Artist Statement
I make art because the world doesn't make sense. My artistic points of departure are ideas and elements that terrify me. These topics include isolation, depression, xenophobia, misogyny, cruelty and violence. The luxury of being able to respond to my environment comes from a sense of cultural isolation that seemed to begin when I realized that I couldn't’ find myself on television anymore. Having spent my entire childhood learning behavior from television, my lack of identification with this medium was initially rather disconcerting.
Video and animation emerged as my artistic mediums of choice because they are processes of putting myself back on television. Of course television is hardly a neutral ground. Therefore the protagonists of my works find themselves in chaotic and often violent spaces. These spaces are loaded with diverse references. Some codes are familiar and accessible while others are deeply personal and obscure. The references come from my eclectic interests in areas such as ancient mythology, Judaic culture, feminist theory, art history, popular culture, political activism, economics and biotechnology.
Humour allows the viewer and myself to gain a distance from the toxic elements that I am trying to understand. This distance allows us to safely probe into complex issues of identity and its construction within the sociological realm. It is through cathartic humor that my electronic surrogates come to understand themselves. In doing so, they realize their ability to transform these artificial environments into more meaningful realities.
I make art because the world doesn't make sense. My artistic points of departure are ideas and elements that terrify me. These topics include isolation, depression, xenophobia, misogyny, cruelty and violence. The luxury of being able to respond to my environment comes from a sense of cultural isolation that seemed to begin when I realized that I couldn't’ find myself on television anymore. Having spent my entire childhood learning behavior from television, my lack of identification with this medium was initially rather disconcerting.
Video and animation emerged as my artistic mediums of choice because they are processes of putting myself back on television. Of course television is hardly a neutral ground. Therefore the protagonists of my works find themselves in chaotic and often violent spaces. These spaces are loaded with diverse references. Some codes are familiar and accessible while others are deeply personal and obscure. The references come from my eclectic interests in areas such as ancient mythology, Judaic culture, feminist theory, art history, popular culture, political activism, economics and biotechnology.
Humour allows the viewer and myself to gain a distance from the toxic elements that I am trying to understand. This distance allows us to safely probe into complex issues of identity and its construction within the sociological realm. It is through cathartic humor that my electronic surrogates come to understand themselves. In doing so, they realize their ability to transform these artificial environments into more meaningful realities.
Do you want to contact Evan Tapper? Email Evan at mail(at)evantapper(dot)net.
Evan's work is distributed by Video Pool Inc. If you are interested in seeing more of his work, you can contact him directly at the above email or click on the link here to contact Video Pool Inc.
Evan's work is distributed by Video Pool Inc. If you are interested in seeing more of his work, you can contact him directly at the above email or click on the link here to contact Video Pool Inc.
About the Artist
Evan Tapper was born in Winnipeg on a bright sunny morning in May. Mrs. Mendelson, Evan's kindergarten teacher, was quick to recognize his talent. Although it caused a great deal of tension and jealousy among the other 5-year-olds, Mrs. Mendleson called Evan "her little artist". Evan's academic achievements continued as he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours from the School of Art, University of Manitoba and a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Art, Carnegie Mellon University. He attended residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in the United States, the Center For Contemporary Art Kitakyushu in Japan, and Charles Street Video in Canada.
To support his artistic endeavors, Evan found employment in a number of fields including physical labour, food service, arts administration, and academia. Despite the fact that these jobs often offered little monetary gain, these experiences provided a wealth of material that made for some interesting art.
Evan's video, animation, installation, and performance work has been shown in Canada, the United States, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Australia, Japan, and China. He has received a number of grants and awards from organizations such as the New York State Council on the Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts, The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Arts Council. He is currently based in Toronto.
Evan Tapper was born in Winnipeg on a bright sunny morning in May. Mrs. Mendelson, Evan's kindergarten teacher, was quick to recognize his talent. Although it caused a great deal of tension and jealousy among the other 5-year-olds, Mrs. Mendleson called Evan "her little artist". Evan's academic achievements continued as he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours from the School of Art, University of Manitoba and a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Art, Carnegie Mellon University. He attended residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in the United States, the Center For Contemporary Art Kitakyushu in Japan, and Charles Street Video in Canada.
To support his artistic endeavors, Evan found employment in a number of fields including physical labour, food service, arts administration, and academia. Despite the fact that these jobs often offered little monetary gain, these experiences provided a wealth of material that made for some interesting art.
Evan's video, animation, installation, and performance work has been shown in Canada, the United States, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Australia, Japan, and China. He has received a number of grants and awards from organizations such as the New York State Council on the Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts, The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Arts Council. He is currently based in Toronto.