Guerillas Under Glass
Two-Six combines formal aft with signature street pieces
Kristen Pauch-Nolin

Curator Cliff Eyland’s 26/Two-Sicks/Too-Six is a compelling and unsettling collection.

Featuring the work of the highly sought-after Winnipeg art collective Two-Six, the exhibition is paradoxical, combining installations that represent the group’s street art with formal gallery pieces.

Best known for its raw esthetic style and guerrilla installation techniques, the collective includes Cyrus Smith, David Wityk, Shaun Morin, Melanie Rocan, Ian August, Fred Thomas, and DJ Brace (Mike Topf). With a combination of university education and street cred, each contributes a unique approach and perspective to the group.

Each artist participates in the creation of works jointly called ‘prefabs.’ Prefabs, which are made from diverse materials/surfaces (usually found), are installed on fences and posts as non-commissioned works of public art.

In contrast to the public perception of graffiti artists as hooligans, the members of Two-Six join a long history of artists who have brought their art to the street. Eyland explains that Dadaism in the 1930s helped the street style gain acceptance, and by the 1980s little distinction remained between vandalism and gallery art.

Eyland takes his exhibition a step further, including elements of the collective’s street practice along with more formal work — and a distinct juxtaposition is created.

In the centre of the gallery, two display cases house remnants of the artists’ public work. The first displays a collection of the group’s magazines (’zines) and CDs, while the second includes numerous prefabs. Ironically, artwork initially created for free public consumption is now displayed in protective cabinets.

Located on the far gallery wall is a Wall of Shame, which combines the spontaneity of the group’s public installations with gallery formality. A collaborative effort, the wall is filled with small-scale samples of the artists’ work. The finished product represents the group as a whole, showcasing a mix of humorous, political and complex pieces.

Each artist is also represented by a formal work that is displayed in conjunction with the collective pieces. Framed or stretched, the photographs, paintings and mixed-media works line two opposing walls of the gallery. Although technically and conceptually competent, these works lack the subtle complexity of the prefabs.

The exception is Realization of moment #204138369 or the day I came to know it all by Cyrus Smith, which includes a series of 12 shelf dividers that have been transformed with collage and text. The finished works are quirky, visually compelling and strikingly intelligent. The piece, which creates a running narrative, maintains the raw energy of the prefabs while not appearing out of place within the gallery.

To close the exhibition, Eyland has included a video montage of images by William Eakin. Situated across from the Wall of Shame, the projection includes photographs of the artists and samples of their artwork arranged in a fluctuating grid. The piece provides viewers with information about the collective and effectively ties the exhibition together.