Travis McEwen's Futuristic World
Travis McEwen, “Fallen,” 2016
oil on linen, 18” x 20” courtesy the artist and dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton
The boat, a floating place that travels from port to port in an infinite sea, is a metaphor the French philosopher Michel Foucault used to describe heterotopia, a Greek word that means “other place” – one where people outside the norm can find shelter. “In civilizations without boats,” he wrote, “dreams dry up.”
For Travis McEwen, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota with an MFA from Montreal’s Concordia University, Foucault’s words are not abstract concepts but lived experience. McEwen, who describes himself as queer, grew up in Red Deer, Alta., where he experienced ostracism and isolation. His show, The Arch: Plans for a Heterotopic Space Opera, on view at dc3 Art Projects in Edmonton until Oct. 14, creates an alternative futuristic world where “otherness” is both welcomed and embraced.
McEwen’s myriad small to mid-sized paintings – 66 in all – are individual works, but collectively form a seamless installation: a landscape inspired by science fiction with a continuous horizon line that encircles the viewer. Most paintings feature structures in the shape of rainbows or abandoned construction walls that hover ghost-like above vast, deserted spaces. These scenes, partly inspired by his visit to southern Turkey, diverge from the subdued ochres of the Taurus Mountains, projecting tropical garden hues that both beckon and repel.
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Travis McEwen, “The Arch: Plans for a Heterotopic Space Opera,” 2017
installation view, courtesy of dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton
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Travis McEwen, “The Arch: Plans for a Heterotopic Space Opera,” 2017
installation view, courtesy of dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton
The horizon line also encompasses some of the portraits hung on the opposite wall. Here, sitters are positioned in a classic formal arrangement reminiscent of the Golden Age of Dutch portraiture. But rather than portraying the bourgeoisie, these works feature imaginary characters of fluid, indeterminate gender. Some are dressed in gender-neutral outfits similar to those worn by Teletubbies, while others wear eerily evocative clothing. Several figures, such as Floating Prescient, are draped in what could be a grey hoodie, a monk’s robe or a woman’s hijab. In these haunting portraits, the marginalized and the shunned – the anonymous people absent from history books – confront viewers.
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Travis McEwen, “Floating Prescient,” 2017
oil on canvas, 18” x 14” courtesy the artist and dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton
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Travis McEwen, “Golden Light,” 2016
oil on board, 20” x 16” courtesy the artist and dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton
Here, the gallery itself becomes Foucault’s heterotopic space: a refuge from Edmonton’s bustling streets. But it’s not wholly a consoling setting. Jarring colours, vast spaces, twilight landscapes and anonymous faces confront as much as they comfort. McEwen’s heterotopia doesn’t portend an idealized future: hope is melded with loneliness and isolation.
dc3 art projects
10567 111 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5H 3E8
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