Owen Rival at MONTI8

Artist: Owen Rival

Exhibition title: Chronic Maintenance

Venue: MONTI8, Latina, Italy

Date: April 29 – May 13, 2023

Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artist and MONTI8

MONTI8 is excited to announce “Chronic Maintenance”, first solo show of the Canadian artist Owen Rival opening on April 29.

The exhibition presents five new works, going from mid-size to large scale paintings, all depicting private domestic moments. Every scene represents the artist himself and his wife, caught in common acts like washing dishes or doing the laundry, as part of a daily routine, seen by the artist as a comfort zone.

As Jenny Kim – his wife and critic – sais: “ In this series, Rival explores the constant struggle to maintain order. Activities like chores, sleep, and taking medication may feel mundane, but they are rituals that we must continue in order to survive. If we go a single day without these routines, we see signs of loss; our homes become disordered and our physical and mental health deteriorate. We all must constantly battle to keep things in balance”.

Thus, in every painting this balance is subtle and hides a status of anxiety, suggested by the use of oversaturated colours and artificial lights, which help to create a feeling of distress. In the work Laundry, for instance, the washing machines and the wall on the background are heavily distorted, evoking a sense of disorientation and claustrophobia. This feeelings are even more clear in the painting Meds, where a young man – the artist – is in his bed and can’t sleep, probably due to a panic attack, and is about to take Lexapro.

“We underestimate these shared difficulties because they are so constant and universal, but Rival’s paintings highlight our small, everyday battles and honor the strength it takes to keep going. Rival’s work doesn’t depict what it looks like, but what it feels like to be in these moments of chronic maintenance”, explains Jenny Kim.

“Chronic Maintenance” describes a typical day of the artist’s life and his wife, as a just married couple. The viewer is invited to become part of their intimacy, discovering – through simple and common gestures, deeper feelings and emotions.

The show will be on view through 13th of May.