Friday, January 23, 2009

Spyder Yardley-Jones, Strength-Duty-Honor, Harcourt House, January 8 - Feburary 14, 2009. REVIEWED by Erin Carter

Oh, don’t trip over the Nazi flag on your way into Strength-Duty-Honor exhibit by Spyder Yardley-Jones. This dictator themed display shows members of our government and society in a circus-poster caricatured way. The shouting satire of Alberta’s and the world’s problems yell from every comment painted on Yardley-Jones' canvases.

With pictures such as "Karla Holmoka Alive? Why?" you don’t really have to stop and think about what Yardley-Jones is trying to say. Growing up as the son of Edmonton Journals editorial cartoonist Spyder has definitely taken after the opinionated editorial side of art. Spinning through "Ralph Klein the ass talker" to "Helping Mutate Alberta’s future: the tar sands" a little smile may creep on to your face that speaks to both the absurdly extreme and bemusedly pop cultural nature of the exhibition.

Then there are the most magnificent forts made out of popsicles sticks (or some kind of sticks) hanging out in the middle of the room. With the detail of wind mills, resting points ,and multi-tiered rooms designed for communal living, I wonder if they are maquettes for our getaways from this crazy society when we try to escape the tyranny of this so called diplomatic government.

- E.C. Edmonton

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