Projects Gallery :: Ross Bonfanti

The Concreatures are cast inner forms of once loved and cherished plush toys. These stuff animals are frozen in a petrified state that solidify their importance and recorded memory through past physical manipulation and emotional associations. Created from discarded toys and local thrift shops finds, the outer fabric of each character is used as a mould during creation. I manipulate the found pieces to create altered visions that redefine and renew their purpose while maintaining elements of it’s prior significance. Hidden inner features are revealed as this outer skin is peeled and imprints of fabric and fur remain on the concrete surface marking this former existence. At once each piece simultaneously conveys soft and hard, cute and creepy, comfort and unease.

The iconography of the stuffed toy relates to childhood. Objects are used as an exterior embodiment of childhood neurosis, anxieties, affection, dependencies etc., providing both comfort and companionship. Artist Mike Kelley looks at the stuffed toy as “idealized sexless models by means of which children were to be adapted to family and social norms”. (Art at The Turn of the Millennium, 1999,p.270) I display the inner recording of this attachment. The foundation of childhood is thus memorialized in concrete materials used here to record the foundation of personal identity and private history. The element of mass produced toy is removed to reveal the unique; a collectible of modern time. The Concreature serves a new purpose as a permanent piece, a statue, a trophy of sorts.

Education
1997 Ontario College of Art & Design (AOCAD Fine Art, Florence program) Toronto, ON

Solo Exhibition
2008 - Displayful- XEXE Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2007 - Concreature- XEXE Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2006 - How do you like them apples? – XEXE Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2003 - The Deformative Years – Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto, ON
2002 - Heavy Heads- 1080BUS, Toronto, ON, Canada
1999 - The Dumb Art Show- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
1997 - Sink- Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts, Toronto, ON, Canada

Selected Art Fairs
2008 - AAF NYC , AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Red Dot New York, Projects Gallery, New York City, New York
- Glasgow Art Fair, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- The London Art Fair, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- Palm Beach 3, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
2007 - Bridge Art Fair Miami Beach, AWOL Gallery, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
- Toronto International Art Fair, XEXE Gallery, Toronto Canada
- AAF Amsterdam , Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- AAF New York , AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- AAF London,Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- Art DC, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- Glasgow Art Fair, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- The London Art Fair, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- Palm Beach Contemporary Art + Design, Rebeck Hossack Gallery, London, England
- Art Miami, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
2006 - Art London, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- AAF London, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
- Toronto International Art Fair, XEXE Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- AAF Contemporary Art Fair- AWOL Gallery, New York City, NY, USA
2005 - AAF Contemporary Art Fair- AWOL Gallery, Pier 92 New York City, NY, USA
2004 - AAF Contemporary Art Fair- Quiver Project, Pier 92 New York City, NY, USA
- Toronto International Art Fair, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2003 - The Affordable Art Fair- Quiver Project, Pier 92 New York City, NY, USA

Selected Group Exhibitions
2008 - Child's Play, Projects Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- TOAE Best of 2007- FCP Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2007 - Square Foot 07- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2006 - Square Foot 06- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2005 - Something for Everyone ll- XEXE Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Square Foot NYC- Project Spaceman, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Square Foot 05- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Built for Speed- L’ Autre Gallerie, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2004 - Hi Libido- Gallery 1313, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Square Foot 04- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Go Figure- Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Square Foot- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- BUY & SAVE AMERICA- The Natural Light Window, a collaboration by Dale Thompson & Ross Bonfanti , Toronto, ON , Canada
- Identita- Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
- 7 Seconds- AWOL Collective, Kabat Wrobel Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2002 - Whole- AWOL Collective, 376 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON, Canada
- Identita- Glenhurst Art Gallery of Brant, Brantford, ON, Canada
- Pleasure- Gallery 1313, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Standard- AWOL Collective, 376 Dufferin St. Toronto, ON, Canada
- Leisure- Gallery 1313, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Ain’t No Picnic- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2000 - Blindness- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
1999 - From a Hat- AWOL Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
1998 - Truck Stop 12 (traveling art show in vans), Downtown Toronto parking lots
1997 - Matters of the Soul- John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
1996 - Propeller- 96 Spadina Ave. Suite 303, Toronto, ON, Canada

Juried Exhibitions
2007 - 46thToronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
2006 - 45th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
2005 - 44th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
2004 - 43rdToronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
2003 - 42ndToronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
2001 - 40th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
2000 - 39th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON
1999 - 37th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto, ON

