MIX Gallery

Name: Joey DAMMIT!

Age: A lady never tells

Homebase: Toronto

Education: Graphic Design and Advertising Diploma, Humber College, Toronto

Artist Statement: “Technicolour chaos” is my favourite way to describe my art. I love a chaotic, in-your-face mishmash, an explosion of images and colour. I believe Zeitgeist surrounds us. The dial of the world and our lives is set to “Overkill.” This chaos is conveyed through my love of Pop culture: larger- than-life icons, celebrities, historical figures, comic-book heroes-it’s all there. My work has been described as “Warhol in a head-on collision with David Lynch.” Perfect. If you’re looking for something deeper, there’s always the ocean.

Mantra: Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-Albert Einstein

What was your worst artistic experience? That would have to be all the trouble a 6′ x 6′ painting of mine caused me. I had to take it to a gallery, but it was too large to fit in a regular van, and I couldn’t afford a cube van at the time. So, a friend of mine and I decided to tie it to the roof of his station wagon. We got into the car and proceeded to drive away. Can you say “disaster”? It was like having a giant kite on the roof of the car-as we drove, it wanted to fly away! On one of the coldest days of the year, we had to hold it down with our hands outside the car’s windows. My friend was driving with one hand while holding one corner, while I held the other corner from the passenger’s side, as we drove clear across the city with our hands almost frostbitten. Horrible! Since then, I’ve turned to using smaller canvases.

What’s Next? I’ve had two major shows in the last eight months, and the creative well is dry. I’m going to take some badly needed time off to replenish and, at the same time, start doing some research on galleries outside the country. First we take Manhattan…