Jack Bishop: Urban Sprawl

New Brunswick artist Jack Bishop is back at Gallery Page and Strange for his second solo show, and his paintings are just as gorgeous and haunting as the first. Bishop continues to play with the theme of consumerism, this time painting landscapes of business parks and sprawled areas that you'd likely recognize from your own car travels. "In the painting for the show, '12 Gas Stations,' I think it's kind of a light-hearted painting," says Bishop (painting pictured above). "I was going for something of a funny picturesque winter scene that you'd see commonly in paintings, but then having 12 gas stations." Bishop adds that he considers the painting to be more of "a reference to consumption and environmental impact" than the idyllic landscape of a snowy day. Bishop's bold brushstrokes capture the detail of layered retail parks, making it easy to spot the McDonald's, Staples and Canadian Tire stores. Don't miss this show---it'll have you in awe, and shaken at how car culture molds neighbourhoods. –Holly Gordon