Collections
- Canada Council for the Arts, ArtBank, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Private collections in Canada, USA, Europe and Asia

Work Related Experience
2004-2008 Co-Founder of C1 Art Space, Toronto, ON
1999-2008 Co- Founder and Co-Director of AWOL Gallery & Studios, Toronto, ON
Co-Founder of Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts, Toronto, ON

Reviews
2008 - “Affordable Art Fair cashes in on economic gloom” by Claudia Parsons, Reuters.com, News, Friday June 13/08
- “Art me up” Smart Art, by Allison Williams, Time Out New York, Home Section, pg 44-45, June 5-11/08
-“ Art for buyers without lots of Monet”, by Maxine Shen, New York Post, Thursday June 12, 2008 pg 65
-“Baby’s First Art Fair”, Red Dot/Art Now NYC, by Jacquelyn Lewis, ARTINFO.com, March 27,2008
2007 - The beautiful decay of fine art”, by Emily Lam, The Fulcrum, University of Ottawa Newspaper, Vol.68 Issue 12, Dec. 18, 2007
- In the picture: amazing art from $500”,by Eleanor Cowie, The Herald, Glasgow, Scotland, 4-18-07
- Cute Concrete Creatures” by Bjarke Madsen, Now Magazine, Culture in Toronto, Art Review April 12-18,2007, Vol 26 No.32
2006 - apples a la carte and fractured selves to go” by Anya Galkina, Show Magazine, (may / june) issue
- At The Galleries” by Peter Goddard, Toronto Star, (Sat. April 29/06) A&E H9
2005 - Big Picture 37” by RM Vaughan, National Post, (June 25, 2005) Toronto section
2004 - Great Outdoors” by Darren Altmayer, National Post, (July 10, 2004) vol.6, no.218, sec TO, p. 1
Signs of the Unexpected” by Bridget O’Brien, Korean Times, (April 24, 2004) p.12
2003 - “is it art” on Richardson’s Round up CBC Radio One Sept 30
- “A reflection in praise of the human body” by Jennifer Febbraro (Go Figure review), Tandam, Vol. XLIX, # 256, pg. 12-13, Sept. 21
- Whole Exhibition,Mix Independent Art and Culture Vol.28.4, pg.10
- “Bush Babies” by Murray Whyte (BUY & SAVE AMERICA review), The Toronto Star , Fri. Jan. 24/03 A&E pgC14
2002 - ”Arts-Half Baked” by Thomas Hirshmann (Whole show review), Now Magazine, issue 1089 vol.22 no.13, Nov. 28-Dec 4, pg99
- Best Bet by Joanne Huffa, Heavy Heads at 1080 BUS, Eye Magazine (Vol11, Iss 35), June 6
2001 - Toronto Living with Flavio Belli, Channel 10 Rogers Cable (Interview and review about Standard show) Dec. 3rd-7th
- “Arts- Picnic Picks” by Deirdre Hanna, Now Magazine, issue 998 vol.20, March, pg.69
- Lola Magazine (summer issue 9) Shotgun Reviews of Blindness exhibition by Egon Von Bark, p72
2000 - Art on Air with Elizabeth Fearon, CKLN Radio 88.1FM Nov. 23rd
1999 - ”Toronto’s Independant Art Scene” by Elizabeth Fearon (The Dumb Art Show), Artfocus Magazine (# 68 winter/spring issue) pg.26
- Lola Magazine ( fall/winter issue 5 ) Shotgun Reviews, The Dumb Art Show by Egon Von Bark,p88
- Lola Magazine (spring/summer issue) Shotgun Reviews of From A Hat by 5:17, pg.87
- Quick Stop Art Spot with Chandra Bulucon, CKLN Radio 88.1FM (discussion on alternative galleries: AWOL Gallery) April
1998 - Truck Stop 12 Art in Vans Collective, Mix Independent Art and Culture Vol. 24.3, pg.20
- Quick Stop Art Spot with Chandra Bulucon, CKLN Radio 88.1FM (discussion on alternative show, Truck Stop 12) Nov.
- Truck Stop 12 televised by City Pulse News, City TV, Oct. 11, 6pm
- Artists take their works to people friendly mall” by Miriam Sonati (review of Truck Stop 1) Globe & Mail, Oct. 12, Sec. A, pg.7
- Eye Openers Art News Eye Magazine, (Truck Stop 12) 10/8/98
- Eye Openers Art News Eye Magazine “Dirty Works” review by Joanne