Ever since Michael Flisak was a little boy, he has always been infatuated with cowboys.
“At five years old I used to wear cowboy hats and boots and I even had chaps and little holsters,” said Flisak, who is a contemporary artist in Hinton.
“My friends used to call me Gene Autry when I was a little kid,” he said referring to an American performer who gained fame as a singing cowboy in the early 1930s.
It’s not surprising then that Fliask’s most recent art exhibit, called Toe-Faced Cowboys, includes a mix of drawings and paintings that depict some rather unusual cowboys.
He described the abstract images as “absurd” and as “visual puns.”
“The toes are noses and the feet are faces,” explained Flisak, adding the figures don’t have arms or legs.
“It’s one image, but it’s also two or three images at the same time.”
The colourful paintings and drawing will be on display at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives April 1 to 24. There will be an opening reception with Flisak on April 8 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
“I hope people will get a sense of play and wonder and they’ll see the world a little differently,” said Flisak, about his art exhibit.
He said he also hopes people will see the sense of humour in his art, while at the same time appreciating its richness.
“Even if they’re confounded by it, that’s a good thing because it takes them out of their normal, daily safe place and brings them to another place.”
The 59-year-old artist studied art as a 23-year-old at the Victoria College of Art and was almost immediately recognized for his talents.
“After my first year they had me teaching figure drawing,” said Flisak, who moved to Montreal and opened his own art gallery in the early 1990s.
From there he spent a year studying visual arts at Laval University in Quebec, before eventually moving back west. In 2005, he spent time as a resident artist at The Banff Centre.
“I’ve taught almost everyone in Jasper,” said Flisak, “Anyone you name that’s been a Jasper artist they’ve usually taken my figure drawing classes.”
To meet Flisak in person and to learn more about his art, visit the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives on April 8. All of the art that will be on display will also be for sale.
Complimentary Polish snacks and a cash bar will also be available.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
