Roy Arden
(Canadian, b. 1957)
Society Stuff, 2010
Oil on linen
Dimensions: 63 × 32 in. (160 × 81.3 cm)
In Society Stuff (2010), Roy Arden transposes an early 20th-century newspaper comic character onto a large vertical linen canvas. Executed in black oil paint on raw linen, the composition depicts a working-class figure in a top hat and patched trousers walking past an urban skyline. A speech bubble above the figure reads, "I'M GITTIN PRETTY TIRED OF THIS SOCIETY STUFF."
Around 2007, Arden expanded his practice beyond his established photo-conceptual photography to include painting, sculpture, and collage. Sourced from his archival collection of print media and historic illustrations, these works explore the same core themes as his photographs: class structure, labor, and the social pressures of modern life. By isolating and enlarging popular cartoon satire to a scale of over five feet tall, Arden connects historic American graphic art with his ongoing critique of social hierarchy.
Expanded Practice: Best known for his foundational role in Vancouver Photo-Conceptualism, Arden's post-2007 body of work includes paintings on linen and mixed-media collages that have been featured in major museum surveys, including his 2011 solo exhibition UNDERTHESUN at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver.
Rarity of Medium: While Arden’s photographs exist in small print editions, his paintings on linen are unique works produced in far lower quantities.
Scale and Format: At 63 × 32 inches, Society Stuff is a major canvas from this period of his studio practice.
Museum of Modern Art / MoMA (New York, NY)
Centre Pompidou (Paris, France)
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Vancouver Art Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Art Gallery of Ontario / AGO (Toronto, ON)
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (Stuttgart, Germany)
Roy Arden
(Canadian, b. 1957)
Society Stuff, 2010
Oil on linen
Dimensions: 63 × 32 in. (160 × 81.3 cm)
In Society Stuff (2010), Roy Arden transposes an early 20th-century newspaper comic character onto a large vertical linen canvas. Executed in black oil paint on raw linen, the composition depicts a working-class figure in a top hat and patched trousers walking past an urban skyline. A speech bubble above the figure reads, "I'M GITTIN PRETTY TIRED OF THIS SOCIETY STUFF."
Around 2007, Arden expanded his practice beyond his established photo-conceptual photography to include painting, sculpture, and collage. Sourced from his archival collection of print media and historic illustrations, these works explore the same core themes as his photographs: class structure, labor, and the social pressures of modern life. By isolating and enlarging popular cartoon satire to a scale of over five feet tall, Arden connects historic American graphic art with his ongoing critique of social hierarchy.
Expanded Practice: Best known for his foundational role in Vancouver Photo-Conceptualism, Arden's post-2007 body of work includes paintings on linen and mixed-media collages that have been featured in major museum surveys, including his 2011 solo exhibition UNDERTHESUN at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver.
Rarity of Medium: While Arden’s photographs exist in small print editions, his paintings on linen are unique works produced in far lower quantities.
Scale and Format: At 63 × 32 inches, Society Stuff is a major canvas from this period of his studio practice.
Museum of Modern Art / MoMA (New York, NY)
Centre Pompidou (Paris, France)
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Vancouver Art Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Art Gallery of Ontario / AGO (Toronto, ON)
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (Stuttgart, Germany)
