Max Dean: A Cutting Wit

The centrepiece in artist Max Dean’s current solo exhibition at Nicholas Metivier Gallery is a rarely seen sculptural project titled Tightrope. Produced for a 1977 exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, it’s a prime display of Fluxus-styled inspiration: Dean placed an anonymous want ad in a local newspaper for a donated space, took the first reply (a classroom), and proceeded to build a set of three sculptures using only the materials that were already on site and the clothes on his back. Two of the sculptures that came out of that project belong to museum and private collections, but Tightrope, like each of the other works in the Metivier exhibition, remains part of the artist’s studio collection.

That’s a boon for viewers and collectors alike, who will find more than a few hidden gems in this mini-survey of Dean’s works from the early 1970s to the present. Take, for instance, 1971’s unassuming Balloon Box, a found crate that, when opened, inflates a massive balloon which uncontrollably spills into the gallery. Or 1977’s You Made It, a dryly existential wall sculpture that slowly melts a custom-cast ice block. Or Dean’s The No Crap Option (also from 1977), a blank journal that comes complete with Dean’s “no crap” editing services.

In the most recent work in the exhibition, 2008’s Say When, a wood saw is inserted into the top of a wall-mounted picture frame. Once purchased, the owner finishes the work by instructing Dean on how far to cut through. It’s a clever take on the role of the artist and the will of the collector, one that neatly brings this exhibition of Dean’s long-running brand of art humour full circle. (451 King St W, Toronto ON)