeed, with garishly pretty pastel colours — hot pinks, turquoise blues, putrid purples — demanding acknowledgement of their intrinsic beauty.
Isaac openly admits to constructing his models from the sorts of things used as movie props, and anyone who wants to see one of these set-ups is in luck. Isaac’s sculptural Watering Hole is on view at Solo Exhibition (787 Queen West) until April 7. If you go, don’t miss the chance to hit the switch that activates the waterfalls.
It’s all a game, of course, because unlike the 18th-century landscape masters who constructed their scenery right inside their studios, Isaac isn’t trying to fool anyone. If anything, he’s being painfully honest.dh
deirdre@nowtoronto.com
