For Immediate Release

Mexico Inside Out: José Chán, Alec Dempster & Daniel González
January 6 ­ February 12, 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 6, 2011 6:30-8:30 pm

Toronto, ON ­ Open Studio is pleased to present Mexico Inside Out, a group
exhibition featuring José Chán (Xalapa, Mexico), Alec Dempster (Toronto, ON)
and Daniel González (Los Angeles, USA) from January 6 to February 12, 2011.

This exhibition brings together the work of three established Mexican
printmakers who use linoleum and woodblock to explore specific geographical,
historical and personal histories and realities relating to Mexico. Each
artist consciously draws on the Mexican printmaking tradition, including the
work produced by the members of the Taller de Gráfica Popular. The emphasis
on the telling and retelling of stories, as well as a connection to Mexican
popular culture and myth, is something the works share. Through these
prints, viewers will discover distinct and personal visions, which cannot be
confined to a particular country or place.

An accompanying essay by Toronto-based writer Paul Gallant posits that in
Mexico Inside Out, Chán, Dempster and González aren¹t necessarily asking
what it means to be Mexican‹with their different artistic temperaments and
life experiences, the three printmakers explode the notion of an idealized
Mexico defined by geography or a singular cultural narrative.

Although each of the three artists were educated and live in three different
countries‹Chán was born in Palenque, Chiapas, and has never traveled outside
of Mexico, Demspter was born in Mexico, grew up in Toronto and has split his
adult life between Mexico and Canada, and González was born and lives in
East Los Angeles, but spends significant amounts of time in Mexico‹their
work shares formal, conceptual, cultural and historical concerns. Dempster
has shown previously in Toronto; this will be the first time that Chán and
González have exhibited their work in Canada.

To download a copy of the exhibition brochure, including full artist and
author biographies, see:
http://www.openstudio.on.ca/images_site/mexico-inside-out-brochure.pdf.
For high-resolution images or interviews, please email
sara@openstudio.on.ca.

Showing Concurrently
George Gilmour Members¹ Gallery ­ Liz Menard: Wasteland and the City
Print Sales Gallery ­ New Work by Moody Shwales, Jerry Silverberg & Rob
Tavares

Open Studio gratefully acknowledges the support of The City of Toronto
through the Toronto Arts Council, The Canada Council for the Arts and the
Ontario Arts Council.  Open Studio also acknowledges the generous support of
its members and numerous foundations, corporations and individuals.

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Open Studio
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 104
Toronto, ON   M5V 3A8
T/F: 416-504-8238
office@openstudio.on.ca
www.openstudio.on.ca
Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 12 - 5 p.m.

Media Contact:  Sara Kelly, Associate Director, sara@openstudio.on.ca

--
Sara Kelly
Associate Director 

Open Studio
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 104
Toronto ON  M5V 3A8
T/F: 416-504-8238
E: sara@openstudio.on.ca
W: http://www.openstudio.on.ca