(b. 1974)
Located in RC 201.7, near RC 251.20 (Dr. William Riddell Centre, 2nd floor)
© Marcel Dzama. Courtesy David Zwirner, New York/ London/ Hong Kong. Photograph by the University of Regina.
© Marcel Dzama. Courtesy David Zwirner, New York/ London/ Hong Kong. Photograph by the University of Regina.
© Marcel Dzama. Courtesy David Zwirner, New York/ London/ Hong Kong. Photograph by the University of Regina.
(top)
Just to watch him die, 1997
Watercolour
12 1/2″ x 10″
University of Regina President’s Art Collection. Gift of Wayne Baerwaldt, 2016; pc.2016.13
(middle)
Untitled (man with flaming fist), 1997
Watercolour
12 1/2″ x 10″
University of Regina President’s Art Collection. Gift of Wayne Baerwaldt, 2016; pc.2016.14
(bottom)
Untitled (Santa Claus), 1997
Watercolour
12 1/2″ x 10″
University of Regina President’s Art Collection. Gift of Wayne Baerwaldt, 2016; pc.2016.23
Marcel Dzama, originally from Winnipeg (MB), has attained a prolific career. He now lives and works in New York City. He studied at the University of Manitoba, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997. While attending the University of Manitoba, Dzama, Drue Langlois, Jon Pylypchuk, Neil Farber, Michael Dumontier and Adrian Williams started an artist collective, The Royal Art Lodge. A close-knit group, The Royal Art Lodge produced works that were collaborative and yet retained the style of each artist. Dzama came to be known for his drawings, and later begun using media such as sculpture, dioramas, installations and films.
Dzama’s drawings are reminiscent of children’s literature illustrations, with soft muted tones to illicit a dream-like quality. He uses a muted earthy palette of olive greens, crimson, and unconventional materials such as root beer for the brown tones. The image usually appears in isolation on the center of the page, with no background, and no interaction with other displayed works.
Dzama’s works often contain dark humor, violence and sexually charged subject matter. His works contain a sense of absurdity, and an overtly graphic quality, instilling a feeling of nostalgia through references to pop culture of the nineties. This can be seen through the use of cowboys and teletubbies.