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Articles

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2015)

The Rural Readymade: A New Brunswick Vernacular in the Work of Adriana Kuiper and Ryan Suter

  • Anne Koval
Submitted
June 26, 2015
Published
2015-06-26

Abstract

This essay examines the return to the readymade as a conceptual and sculptural practice in the work of contemporary artists Adriana Kuiper and Ryan Suter, who are based in New Brunswick. Marcel Duchamp’s famous work entitled In Advance of the Broken Arm serves as a departure point for discussing the significance of the readymade in contemporary art practice by specifically situating its reappearance within the creative practices of artists working in rural locations and responding to the local vernacular of found materials, DIY projects, roadside art, folk art, and the handmade. Issues concerning regionalism, the lure of the local, as well as notions of heterotopia and failure are explored as conceptual strategies in contemporary art practices. Included in this discussion are other Canadian artists (Clint Neufeld, Becka Viau, and Cal Lane), exhibitions (Rural Readymade; Oh, Canada in its Maritime venue; and Somewheres), and art festivals such as Nuit Blanche (Toronto), Nocturne (Halifax), and Art in the Open (Charlottetown).