Artist Guillermo Trejo is showcasing his work at SAW Gallery as part of the “New Ottawa Artist Spotlight” series.
A fist-pumping Justin Bieber doesn’t generally come to mind when presented with a picture of a protester in India. But for Guillermo Trejo, an Ottawa artist, the association not only makes sense, it also makes a statement.
Drawings of both images hang side-by-side on display, as part of Trejo’s first major solo exhibition in Canada, at SAW Gallery. The exhibition is part of the gallery’s new series, New Ottawa Artist Spotlight, which is designed to give emerging local talent recognition at a national level.
Trejo’s series of artwork consists of drawn reproductions of images from the media and front page newspaper headlines. The juxtaposition of media images from around the world highlights the similarities in activism, protest and political events from different countries and causes.
“One of my ideas is to create art that is not fantasy, but based on real issues,” says Trejo.
He says that the highly political exhibition is meant to challenge media assumptions and question falsely created controversy.
“Some people look at a newspaper and then just throw it away, but if I draw it they will take more time to look at the images,” says Trejo.
“We were interested in Guillermo’s work because it is a very unique melting of activist art and actual art; it’s very conceptual and idea based,” says Stefan St-Laurent, curator at SAW Gallery. It is rare to see activist art in Ottawa, says St-Laurent, and the gallery wanted to show Trejo’s work in Ottawa in order to create a wider dialogue about world politics and the media.
“We are angry” has been sprayed in graffiti across a wall at the back of the gallery. It’s an illustration of the condition of Toronto after the G20, says Trejo.
The exhibit includes these types of interventions throughout the gallery -pictures are framed in broken glass, walls are sprayed with graffiti and drawings have been hung on top of murals.
“I am trying to emulate a protest and the general idea of a protest. In some ways, I was trying to destroy the gallery,” says Trejo.
“I think Guillermo really found a great way to exhibit his work,” says St-Laurent.
Trejo moved to Ottawa in 2007 from Mexico. He is currently completing a masters of fine arts at the University of Ottawa. Trejo says that, in travelling back and forth from Canada to Mexico, he noticed a difference and contrast between the countries. He also noticed the media coverage of Mexico is often a poor representation of the country.
“We have troubles but they are not so bad. The media is creating ideas and concepts of the country that aren’t real,” says Trejo
Trejo’s work draws hundreds of connections which tear away at the borders between countries, commenting on our differences and at the same time highlighting similarities. His work will be on display at the SAW Gallery until April 16.