thankfully, it's only raining inside today

HORAIRE JUILLET / JULY HOURS

Ouvert les weekends seulement ! AUSSI LUNDI !!!!

vendredi le 19 au lundi le 22
friday the 19th to monday the 22nd

vendredi le 26 au lundi le 29
friday the 26th to monday the 29th

merci & thanks 

emilie & billy
MONASTIRAKI

Tara Slaughter Curatorial Projects @ Monastiraki

We here at Monastiraki have been thrilled to have Tara Slaughter acting as resident and guerrilla curator, going through our archives and collections and pulling together creative assemblages and whatnots, let alone helping us out with myriad matters at hand.
Below please find the projects Tara has been working on:

OLD + NEW

The first series of items include elements from the scrap box, where two bits only cost a dollar. The thread, if you’re looking for one: old meanings are neglected in hopes of constructing newer, increasingly foolish ones.  

Old and New

COMPLEMENTS OF THE SHOP 

Dr. Yves Benoist is, indeed, the centerpiece for this week’s curatorial project. The psychology publication, one that encourages the reader, “Master your life,” supplied the complementary colour palate.

A Small But Nevertheless Significant Sample Of Dolls

A collection of lonely, lovely dolls accompanied by their shadows.

Look at the dolls.



The Psychedelic Collection

The first completely archival project, this collection includes various paper ephemera of the psychedelic flavor.

 

The Psychedelic Collection

Round & Blue

Blue? Come in and buy something blue.
Own your sadness!
Hang it on the wall!
Show your blues who’s boss.

Round and Blue

Tara Slaughter

Artist Statement

Most of my work reflects an interest in disjointed thoughts and miscommunication. The pairing of text and images/objects lends itself to the difficulties I have when it comes to bridging the gap between thought and action, past and future. This gap can be a source of uneasiness or confusion. By accompanying images with text, especially when their relationship to one another is incoherent, I convey my inability to make sense of this break.

Bio

Born and raised in Great Falls, Montana, Tara Slaughter moved to Montreal in 2013. In 2012 she spent a summer interning at the Independent Publishing Resource Center in Portland, Oregon, where she was immersed in zine culture and letterpress. This sparked an interest in DIY culture.

At Monastiraki, a gallery/shop in Montreal, she engages in a self-directed curatorial study – selecting and photographing collections from the shop’s archives. These selections are then paired with short bits of text.

She is currently studying English literature at Concordia University.

We Instagram Now

 hey, Monastiraki is on Instagram ! Like & Follow at will :

http://instagram.com/monastiraki

PARTYKA!

Images from our current show - PARTYKA - a collective of 5 artists from Brooklyn. Our front vitrine is full of cut outs and hanging drawings by them....Check it out yo!

Joe Ollmann & Lorenz Peter Double Book Launch June 1st !

 

We are please to host this Conundrum press double header of comic greatness ! Come out June First to hobnob with master cartoonists !

PARTYKA - BROOKLYN COMIC COLLECTIVE - JUNE 2013 !

 

We are super stoked to present 5 great cartoonists in our space for June 2013

PARTYKA : THE PAPER INFERNO

feat.

Shawn Cheng

John Mejias

Sean McCarthy

Sally Madden

Matt Wiegle 

Partyka is a comics & art collective based in New York City and Philadelphia. Individually, they are cartoonists, painters, printmakers, and illustrators. Together, they publish mini-comics & zines and organize guerilla soapbox races. "The Paper Inferno" is an exhibition of works on paper and a window display celebrating Partyka's 10-year anniversary. 


Partyka est un collectif d’art et de BD basé à New York et Philadelphie. Individuellement, ils sont bédéistes, peintres, artistes des arts imprimés tels les estampes et illustrateurs. Ensemble, ils publient des mini-BD et des fanzines et organisent des courses de karts façon “guérilla”. “The Paper Inferno” est une exposition d’oeuvres sur papier et un étalage en vitrine  célébrant le 10ème anniversaire  de Partyka.  
 

