Shapeshifter

March 2, 2006 10:39 PM

Brian Jungen is one of Canada's most innovative artists. His Native ceremonial masks, Prototypes For a New Understanding crafted from Nike Air Jordans showed an unique meld of cultures. Juxtapositions continue in his Capp Street Project scale model of the Arts & Crafts Gamble House and Habitat 04 (Habicat 04?) which pays homage to Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67.
posted by angrybeaver (10 comments total)

More of his work.
The Globe & Mail (registration workaround via Google)
New York Times
Gallery of works
posted by angrybeaver at 10:41 PM on March 2, 2006

Interesting.

More conceptual than aesthetic in most cases.

But a nice combination (balance?).

The Nike Mask is surely both.
posted by HTuttle at 10:48 PM on March 2, 2006

More here. Thanks for this, ab.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:16 PM on March 2, 2006

Hey, I've seen that Habitat 67 in Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" video, right?
posted by kimota at 3:51 AM on March 3, 2006

More conceptual than aesthetic in most cases...

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting pure conceptual wankery, but the masks look good.

I think it's partly because of all the repeated shapes, what with all the lines being drawn from the same source. Gives 'em a kind of visual unity. Way cool.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:15 AM on March 3, 2006

Also the delineated separation of colors characteristic of Northwest Coast art.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:41 AM on March 3, 2006

Fantastic post. MeFi always has great stuff, like the guy dressing up as a squirrel or an elephant, but for some reason this totally amazes me. I've spent much time admiring NW Indian art, but never thought of the (now obvious, thanks to Jungen) similarities between a Kwakiutl mask and Air Jordans. Brilliant.

The close-ups are nice, but the shoes/masks are even more impressive when seen in a group (from weapons-grade's link).
posted by lelilo at 8:49 AM on March 3, 2006

Oops. I mean "from weapons-grade's [first] link."
posted by lelilo at 8:52 AM on March 3, 2006

His work introduces the idea of culture as a commodity, a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common here in the Pacific Northwest.
posted by antifreez_ at 11:26 AM on March 3, 2006

Brian also won the inaugural Sobey Art Award (Canada's newborn equivalent of the Turner Prize).

He is also gorgeous.
posted by j.s.f. at 1:30 PM on March 3, 2006