BACK IN 5: Michael Polakowski and Ivan Montoya

About

As the exhibition title suggests, the paintings in this show speak to a style of living where work and leisure can exist simultaneously. Inspired by the cultures in which they were raised, Montoya (Chihuahua, Mexico and Livonia, Michigan) and Polakowski (Dearborn, MI and Leamington, Canada) mine their personal lives and memories for the archetypes and characters that populate the included works. Each artist created 5 paintings, a reference to the title and the idea of taking a 5 minute break during work. Their artworks are grounded in a personal sense of naturalism, but imbued with elements of surrealism that suggest that lessons can be found in everyday moments if we are perceptive enough to observe them. Despite the visual differences between these artists’ practices, their works converge thematically; both confront how place shapes who we are and how we see the world, and the push and pull between work and leisure time.