Lonely Planet - there we are!

We have recently been visited by people from Australia, The Netherlands and England, who said they found their way to us because of the Lonely Planet. We were mystified - having had no idea that we had been spotted and entered into this well-loved list of places to see on our planet.

After some research we found ourselves, in the 2012 edition Montreal & Quebec. Although they strangely left out one half of our partnership in their otherwise excellent write-up  - we were incredibly happy see that there we are! in the Lonely Planet! We even made it into the Top 5 places to see in the neighbourhood:

 

Jason Urban - Letterforms

10 mai - 2 juin 2013
Vernissage vendredi 10 mai 18h - 21h


Letterform, une série d’estampes faites à la main, examine la typographie comme image, bruit et objet utilitaire. En simplifiant la typographie des lettres de l’alphabet Romain en de simples motifs qui unissent les figures et le fond, je minimise le pouvoir de communication de ces caractères de l’alphabet. Ces lettres/images sont faites de motifs linéaires imprimés et gravés avec soin. J’ai un appétit sans borne pour la répétition et ma recherche en création se concentre souvent sur le développement de systèmes exigeant un travail méticuleux et monotone. Cette inclinaison et intérêt pour le travail de main d’oeuvre m’a mené à embrasser l’imprimerie dans mon œuvre de création : l’essence même du travail répétitif et obsessif compulsif. Je commets ces actes physiques banals - ad infinitum- et à travers ces répétitions, ces gestes banals remplacent et contiennent le « sublime ».

À travers une fabrication en série de motifs linéaires vibrants et colorés, les estampes sont transformées en objets utiles : livres, sacs, et décorations sur les murs d’exposition à l’avant du magasin Monastiraki. Les bruit enlevants et vibrants qu’on y trouve évoquent du même coup le repos de la nature et la clameur d’un flux RSS sans fin.

http://www.jasonurban.com/studio22.html

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Jason Urban - Letterform

May 10 - June 2, 2013
Opening Friday May 10th 6pm - 9pm


Letterform, a series of hand-carved relief prints, investigates typography as image, noise and the utilitarian object. By reducing letterforms from the Roman alphabet into simple patterns that merge figure and ground, I minimize their communicative power. These letter/images are made of carefully carved and printed linear patterns. I have an endless appetite for repetition and my creative research often focuses on developing systems that require meticulous and monotonous labor.. This inclination and interest in physical labor has led my work to embrace printmaking: the very essence of repetitive, obsessive-compulsive work. I commit these mundane physical acts- ad infinitum- and through repetition the banal gestures become a stand-in for the "sublime."

Through mass-produced quantities of vibrating linear pattern and color, relief prints are transformed into objects of utility: books, bags and decorative wall art within Monastiraki’s storefront space. The vibrant red-hot noise simultaneously evokes the repose of nature and the clamor of an endless RSS feed.

http://www.jasonurban.com/studio22.html

The Psychedelic Collection

 

Tara Slaughter chose some items from Monastiraki's extensive psychedelic art collection

the-psychedelic-collection

April 2013 in the store

Here we are in the spring, we hope! Having come through yet another Montreal winter instills a deep longing for warm breeze and open windows, and green plants.

Some shots from our store as we head into this new season....

(and keep your eyes out for our new online print gallery coming soon, that will showcase some of the great prints we carry)

'happy sleepy' dolls by marc and magda

Letterpress coasters by Rose Pink

Lightbulb print by Jacob Rolfe

our amazing print drawers, filled with wonders upon wonders

graph zines!

our formidable small press corner

Mark Laliberte “Cut Program”

Mark Laliberte “Cut Program”
Collage Experiments, 2000-2013


Collage is a gesture that applies pressure to today's culture. By taking the formal images of the mainstream world and cutting into them, new versions of possibility take shape. Collage makes tomorrow possible now.

