Weird Drawings Open Studio 2005 Exploding buildings and surreal decapitations splattered across the walkway in this exhibition of instantaneous street art creations. Following a very successful experiment in live performance and public intervention, Mike opened a giant loft studio in Toronto’s Kensington Market.

To celebrate the occasion a collection of over 150 street style paintings were shown publicly in the artist’s new work space. Complete with ceiling decorations, wall to wall illustrations and numerous giant murals, the entire studio was transformed into a cartoon cityscape. The work explored various pedestrian themes and observations regarding architecture and others. As a full time street artist Mike spent most of his days drawing and talking to people as they passed through Toronto’s busy downtown shopping district. These apparently random public performances incited interactions with thousands of people from all over the world and of all walks of life. This resulted in drawings emphasizing the importance of the individual amidst all of our struggles with progress, security, fashion and self.

Mike developed a quick performance style approach while working outdoors in front of audiences on Queen Street West.  The process involved rapid gestural brush strokes followed by sharp detailing with a fine point quill pen. This technique resulted in almost instantaneous renderings ideal for performance yet intricate enough for the gallery setting. Varying from post card to mural size the works depicted all sorts of metropolitan monstrosities.  Read More about the Weird Drawings 

Single characters, animated narratives, strange transformations and intense cityscapes consumed sheet after sheet of the heavy weight paper. The studio opening exhibited over 150 smaller ink drawings, 15 larger works and one 12 x 15 foot mural most of which were made during the street art performances throughout the previous summer. The Kensington Market Studio remained open until the winter of 2008.

NEXT EXHIBITION: PEN AND INK DRAWING

Drawing installation of the New York City skyline at the O.C.A.D. Atrium Gallery

PREVIOUS EXHIBITION: DRAW MONSTERS

Showcase of over 500 creepy ink drawings at the XPACE gallery