Toronto artist Viktor Mitic turns the Toronto art scene inside out with his latest project, Dealers. Mitic, an artist known for his unusual projects and provocative methods, showcases the portraits of 36 local art dealers in this compilation.
Originally from Yugoslavia, Mitic has been around the Toronto art scene for over 20 years and has showcased his work all over Canada, the US, Europe and Japan. Earlier this year, Mitic joined the Odon Wagner Gallery, which exhibited his famed Blasted Guernica. This Books@Torontoist editor sat down with this unusual artist yesterday to discuss Dealers.
Torontoist: Tell me about your new book, Dealers.
Viktor Mitic: Dealers is a collection of thirty-six portraits of the local art dealers in Toronto. I thought all the gallery goers, art aficionados and art students would love to see the faces of the people behind the gallery names. Gary Michael Dault wrote a very interesting introduction and it was he who suggested the mysterious name Dealers. I think the title is brilliant! Thank you Gary! The Kaki Design firm in Malaysia did something very cool with the design of the hardcover version of the book. The book has a limited number where each of the dealers featured in the book appears on the front cover. There are thirty-six book covers in all. I think this is a great idea as well. If I was on the cover of any book, anywhere, I would buy a bunch of them, for sure.
TO: What inspired you to do a book of portraits of Toronto art dealers?
VM: The usual path for a contemporary gallery is to showcase work done by artists that runs the gamut from decorative to provocative to scurrilous. The owners-dealers are usually behind the scenes, working closely with the artist to present a creative concept to the public. This exhibition reverses that direction. Those who are most often unrecognized are now in the spotlight. This in your face approach could be shocking at first. It may take some effort to get the people involved to accept that their portraits will be hanging in a commercial gallery with those of other dealers, and also be included in a glossy new book in stores across the country. But it is art after all.
Christopher Cutts of Christopher Cutts Gallery
TO: How did you go about selecting which art dealers would be included in your show/book?
I spent my last twenty years in Toronto and these are the galleries I visited often. They are the galleries I admire and heard of through the media and artists I network with. Gary Michael Dault and Charles Pachter mentioned a couple essential names that I might have missed otherwise, namely, Katharine Mulherin and Blaise DeLong. How could I forget those? I had to stop at some point, as there are just too many important art dealers in this city. I feel bad that some great ones are not in the show. Maybe Dealers Two or Dealers: Extended would be next after the this one.
TO: What can people except from the accompanying art show?
VM: The audience can see who runs the art shows in this city, most of the people portrayed in the show are the world renowned art dealers. It was a complicated task getting them to pose for two seconds, they are all extremely busy! I met with each of the dealers and photographed them myself, on many occasions using a low quality cell phone camera to capture a casual snapshot. I think I kind of caught them off-guard and the presence of a cell phone, not some fancy camera with flash and umbrellas, made them take a natural, relaxed pose. The cell phone made the whole process of getting photographed seem like fun, not serious, work. Perhaps it can be considered a guerrilla approach to portraiture?
Benjamin Diaz of Diaz Contemporary
TO: Are there any portraits that are particularly memorable for you?
I like the portraits of Benjamin Diaz, David Kaye and the accidental happening on the surface I achieved in Odon Wagner’s portrait. The surface rendering of Nicholas Metivier and Mary Sue Rankin drove me insane, those two are the most complex portraits I’ve ever done. But the most interesting of all is the portrait of Christopher Cutts. I just finished his portrait and thought it was great. I did this during the garbage strike, so I loaded a few bags of garbage in my car and headed to the dump on Lakeshore. For some reason, traffic was very busy. Two cyclists had stopped in the middle of the road. As I tried to pass them, one of of them swerved right in front of my car! I slammed my brakes and missed him a an inch or so. You’ll never guess who I almost squashed. It was Christopher Cutts himself! He recognized me and was as a pale as a ghost!
Mary Sue Rankin of Edward Day Gallery
TO: You use unusual methods to produce your art, like firearms. Can you tell me more about that?
VM: This is another genre of pop art painting I have been working on for the last couple years. It is more like “pop pop art,” as I use real firearms and shoot live ammunition into the canvases I work on. I carefully shoot the outline of the subjects painted. It is a very interesting process as it is extremely dangerous. It’s also not legal in Canada. I make frequent trips to the US to get these painting done. I had numerous press on these paintings lately, I think the public is not used to the fact that I actually shoot the paintings with guns! It is not a special effect or a news clip depicting a dead soldier – it is a painting penetrated by a bullet. Well, Tightrope is spearheading the next project. I will not reveal more, other than to say it’s coming soon to bookstores near you soon.
TO: Dealers is Tightrope’s first art book. Why did you decide to publish with them?
VM: A great friend, Ewan Whyte, suggested I approach publisher Halli Villegas with this unusual project. It fits their character and Tightrope perfectly, it’s just a visual project. As far as I can see they are doing a tremendous job working with local writers and artists. Their editor, Shirarose Wilensky, should receive a medal for her work (or a raise!). They are dedicated to bringing together Canadian artists and giving us a voice.
Dealers will be launched this evening at the Odon Wagner Gallery (198 Davenport Road) from 6pm-10pm. The portraits will be on display at the same gallery from December 11-24.
Great book. I bought a copy last night. Go Tightrope!