Bringing together references from his BC upbringing and the artist’s ongoing relationship to the legacy of Warhol’s work, “Mom and Dad” presents a new series of works by Coupland that use human hair and taxidermy fur to explore the personal nature of artistic lineage. The Patricide series, for instance, is comprised of layered swatches of hair and wigs displayed in nearly identical gilt wood frames. While the bottom layers of hair feature dark brown or even black hues, they are each covered and almost obscured by a top layer of peroxide blond or platinum silver wigs reminiscent of Warhol’s famous hairpieces. Though the Warhol-inspired shades at first seem to overtake the more naturally coloured hair, upon closer inspection, the centres of the whimsically placed sections reveal subtle gradations between the two tones where blond strands mix with brown to create an indistinct middle colour: call it the genealogical equivalent of a painter’s colour wheel.
The references to family members in the work and exhibition titles lend Coupland’s project a darker, more serious edge. The artist is, of course, not related to Warhol, and the allusions to patricide suggest Coupland’s fictional replacement of a real family history with a more legendary, and now deceased, one. But, as Coupland notes in his artist statement, Warhol’s status in art history is such that it is nearly impossible for any contemporary artist to ignore his influence: “He cast the largest artistic shadow of the 20th century. All 21st century artists have to constantly redefine their professional relationship with him.” Luckily, Coupland’s complex meditation on his artistic and personal forefathers offers lots to think about for 21st century artists and viewers alike. (2339 Granville St, Vancouver BC)
