Evan Shandler

 

Artist Statement
Evan Shandler is an emerging artist currently practicing and residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Born outside of Kelowna in the nearby town of Lumby, Evan earned his bachelors of Fine Arts at Okanagan University College.

Throughout his artistic training he intensely studied human anatomy and the Modernerist paintings of the 20th century; it is out of these two interests that Evan now creates his work. In his most recent paintings Evan has worked to develop a cohesive synthesis of medical illustration, Modernist painting, and urbangraffiti. He utilizes these components to address both a need for modernity and identity as well as capturing a piece of the sublime.





Group Exhibition Sept 1st 2007

The Great Below Acrylic on Canvas 55 x 78 Inches

Anti-Venom Acrylic on Canvas 55 x 78 Inches

VIII Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 48 Inches

"Brigade" May 20th to June 1st, 2006
This collection of work has stemmed from my interest in representing an image of modern male virility. I constructed these works from my own understanding of masculinity; drawing from subjects as disparate as comic books and Classical sculpture. It is from these influences that I have created my own mythologies surrounding the modern male mystique. The use of lurid colour and sharp linear elements are directly related to the comic hero, whereas the subjects themselves are modeled with Classical concerns of symmetry and balance in mind.
The decision to represent both the horse and the male physique is a conscious reference to both the comic and Greek mythos. In both constructs men and animals are mixed to become exceptional characters of strength and power. Whether it is a spider-man or a Minotaur, each representation depicts an individual, which is greater than that of the common man.
In their completion, I have worked to develop a collection of paintings, which initiate a discourse on what it is to be a male living in contemporary society.

Brigade Acrylic on Canvas 54 x 54 Inches

Trojan SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 48 Inches

Warm Blood Acrylic on Canvas 48 x 72 Inches

On Masculinity: An Exploration of Evan Shandler's "Brigade"
By: Cohen Brown
Many artists strive to find originality in the abstract, choosing to represent reality in a loosely defined and speculative manner. In Evan Shandler's "Brigade", however, he manages to explore new ground without resorting to such abstractions. Indeed, even the unschooled can find a point of entry to his work for the familiarity of the subjects does not cast the observer into alien territory.
Virility, masculinity and power make up the more obvious dimensions of this series. The strength, not just of the subjects, but also of the elaborately textured backgrounds portrays a particularly masculine conception of reality. A more careful observation of Shandler's work, however, reveals much more, as each piece has multiple levels of interpretation. Beneath the veneer of masculinity we find an elaborate construction of colours and textures, which serve the dual purpose of focusing observation while simultaneously provoking independent speculation. How could something so bold and violent be so thoughtfully arranged? The decision-making process at work within all of these paintings belies their aggressive nature and adds dimension where there may appear to be none. It is precisely because of these nuances and bold expression of colour and style that make this collection stand out; a complex group of works which demand further reflection.

Reprise SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 36 x 48 Inches

Castle SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 48 x 60 Inches

Thoroughbred SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 72 x 60 Inches

Train SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 72 x 48 Inches

Red Stallion SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 48 Inches

Everything Counts in large Amounts SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 66 x 90 inches

Blue Torso SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 37 x 48 inches	Moving Forward SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 37 x 48 inches

I Care Because You Do SOLD Acrylic on Canvas 37 x 48 inches	Since the World Began Acrylic on Canvas 48 x 60 inches SOLD