Carson Teal, Things Will Get Better Over Time, Installation View, 2019
Things Will Get Better Over Time
September 12 - October 26, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 12, 6-8pm
Pari Nadimi Gallery is pleased to present Things Will Get Better Over Time, a solo exhibition by Carson Teal.
With the increase of data and statistics supporting the claim that we have significantly altered the earth through human activity and more specifically western culture, it becomes critical that we reflect on our relationship to the world and become more mindful and ethical in how we treat it. Things Will Get Better Over Time questions the concepts of human progress and the environmental paradox, with a focus on re-working discarded items into a tableau of ephemeral artifacts.
Teal’s process involves structural installations that create immersive environments, with the use of integrated media elements such as sound, found and constructed objects, as well as light projection. Employing aspects of collage, amalgamation and assemblage, Teal invites the viewer to follow the path he has created between the different mediums within the artwork.
Teal engages the viewer with things that are recognizable and have pre-existing cultural meaning of consumerism and mass production. Teal elevates the status of these discarded objects away from the ephemeral nature of human-made waste into preserved, pristine relics.
On the surface, they appear as beautiful art objects frozen in time however, a darker analysis is revealed when the viewer is confronted with a deeper question of environmental paradox and how these objects relate to the highly debated topic of The Anthropocene. The installation resembles a faux archeological archive, a work to reflect on our past present and future simultaneously.
The installation became an exercise for Teal to examine the flaws and hypocrisy in his own practice and to examine the success and failure of making art in a world that should be concerned with sustainability and ethical production. Teal encourages us to reconsider our own relationships to objects and the impact these materials and tools have on the environment.
Carson Teal (b. 1993) is a Canadian emerging multidisciplinary visual artist and an experimental producer residing in Toronto, Canada. Teal is known for his eloquent use of visuals and audio, creating environments that transcend the confines of physical space. He interlaces rich soundscapes with elements of video projection mapping over assembled and found objects to create immersive and mesmerizing atmospheres. Teal's multi-disciplinary practice creates an opportunity to be fully present in the moment, where the memory of the piece or performance can be recalled with a myriad of senses.
Teal graduated from OCAD University’s Drawing and Painting program in 2016, and was also the 2016 recipient of David W. Bain Art Award and Project 31 Art Award. His installations have been seen at various venues in Toronto, ON such as Rally Ossington, Open Gallery, Inter/Access, 8eleven Gallery, Bunker2 Contemporary Art Center, and 2016 Senseless Music Festival at Evergreen Brickworks. He has also been featured on VICE, XLR8R, and OHESSTEE.
For press and other inquiries, please contact Pari Nadimi Gallery at (416) 591-6464 or via email at info@parinadimigallery.com