Author Description

Product Description Aesthetic and poetic concerns driven by political and social engagement are at the heart of Mathieu Beausejour's artistic practice. Working from a position of resistance, the Montreal-based artist employs a wide range of techniques - notably installation, performance, and printing - so as to overturn concepts of power, alienation, and oppression. His most emblematic works employ cultural symbols such as currency, anthems and manifestos to comment on historical or current events: Kings and Queens of Quebec (2008) is an ironic twist on the portraits of British rulers that adorn Canadian money and a subtle political critique; the installation Icarus (2009), an elaborate allegory of the fall of Capitalism. This first career monograph highlights more than two decades of a practice that is characterized - not by unequivocal political views - but by a revolutionary, romantic stance where macro-political issues are treated with a formal and conceptual ingenuity that make the revolt, first and foremost, that of the imagination. About the Author Andreanne Roy has authored monographs on Jean-Paul Riopelle and Marc Seguin. Robin Simpson is contributing author to Oh, Canada (MIT Press). Sonia Pelletier is an art critique and independent curator.