Bev Thibault is Novembers featured artist with a collection of paintings inspired by women loving life.
Flying Pony Gallery, Toronto is pleased to present a solo show by Toronto-based painter Leanne Davies opening June 4 entitled
“Friends and Rockstars.”
There will be ten acrylic on panel paintings on view, including “Boys Wanna Be Her,” a portrait of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau as the electroclash rocker Peaches. “Seeing as our Prime Minister has recently been very successful in bringing the topic of feminism to the attention of Canadians, it was an obvious and kind of funny juxtaposition to have him representing Peaches,” said Davies. “I love what he has to say about feminism and inclusivity.”
The exhibition also includes pop art-esque portraits of local heroes such as Nash the Slash, Doc Pickles and Toronto muralist Al Runt.
It draws from Davies’ experience as a drummer playing in Toronto bands like 90s indie rockers Mason Hornet and more recently, Doc Pickles’ Jim Storie Juniors, as “Friends and Rockstars” is the by-product of being around friends who are musicians. “I wanted to combine the idea of painting my friends, while including pop culture that inspires and fascinates me,” said the artist. “The title of the show is just a very simple statement combining of those two ideas.”
After all, anyone can be a rockstar. “A rockstar to me is not necessarily someone who gets up on stage and plays music,” said Davies. “A rockstar to me is attitude, confidence, knowledge, or mastering something with great passion and style, someone who stands apart through their dedication to their art, or their sport, or their job. All of the friends that I have painted for this show possess my definition of rockstar qualities.”
