Last week I attended an art show at Coldstream Fine Art in support of a good artist friend of mine, Mr. Hydde! I guess I'm starting off my year with positive and happy vibes with his show "Happy Tyme" I will talking about some of his amazing work, and also give you some information on the gallery: Coldstream Fine Art.
Here's an exert about the exhibition written in the picture above:
Coldstream Fine Art is pleased to present Happy Tyme, a new series of work by Toronto-based street artist Mr. Hydde. Working in his unmistakable style of picturescapes saturated with fluorescent colour, adorned with pathworks of words and detailed with chaotic geometries, Hydde sketches out a sardonic critique of happiness - both it's heights and its depths. As always, he subverts this apparently simple topic in various ways, leading us down unexpected paths in order to discern the origins of this primal, inarticulable and universal feeling.
Prominent in this series are portraits of otherworldly beings rendered in Mr. Hydde's trademark psychedlic (and almost irradiated) palette. He plays with form, resolving facial features with simplified shapes and generating fantasical images that encourage close appreciation. The free-floating teeth in the titular painting cast shadows onto the rest of the head, which appears to have a jawbone, cheekbones and eye sockets. Everything appears to be tugging in a separate direction, energized by the various patterns, but the image projects cohesion - a smiling face in the midst of a tempest.
Beyond the technique, the subject matter is a crucial facet of Hydde's approach, allowing him to enunciate his views on the feeling of happiness. He shows us multiple ways to get there, from the numbing (television) to the freeing (walking naked through the park) to the cathartic (giving someone the finger) and at the same time draws out an impressive and complex emotional range from his wildly smiling figures. While appearing carefree and comical, the work besheathes a serious line of questioning concerning the means and ends of this elusive happiness; what seems to be the simple joy of Happy Tyme is shown to be anything but.
The Art Work
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| "Tru-Blue" 36 X 48 Acrylic on Canvas |
With the clean lines, the spray paint like textures, and the geometric patterns in the background
Mr. Hydde's ability to redefine form, shape and space is present here. His use of color is also interesting, with the warm peachy and pink tones not overpowering the cooler ones, Mr. Hydde creates a very perplexing and visually simulating piece. The characters here looks like their engaged in some type of dialogue as well.
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| "No EYE-de-AH 16 X 20 Acrylic on Canvas |
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| "Saturday Morning Cartoons" 16 X 20 Acrylic on Canvas |
I hadn't realized but this is one of Mr. Hydde's older pieces. This takes me back to the ages of 11 to 15, and how excited I would be to wake up to watch cartoons on a saturday. The blue and purple letterman gives it such a nostalgic feeling, while the yellow on the tube television breaks up the painting quite nicely.
I want to touch on the night of the event, it was a great opening night and the turn out was great! It was my first time being at Coldstream Fine Art, The gallery has a vast space, white broad walls, and bright hardwood floors. It has more of an upscale look and feel. People there were dressed exceptionally well, and the wine was nice. I met the gallery owner as well, he was nice and quickly wanted me to follow the social media. The gallery was well lit, and the artwork look amazing.
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| MASque 24 X 18 Acrylic on Canvas |
I was talking to one of the girls who was working at the event that night and I had asked her
"Doesn't it look like you can take the face out of the painting, and still see the rest of the background?" You can really see how technical Mr. Hydde can get in his works. The face also reminds me of Osmosis Jones, the way the specks of purple, green and orange like cells or nucleus's float around in the face. The dark greyish background really brings magnifies the face as well, giving it almost a 3D look to the painting.
"Doesn't it look like you can take the face out of the painting, and still see the rest of the background?" You can really see how technical Mr. Hydde can get in his works. The face also reminds me of Osmosis Jones, the way the specks of purple, green and orange like cells or nucleus's float around in the face. The dark greyish background really brings magnifies the face as well, giving it almost a 3D look to the painting.
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| "Good Advice" 20 X 16 Acrylic on Canvas |
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| "Spite Your Face" 48 X 36 Acrylic on Canvas |
Here we have a discombobulating face, seemingly coming apart. Another staple of Mr. Hydde's work is the letterman and the messaging he puts in his pieces. The yellow nose breaks up the image quite well, without the viewer being completely lost in the mauve and orange background. The dark grey and blues for the face of the image really gives it a nice contrasting effect with the background. It's a really peculiar and ambiguous subject, but it works so well with the entire painting.
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| "Flowerz" 12 X 12 Acyrlic on panel |
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| "Passing Hugs" 12 X 16 Acrylic on Canvas |
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| "Finger" 11 X 14 Acrylic on Canvas |
This says it all. The lighting strikes, the huge finger nail and the dotted like textures, and the green background, giving you the satisfaction and enjoyment of giving someone the "finger"!
COLDSTREAM FINE ART
Here's a exert about the gallery taken from their website:
Coldstream Fine Art is a Toronto-based gallery that opened its doors in October 2014 in the historic arts building 80 Spadina Ave, in the heart of Toronto's Fashion & Entertainment District. Coldstream is dedicated to offering the best experience for both clients and artists, creating an exhibition program that is sophisticated, yet accessible to everyone. The roster consists of contemporary artists both local and international. From its inception, Coldstream Fine Art has championed painters, sculptors and photographers who display exceptional talent that translates to a global audience.
Happy Tyme, is funny, warmhearted, sunny and seemingly jovial with the way Mr. Hydde conveys happiness, in almost a playful and innocent way of tackling the emotion. With such a interesting way of creating mood, texture and message, Mr. Hydde brings to you a collection of great vibes that you can only love that will make you smile, I suggest you follow him and Coldstream Fine Art to see upcoming events and shows.
Follow Mr. Hydde on all of his social media accounts:
Facebook: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Follow Coldstream Fine Art on all of their social media accounts:
Instagram: Click Here
Website: Click Here
With that being said,
Catch you on the flip side folks!
Paint-Life. 2019.
Richie
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