Marc Adornato

Marc Adornato
Born	June 7, 1977
Known for	Satirical, sociopolitically engaged protest-based artwork
Spouse(s)	Urszula Adamik married 2012-14
Website	http://www.adornato.com

Marc Adornato (born June 7, 1977 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian artist based in Ottawa, Ontario,^[1] working in a variety of mediums including painting, mixed media, video and performance.^[1][2][3] He is known for his satirical artwork usually referencing socio-political issues like climate change, terrorism, state surveillance, and wealth inequality.^[4][5]

Early life and education

Adornato was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1977. He spent his formative years (1982–1986) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia^[1] with his family, before settling in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1990.^[2] In 2001, he completed a degree in Fine Art with a major in Media Art, from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax Nova Scotia.^[1][5]

2001–2009

In 2001–2009, Adornato's work focused on "pro-cloning, sciences, politics and history"^[1] and concerned himself particularly with "la guerre et le clonage".^[5] Adornato produced a series of artworks entitled Anarchos Apokalypsis where he burned, shredded and "smashed shit to pieces" - then hung it in museums and galleries.^[2][6][7][8] Notable pieces from that era are his Canadian and American flags made with real Canadian currency he destroyed, entitled, United We Spend which was featured in the Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War exhibit at the Canadian War Museum during the period from 2005-2006 over the course of his participation in The War Story Collective.^{[5][8][9][10]} Also included in this series were The Fish performance installation where he set a robotic singing fish on fire, Robo-Christ made from cheap disposable technology, and several video mash-ups including State of the Union and In God We Trust that address George W. Bush's war on Iraq. Tending to independent distribution, the artist's video mash-ups still reside on YouTube,^[11] and Adornato has spoken out publicly against traditional media outlets^[4] and voiced frequent challenges to public figures.^[12] His work has also been shown at the The Bank of Canada's Currency Museum.^[7] During this period, Adornato self-identified as a "technophile"^[2] using "favourite newscasts, just as any artist works using a preferred brush or type of paint".^[2] His early works have been described as "an eclectic mix (and remix) of fantasy, comedy, parody and sharp socio-political commentary".^[13]

2010–present

In 2010, Adornato's artwork took on a distinctively different look that tended towards "assemblage".^[3] He began to work with antiquated materials from before the 1960s:^[3] everything from reclaimed barn wood, to radios, typewriters, cameras, sewing machines, to vintage fur pelts, antlers, and World War II-era gas masks.^[14] His hybrid assemblage/mash-up style continues to be prevalent in his current sculptural work.^[3][13] Recent notable creations are the Hunting Dissent series, which was the subject of a conflict with a local eatery when Adornato spoke out against an alleged copy of his work.^[15][16] The Hunting Dissent series, along with the dark-humored BlowUp Dolls, and the emerging train-derailment series Progress Derailed,^[3] are among those shown in many non-traditional venus in Ottawa.^[17]

Select artworks and projects

2014-15 #MYPROTEST: In 2015, Adornato completed a year long performance-meets-protest in which the artists cycled through Ottawa on a motorized bike while wearing a gas mask. The piece existed in large part through the social media responses and subsequent public reactions that Adornato would capture and document, absorbing his audience's response into the documentary component of the piece itself. At its inception, #MYPROTEST utilized propaganda-inspired media tactics relaying messages of condemnation on the subjects of GMOs, wealth inequality, student debt and surveillance culture.^[18] The project continues to reside in video form.^[19]

2015 RBC Painting competition submission: Adornato received attention across Canada and into the US for his 2015 RBC Painting competition^[18] submission titled, Arbie, a loyal and hardworking employee and mascot of The Royal Bank of Canada, sets fire to his branch in protest, after learning that his job is being outsourced through iGate, a multinational outsourcing firm from India. To add insult to injury, Arbie was asked by RBC to train his replacement before his job is terminated. RBC said the work is being outsourced for cost savings and efficiency, all the while making billions of dollars in record profits.

The painting, Adornato's first in over a decade,^[20] depicts a Royal Bank of Canada building on fire, with the RBC mascot 'Arbie' holding a sign saying "iProtest".^[21] In a press release statement about the painting Adornato wrote, "It is wonderful to see that RBC has thrown some of their spare change into the hats of a few emerging Canadian painters over the past few years...Along with this painting, I will also be submitting a portrait of RBC CEO Gord Nixon, who received $12.7 million last year alone, including a $1.5 million salary, $6.6 million of performance deferred share units, $1.65 million of stock options, an incentive award of $2.93 million and $44,877 of other compensation. I do hope my painting wins the $25,000 reward for the 2015 RBC Canadian Painting Competition. After being taxed on almost half of that, I will be able to put the rest towards my student loans, and RBC's outrageous banking, brokerage, mutual funds, and credit card fees." ^[20][22][23] Receiving heavy media coverage, the piece incited responses from outlets all over the country.^[24][25][26] To date, RBC has chosen not to respond.

Exhibitions

Adornato's artwork has been in numerous exhibits including the Canadian War Museum,^[8][10] Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War, The Bank of Canada's Currency Museum, Sacred Money, Damned Money^[27][28][29] and appears frequently in non-traditional locations including restaurants^[17] and the artist's own renegade installs.^[30]

Selected serial works

• 2016 - Ruined Landscapes (Ottawa Art Gallery)^[31]
• 2015 - Arbie Goes Rogue (4 paintings for the RBC Painting Competition)^[32]
• 2014 - 2015 - #MYPROTEST (Ottawa street performance, video with Hilotrons music, Jamie Kronick photos)^[19][33]

Influences

Artists such as Maurizio Cattelan, Wayne White, Banksy, and Jake and Dinos Chapman are among those listed as artistic influences by the artist.^[34] Adornato also cites social agitators such as American filmmaker Michael Moore, and performance artists such as Australian artist Stelarc, and Russian artist Pyotr Pavelensky.

Since the increase in hacked art in Adornato's work, comparisons have been drawn more frequently in recent years to artists such as Stirling Prentice, David Irvine and Dave Pollot.

References