Dont underestimate the power of guns, girls and product placement.
That seems to be one underlying message of , new exhibit at Gallery Jones (1725 West 3rd, on now until April 28).
The paintings set photo-realistic portraits of women and weaponry against dry, desolate landscapes. But the juxtaposition of images doesnt end there; the artist drops primary-coloured junk food logos into the mix as well. In Icecap, for instance, a woman stands armed with a submachine gun and flaming sword against a moon-like backdrop. In the bottom left-hand corner sits a Klondike ice cream bar logo.
As sexy and provocative and broad as it is, this latest series might be his most personal, says Woods. My works always been about my obsessions. Ive finally winnowed those obsessions down to the basics. Theyre the subjects Ill be thinking about at least 99 per cent time if its not a beautiful woman its guns or atomic history or snack food. Or variations thereof.
Thats not entirely true. The New Brunswick-born, Chilliwack-based Woods keeps some brain space available for inspirations such as musician Lou Reed and comics artist Alex Ross. And while working, hell often listen to comedy podcasts. But he does probably spend more time thinking about atomic history than the average person.
With atomic bombs, I think Im trying to find a parallel in history in the way they are one type of weapon of mass destruction, but there are also cultural weapons of mass destruction, says Woods. And guns and small arms have certainly claimed more lives than the atomic bomb have up to this point in history.
Bomb imagery figures prominently in Superfortress, including tattoo-like versions of Fat Man and Little Boy, the bombs used on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, respectively; these appear as tattoos on models in two paintings. The bomb-themed pieces share the guns-and-girls imagery of the others in the series, but forsake the soft drink and candy bar logos.
Tattooed with the names of atomic bombs or not, the women of Superfortress are not people you would want to meet in a dark alley. But Woods sees them as more of a threat to the social order than the individual.
They are emissaries from the other side, whether you want to see them as archangels or Shiva, or something like that, says Woods. Theyre change-bringers. They are magical in some respects, in their origins and intentions. Theyre here to put things into balance in some way.
Even if that means destruction brought to you by the makers of ice cream bars and soft drinks.
