Craig Le Blanc, “Love Story (detail),” 2016
vinyl, 30” x 35” x 1” (courtesy of the artist)
Ancient warriors going into battle carried shields to repel enemy blows. The shields gave them confidence.
Edmonton artist Craig Le Blanc creates his own shields and adds text that superimposes his doubts and anxieties on this symbol of hyper-masculinity.
“They are my confessions,” says Le Blanc. “They are things in life I am not always proud of.”
His vinyl-covered shields vary in size, with many about 30 inches by 35 inches. The text tends to be cryptic. “I’m a runaway train,” says one. “I am not a bad man but I am not good,” says another. The cover of a third shield is split, revealing a red skin beneath. It’s called Wounded.
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Craig Le Blanc, “Runaway Train,” 2016
vinyl, 44” x 36” x 1” (courtesy of the artist)
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Craig Le Blanc, “Love Story,” 2016
vinyl, 30” x 35” x 1” (courtesy of the artist)
About nine of Le Blanc’s shields will be part of a two-person show, New, that opens Oct. 18 at Edmonton’s Front Gallery. The show also includes brain-teasing acrylic paintings by Oksana Movchan that explore spirituality and other mysteries of life. Both artists are new to the gallery.
In the past, Le Blanc has used other items with macho overtones, such as cars and sports equipment, to investigate both the bravado and the vulnerability of masculinity. For instance, his 2008 installation, The Hatchlings, features dozens of shell-like athletic cups turned into fragile baby turtles.
Craig Le Blanc, “The Hatchlings (detail),” 2008
each 6″ x 6″ x 1" (installation variable)
“Le Blanc’s works negotiate the tension between protective veneer and blatant exposure,” says a gallery statement. “He creates robust and structured forms that mirror the gendered stereotypes they allude to, such as aggressivity, virility, competitiveness, while simultaneously inverting those assumptions.” ■
Craig Le Blanc’s work is on view at Edmonton’s Front Gallery from Oct. 18 to Nov. 15, 2018.
