PRESS RELEASE

DEREK ROOT

SHROOM VISION COLOUR FIELDS
Opening Reception:
Saturday, May 4th, 3-7pm

3 May - 26 May, 2002

Above: Derek Root, Foodie, oil on canvas, 2002

The Monte Clark Gallery is pleased to announce the first Toronto solo exhibition of Vancouver artist Derek Root.

New encaustic monochromes and small figurative works in oil examine narcotic, dream-like states of extreme purity and hallucino-kitsch episodes.

This exhibition presents two related but disparate bodies of work. The first consists of Root's encaustic monochromes, minimalist paintings that are ethereal and that convey atmospheric qualities through their vivid colours and nuances of serene landscapes and billowing clouds pierced by light. The small figurative oils, the latest development in Root's oeuvre, are a testament to the hippie culture of Vancouver, the hometown of the artist.

The Monte Clark Gallery, with spaces in Toronto and Vancouver, represents leading Canadian and international contemporary artists, including Roy Arden, Graham Gillmore, Anna Hunt and Scott McFarland.

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11-7pm, Sunday, 12-5pm. Monte Clark Toronto is located at the intersection of Queen West and Niagara. Please contact the gallery for images and further information.