This exhibition offers a 'collage view' of several different collage projects I have created over the years, providing a sutured sampling of paper-based works spanning back to 2000. Whether chaotic, structured, messy or formal, the visual vocabularies on display here offer a surface look at the varied approaches taken in the struggle to organize meaning in a cut/paste world view.

bio/ MARK LALIBERTE is a visual artist, writer, curator, designer and soundmaker with an MFA from the University of Guelph. He has exhibited and performed extensively in galleries and festivals across Canada and the USA; he is the managing editor and designer of CAROUSEL. In April he will be: exhibiting at Monastiraki in Montreal; contributing works to 2 art auctions in Toronto; completing a new artist book, Angry Black Bang; participating in 'Nomadic Noise Residency', the start of a 4-month collaborative project in the wilds of Toronto. More info at: marklaliberte.com




Apr 11 – May 05, 2013
Opening Thu Apr 11, 18hr-21hr

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L’exposition Collage est un geste qui applique les pressions de la culture d’aujourd’hui. En prenant des images officielles du monde courant et populaire, de nouvelles options possibles prennent formes. Collage amène une demain possible dans l’aujourd’hui, dans le présent. Cette exposition offre une « perspective collage » de plusieurs différents projets de collage que j’ai créés au fil des ans. Il fournit un échantillon remarquable d’oeuvres sur papier datant de l’année 2000. Qu’ils soient chaos, structure, brouillon ou officiel, ces vocabulaires visuels exposés ici offrent un aperçu des approches diverses utilisées dans la lutte pour catégoriser le sens dans un monde de « couper/coller ».

Mark Laliberte est un artiste en arts visuels, un écrivain, un curateur, un designer et un professionnel du son qui a obtenu un MFA de l’Université de Guelph. Il a exposé et performé à plusieurs occasions dans des galeries et festivals à travers le Canada et les États-Unis. Il est éditeur et designer de Carousel. En avril il : exposera à Monastiraki, contribuera ses œuvres à deux enchères de Toronto, complètera son nouveau livre d’artiste, Angry Black Bang,participera à Nomadic Noise Residency, un projet de collaboration ayant lieu dans la nature de Toronto. Plus d’infos à : marklaliberte.com

 11 avril - 5 mai, 2013
vernissage jeudi, 11 avril, 18hr-21hr

Pics from our current show - Jo-Anne Balcaen

COMPLEMENTS OF THE SHOP

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Dr. Yves Benoist is, indeed, the centerpiece for this week’s curatorial project. The psychology publication, one that encourages the reader, “Master your life,” supplied the complementary colour palate.

Beyond its kick-ass design and presumptive title, the publication encourages contemplation of both personal relationships and the future. “’L’ALCOOL ET VOUS” and “COMBIEN D’ANNEES VOUS RESTE-T-IL A VIVRE?” are some recommended sections. Benoist  closes by urging his patrons, “Choisir des AMIS SAINS, physiquement et moralement.” Just full of wisdom, this one. A treat, really. “POUR VIVRE LONGTEMPS, VIVRE LENTEMENT.”

Another gem in the complementary collection is “The Ladybird Book of British Wildflowers,” by Brian Vesey-Fitzgerald, with paintings by Rowland and Edith Hilder (brother and sister, husband and wife, coincidence?). While the book does a downright swell job of pointing out which wildflower is which, it can also serve as a spring of inspiration for parents who just can’t seem to find the right name for their child. My personal favorites include, but are not limited to, Purple Loosestrife, Germander Speedwell, Scarlet Pimpernel, and Heartsease Tansy.

“Citrate Magnesie”, or magnesium citrate, is a saline laxative, but you’d never guess at first glance.

Anyway, next time you drop in, ask yourself, “I NOSTRI TEMPI TURBOLENTI CHE COSA SIGNIFICANO?” Your answer will most likely be one of problem-solving capabilities: buy something to distract yourself from the real answer.

