Marc Adornato

Marc Adornato (born June 7, 1977) is a contemporary Canadian artist based in Ottawa, Ontario, working in a variety of mediums including painting, mixed media, video and performance. He is known for his satirical and subversive artwork that often involve socio-political issues such as climate change, terrorism, state surveillance, and wealth inequality.

Early life and education

Adornato was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1977. He spent his formative years (1982–1986) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with his family, before settling in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1990. 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.

2001–2009

In 2001–2009, Adornato's work focused on "pro-cloning, sciences, politics and history" and concerned himself particularly with "la guerre et le clonage". 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. 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''. 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, and Adornato has spoken out publicly against traditional media outlets and voiced frequent challenges to public figures. His work has also been shown at the Bank of Canada's Currency Museum. During this period, Adornato self-identified as a "technophile" using "favourite newscasts, just as any artist works using a preferred brush or type of paint". His early works have been described as "an eclectic mix (and remix) of fantasy, comedy, parody and sharp socio-political commentary".

2010–2015, Assemblage Work

In 2010, Adornato's artwork took on a distinctively different look that tended towards " assemblage". He began to work with antiquated materials from before the 1960s: everything from reclaimed barn wood, to radios, typewriters, cameras, sewing machines, to vintage fur pelts, antlers, and World War II-era gas masks. His hybrid assemblage/mash-up style continues to be prevalent in his current sculptural work. 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. The ''Hunting Dissent'' series, along with the dark-humored ''BlowUp Dolls'', and the emerging train-derailment series ''Progress Derailed'', are among those shown in many non-traditional venues in Ottawa.

2015-Present Day

#MYPROTEST

2014-15 ''#MYPROTEST'': In 2015, Adornato completed a year long performance-meets-protest in which the artists cycled through Ottawa on a self-constructed electric 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. The project continues to reside in video form on YouTube, and features music by indie pop band Hilotrons

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