Mark Vatnsdal

DRAWING
03.18.1993–04.11 2019

Dog Show combines elements of colour theory, portraiture, and home decorating in an examination of one the few animais that an urban community has continual contact with, the dog. Assimilated into the family, dog as animal has lost all meaning. Pets occupy a place in our lives and minds that is distinct from that of other animais. Brought into the home, they are bred and trained to exhibit qualities of behavior and appearance that please us. Transformed, they reflect the values, tastes, and desires of a modem urban community. The work consists of ninety-six portraits of pure bred dogs, each an archetype of a specific breed, superimposed over a ground of colour. The paintings form a grid containing twelve vertical rows of eight paintings per row. Beginning at the bottom with the purest form of a colour, each row consists of the gradual lightening of that colour in seven steps. Individual rows resemble paint sample cards found in hardware, paint and decorating stores. Over these colours and their tones I have painted different pure bred dogs.