-Tara Slaughter

"J'adore ton travail." by Jo-Anne Balcaen

Jo-Anne Balcaen “J’adore ton travail”

Oeuvres sur papier / Works on paper 2007-2013

Vernissage vendredi 8 mars, 18hr

Exposition 8 - 31 mars, 2013

Les œuvres sur papier exposées ici, y compris encre et gouache sur papier, impression typographique, dactylographiée, et impression au laser, ont été produites en 2007 lors de résidences d’artistes à Toronto et au Banff Centre, et plus récemment à Montréal. La plupart de ces œuvres sont présentées ici pour la première fois.

Bien que le texte ait souvent joué un rôle central dans mon travail, je considère ces œuvres sur papier comme étant en marge à ma pratique principale, qui comprend surtout la vidéo, l'installation et l'impression numérique.

Je suis influencée par la langue vernaculaire de la culture populaire, par l'affichage commercial et le design graphique, du fait que la présentation formelle de ces mots est mise en contraste avec l’émotion ou la psychologie plus profond du message: le besoin normal, mais inavoué de validation, d'acceptation, d'approbation - et la crainte de son contraire: l'indifférence, la critique, le rejet.


Jo-Anne Balcaen (1971, La Broquerie, Manitoba) est une artiste montréalaise œuvrant dans plusieurs médiums, notamment la vidéo, l’audio, l’installation et l’impression. Elle détient un baccalauréat en beaux-arts de l’Université du Manitoba (1994) et une maîtrise en arts visuels de l’Université Concordia, Montréal (2000). Depuis le milieu des années ’90, elle présente régulièrement son travail dans plusieurs festivals, centres d’artistes et galeries au Canada, au Royaume-Uni, en Europe et aux États-Unis. Ces expositions individuelles récentes incluent Sound Ideas au Centre Clark, Montréal, et The Longer I Wait, the Better it Feels, à la Eastern Edge Gallery, à St-Jean, Terre-Neuve. Balcaen à reçue plusieurs bourses de recherche et création du Conseil des Arts et des lettres du Québec, du Conseil des Arts du Canada, et du Conseil des Arts du Manitoba.

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The works on paper exhibited here, including ink and gouache on paper, letterpress, typewritten text and laser prints, were produced in 2007 during artist residencies in Toronto, and the Banff Centre, and most recently in Montreal. Most of these are being shown publicly for the first time.

Although text has often played a central role in my work, I consider these works on paper as being peripheral to my main practice, which is primarily based in video, installation and digital print. Influenced by the vernacular of popular culture, by commercial signage and graphic design, their stark, formal presentation stands in contrast to their deeper emotional or psychological message: the normal yet unspoken need for validation, acceptance, approval – and fear of its opposite: indifference, criticism, rejection.


BIO

Jo-Anne Balcaen (b. 1971, La Broquerie, Manitoba) is a Montreal-based artist working in a variety of media, including video, audio, installation, and print media. She holds a BFA from the University of Manitoba, (1994) and an MFA from Concordia University, Montreal (2000). Since the mid-1990s, her work has been regularly shown in festivals, artist-run centers and galleries across Canada, as well as in the UK, Europe, and in the US. Recent solo exhibitions include Sound Ideas at Centre Clark, Montréal, and The Longer I Wait, the Better it Feels, at Eastern Edge Gallery, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Balcaen is also the recipient of numerous grants from the Conseil des arts et des letters du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Manitoba Arts Council.

NUIT BLANCHE COLLAGE PARTY !!

NUIT BLANCHE CHEZ NOUS !!

come and cut up our amazing vintage magazines (don't worry, we only sacrifice the damaged ones) !

MONASTIRAKI CURATORIAL PROJECTS LAUNCHED

We are pleased to announce our new series of curatorial explorations wherein artists/writers/curators are invited to create projects based on our collections. This is the first offering :



 

OLD + NEW  (Misinterpretations and Reevaluations)

by Tara Slaughter

The first series of items include elements from the scrap box, where two bits only cost a dollar. The thread, if you’re looking for one: old meanings are neglected in hopes of constructing newer, increasingly foolish ones.  

