"Spy High", 2010, oil on aluminum, 24.5" x 19.5" (detail) "The figures are taken from Fragonard's 'La Gimblette' (young girl playing with her dog), 1770 in the collection of Alte Pinakothek in Munich. This is such a weird sexy image from Fragonard. Feeding off the voyeuristic vibe, I put some extra distance between them and the viewer with some sleek contemporary horizontal stripes that made me think of window blinds." - Keer Tanchak KEER TANCHAK May 22 - June 19, 2010 Still Dreaming Life Images Press Vancouver Sun The imagery for Tanchak's paintings on thin sheets of aluminum is derived from 18th century Rococo sources; namely, the French painters Watteau, Fragonard, Boucher and Lancret. Watteau used most of his figures as 'stock footage'~ a limited cast of characters appears continuously in his body of work, their slightly shifted poses and contexts made to seem endlessly unique. Tanchak explores these pre-cinematic techniques and introduces a similar cast of characters into dramatically altered environments. The 18th century fascination for decadence and romance, and the political implications of these obsessions, remains a relevant, ongoing cultural narrative. Tanchak takes cues from modern architecture and design and then situates her characters in contemporary spaces. Keer Tanchak was born in North Vancouver, BC. She received a BFA with distinction from Concordia University in Montreal in 2000 and was awarded an MFA with fellowship from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. Tanchak lives and works in Chicago. Previous Gallery Exhibitions home