Ms. Teri’s Solo Exhibit Opens
Rococorrosive Explores Battling Mediums, Styles, and Colours
For decades, talented urban artists have made Montreal’s streets their open canvas and personal gallery.
On Friday night, many of Montreal’s street artists gathered at Artgang Gallery in celebration of street artist Ms. Teri’s first ever solo exhibition, “Rococorrosive.” There is a good chance that you have already seen, obliviously perhaps, the Concordia Fine Arts student’s distinctive graffiti paintings on the city’s walls or at last summer’s Mural Festival.
As I stepped into the vast gallery for the first time, I was welcomed by mellow, old school hip-hop and R&B tunes, coupled with a chill vibe. At the back of the open hall, a small, secluded room hosted Ms. Teri’s own imaginary world.
An intimate collection of Ms. Teri’s most personal art was strategically displayed on the walls of the room. The most emblematic aspect of Ms. Teri’s thoughtful artwork is the dichotomy between realism and fantasy, which has natrually become her signature style and the reason behind “Rococorrosive.”
“You’ll see a lot of contrast in my work and that’s really where I live. It’s not on one side or the other. It’s kind of in this blend of contrast,” Ms. Teri said. “Whether it’s more dark stuff, light stuff, contemporary work, or historical art.”
In most pieces, she delicately combines a rococo-style universe with diverging graffiti elements like spray cans and exit signs. Rococo is an artistic movement and style taken from eighteenth century France that is associated with light colours, asymmetrical designs, curves and gold.
Though she is quite reserved and humble, Ms. Teri is not afraid to bring us into her own reality. Her partner-in-crime and fellow Montreal graffiti artist, Aliss, said the exhibition represents far more than a single chapter of her dear friend’s life—it essentially illustrates an entire novel.
“Every single piece that she’s made is completely interconnected to the life that she lives,” Aliss said. “[Ms. Teri] doesn’t show this art, she lives it.”
Ms. Teri expresses the obscurity of her work using prominent soft pink tones and renaissance personages. This aesthetic was what Jessye Thomas, who works at Artgang, found refreshing.
“I find that [Ms. Teri] brings a feminine aspect to things that are normally a bit more masculine,” Thomas said. “You can tell that she comes from the graffiti world. Even though it’s not necessarily present in every piece, she adds her own touch.”
“You can tell that she comes from the graffiti world. Even though it’s not necessarily present in every piece, she adds her own touch.”— Jessye Thomas, Artgang Gallery Staff
Despite the rarity of women in graffiti in Montreal, Aliss stressed that the question of gender isn’t a factor in their style of art. “We aspire to produce things that could move the conversation past that, and the fact that it’s still a conversation is unfortunate because I don’t think that it’s relevant anymore,” she said.
Though many people have discovered Ms. Teri’s skills through her bold street art, Friday night’s expo showcased her mostly unseen studio creations. A couple of etching plates used to make specific paintings were exposed on their own, providing an exclusive behind-the-scenes look.
“I’ve been keeping it all for myself this whole time so it was time to show everyone how it’s done and the work that goes into it,” said Ms. Teri of the complex conception process.
On the wall, a redesigned spray can label transported gallery attendees to a dark evening. “Hop the fence and climb the stairs. Through the roof you’re almost there,” Ms. Teri’s handwritten message said, “from the smokes and fumes shall rise felony in art disguised.”
What sparked my curiosity as I walked around the crowded room were the countless details carefully displayed on every piece. All of them were specifically placed to recreate a meaningful aspect of Ms. Teri’s life. After examining each piece of work at least twice, I was still discovering features that I had previously missed.
Many of them actually belong to a secret sort of code, which makes them easily unnoticeable. Above the door, for instance, she replaced an exit sign with an identical sign that read “ROSE.” The same goes for the camouflaged “Ms. Teri” signature that can be distinguished in most of her paintings.
Her use of various media and techniques such as paint, drawing, sculpture, and serigraphy creates a blend of textures that communicate an absorbing message.
Ms. Teri’s in-studio work, however, is quite different from her street art. She explains that accepting the results of her work and the way it looks is part of the process. But, more importantly, doing graffiti is all about being in the space and in the moment. “You step on a ladder that you made, and you don’t feel the need to go back down. You learn from it,” she said.
She strives for that moment of separation once she steps away from a recently finished piece. When asked what kind of reward she gets from such a challenging type of artwork, she chuckled and said, “Walking by it the next day!”
Although the evening was all about Ms Teri, Artgang, along with rapper and Concordia Professor Yassin “Narcy” Alsalman, took advantage of the night to showcase a politically engaged shirt collection called “Worst of 2016,” designed by Los Angeles-based artist Marks of the Beast.
“Art is a different form of politics,” Alsalman said. “It can address politics, but politics divides whereas art brings people together. It’s the ultimate people’s power once it’s used in the right way.”
Through the warm and intimate evening, I discovered a lively graffiti culture used actively as a means of communication and unity. After all, Montreal’s graffiti-covered walls could be telling us a powerful message. The next one you see might be one of Ms. Teri’s.
Rococorrosive will be displayed at Artgang Gallery (6524 St. Hubert St.) until Dec. 30, 2016.
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