Bio:

New to Montreal, hailing from Montana, fresh out of Oregon.

Currently interested in situating found objects in contexts that render them absurd, pathetic, or ridiculous.

Has been interested in the future (but now it’s stupid) and Antillean Giant Rice Rats (but now they’re extinct).

Jude Griebel - Cry The Right Shapes - Feb 2013

Cry the Right Shapes: pencil drawings 

by Jude Griebel

Vernissage Vendredi 8 fevrier, 18 - 21hr
Exposition 8 fev - 3 mars, 2013
 

My work explores the convergence of corporeal and imaginary experience through themes of growth, transition and mortality. My recent drawings depict tragic and disembodied figures in mysterious and supernatural circumstances. Influenced by Victorian illustration, they employ heightened sentimentality and a sense of the fantastic, rendered in a highly representational manner. In these images, dramatic elements are employed to engage the viewer, drawing them into an alternative world in which psychological vignettes are played out by human and animal characters. 

The images that appear in my work belong to a visual vocabulary developed through research into cultural and mythological beliefs surrounding supernatural phenomena, art historical references and autobiographical experience. References are made to low-budget supernatural films from the 1970s and 80s, capitalizing on their ability to incorporate foundational cultural mythologies, fears and morals into contemporary encounters with the unknown.

Jude Griebel: received a BFA from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design and is a current MFA candidate at Concordia University. His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions internationally, including recent solo projects at the University of Lapland (Finland), Islensk Grafik (Iceland) and Galerie FOFA (Montréal). He has worked as an artist in residence at institutions including the Banff Centre for the Arts, Workshop OM, (Japan) and the Frans Masereel Centrum (Belgium). His work has recently been added to the permanent collections of the Sakima Art Museum (Japan), the Burnaby Art Gallery, The Yukon Arts Centre Public Art Gallery and the Colart Canadian Art Collection.


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Cry the Right Shapes: dessins au crayon de Jude Griebel 

Mon travail explore la convergence du corporel et des expériences de l’imagination, à travers des thèmes de croissance, de transition et de mortalité. Mes récents dessins illustrent des figures tragiques et désincarnées dans des circonstances mystérieuses et surnaturelles. Influencés par les illustrations Victoriennes, ils utilisent une sentimentalité intensifiée et un flair pour le fantastique, rendus de facon hautement figurative. Dans ces images, des éléments dramatiques sont utilisés pour faire participer le public, les attirant dans un monde alternatif dans lequel des vignettes psychologiques sont évoquées par des êtres humains et des animaux.

 Les images apparaissant dans mon oeuvre appartiennent à un vocabulaire visuel développé à travers une recherche sur les croyances culturelles et mythologiques entourant les phénomènes surnaturels, l’art, les références historiques et les expériences autobiographiques. Des liens sont faits avec les films à petit budget des années 70 et 80, au sujet du surnaturel, capitalisant sur leur habileté à incorporer les mythologies culturelles fondatrices, les peurs et les aspects moraux dans des rencontres contemporaines avec l’inconnu. 

Jude Griebel: a reçu son BFA de l’Université en art et design Émilie Carr et est présentement un candidat au MFA à l’Université Concordia. Son oeuvre a été présentée dans des expositions internationales solos et collectives. Ces expositions incluent les projets solos récents à l’Université de la Laponie (Finlande), Islensk Garfik (Icelande) et la Galerie FOFA (Montréal).Il a travaillé en tant qu’artiste-en-résidence dans des institutions telles que le Centre D’art de Banff , Atelier OM (Japon) et le Frans Masereel Centrum (Belgique). Ses oeuvres ont récemment été ajoutées aux collections permanentes du Musée d’art Sakima (Japon), de la Galerie d’art Burnaby, du  Centre d’art et Galerie d’art du Yukon et la Collection canadienne d’art Colart.

Carl Campeau - Louis Riel

Views from Carl Campeaus' exhibit Louis Riel

CARL CAMPEAU - Our first art show of 2013