Graduate of NSCAD University, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1969: Rod Malay shuns the title "artist" as he feels more a journalist, who tells stories in images, not words.
"Mona Lisa and Friends (Diana and Callisto)" 2019, oil painting. Mona's story, behind that famous smile...
Throughout the 500 centuries, Mona Lisa has intrigued and mystified academics, artists, poets, song writers, cinema, theatre, plays... Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet" is called the 'Mona Lisa of Literature'... of the enigmatic, in popular culture. Mona Lisa has been repeatedly scrutinized, admired, copied, and parodied
.
Malay, the artist (?), and feminist at heart, was likewise fascinated with this woman and that "enigmatic smile". There was an injustice against Mona Lisa who lived in a patriarchal, ritualistic, society, where her only duties were to family, church and men... then at last, abandoned to die in a nunnery. Thanks to Leonardo De Vinci, Mona lisa went on to become the most famous women and most expensive work of art in the world. Yet the injustice continues.
Malay, devil's advocate, decided to modernize this women, in a new narrative, to release her from the ancient and modern patriarchal society. Thanks also to Jean Pierre, "Diana and Callisto" 1745, Greek/Roman mythology.
"River Mother 1980", oil painting. War, death, rivers of blood
Giving birth, violence around her, a storm rages, forces her head down into the ripping winds. Water in turmoil angry, aggressive, biting, chaotic, wrenched with war and blood... into which she births her child... Should be the peaceful flowing river, continuity of all life. She cries for her children. She sees war, destruction, death, extinction. The tumultuous river is her tears. Her body is cut with many wounds. Still, she cries for her children. She gives birth, She gives death.
In her humility...
I Cry for her
My heart breaks for her For her belief Her hope
She never despairs
She cries forever for her children
She is the universal MOTHER
She is black
She is white
She is brown
She is rich
She is poor
She is the universal MOTHER
Of all the lands
She cries forever
I Cry for her
"The Sad Man 2017 " Male castration in a "Me Too" world
My heart breaks for him also. Have made a life size sculpture of him as well as a movie.
Will save telling his story, for another time, if you get back to me.
My journalism stories go on , a "million" or more...
"Rock of the Ages" dominance, rituals of power
"Crowded Nest" Diminishing resources
"Joan of Arc" Peace in death by fire
"The Thinker" a woman
"ANA" woman of steel
"Pandora" Chained woman of slavery
"The Cowboy from Shangri la " The universal cowboy
"Narcissistic Socialists" Greed, power, denials, fantastic rituals
"No Further Comment" story on the death of society
"Squash Time" Fear, in a man
"As A Man thinketh" So go I...
Presently, have been working on the "Masters" series, as with Mona Lisa, Diana and Callisto above, the 4th piece completed in that project. Am taking some time out with that series to work on two large compelling, contemporary oil works, 4ft x 4ft/ 120cm x 120cm, wood panels addressing the ANT RACE, subtext: the catastrophic failure of realism on the human journey...
And on it goes... a life! All of these stories and more, from over 40 years in the challenge of art journalism, have been created in a wide cross section of genre: Oil painting, sculpture. lithographic printing, book writing, stage and on-street performance, music, photography, poetry, movies, a travelling installation on 18 Wheeler Freightliner, . The package, of all these projects, physically exist in my studio. I have always claimed, "My art is not for private walls", but for public spaces, national galleries, museums, the streets... where censorship can be challenged, for the good of country, democracy and realism.
Installation is required in a contemporary public Gallery... My physical presence would be instrumental in the presentation. Gallery collaboration is needed, to establish the special constructs, physical, digital, visual and sound.
Curriculum Vitae Rod Malay
2016 -2020 Creating a two piece contemporary art series "The Ant Race
sub-title: Catastrophic denial of realism in the human race
Developed the Master's Series, oil, presently on-going
Created: Grace In Motion sculpture
Published book: Narcissistic Socialists
2015 A Sad Man video completed, 9 Sept 2015
Created the sculpture: A Sad Man
Chicken wire, burlap and Plaster of Paris.
Writing a book: Wensiff’s Lover
As part of a “Little Books series” from
The Primitive Artist
2014 Inside The Metaphoric Man video
Presented to five Film and Video Festivals in Canada
And USA, North American road tour
Created a blog: www.shakethedevilofftour.blogspot.com
About 40 blog chapters with titles like: The Malai
Chronicles, Capitalism vs. Mythicism, Behind God’s
Mask, Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche , Back to Ego and Other Boxes and so on and so forth…
2010 Five month solo tour of North America for:
Writing, visual art, video documentaries,
Photography, music, poetry
Jasper Bog World Bank video
Presented at stage production of: Inside The Metaphoric
Man and presented to five Film and Video Festivals in
Canada and USA
In The Dog House Now Film Presented at the
Dawson Film Festival
2007 - 2009 Designed and constructed the Nile House
3 story , residential/commercial
Guitar lessons and song writing
Collaborated with Lithuanian artist
Created glass ceiling sculpture: Absolutely But Not Absolute
Installed on terrace ceiling of the Nile House, affectionately labeled "The BOOB House"
1990's - 2000's Designed and constructed environmental sustainable residential housing.'' often referred to as "sculptured" homes.
24 large scale experimental interpretative abstract oil
paintings on canvass, no boundaries.
1975 - 1980's Abandoned all previous pursuits, to become a "starving
artist".
Focus solely on fine arts... Theatre production, Fringe Festival.
Created/performed: Cowboy from Shangri La
Wrote poetry/presented at local venues
Designed and constructed a travelling art installation:
NO Further COMMENT. Toured across Canada in an
18 Wheeler Freightliner.
30,000 visitors, substantial national media coverage
Designed Ceorfanhus, massive concrete structure, depicting the human journey, received UNESCO endorsement
Designed, manufactured the Ped-l-on, two seater pedal vehicle for inner city transportation.
Studied "Trends Theory" at TUNS school of architecture
Studied Lithography, NSCAD
Squash Time Film Presented at the Atlantic Film
Festival
The Martins and The Coys Film Presented at the
Stage production of : The Forties Follies
1969 - 1970 Opened Graphic Design business in Montreal, Canada
Published book on inner city sign systems
1962 - 1969 NSCAD... Graduated, diploma in graphic design
Famous Artists Schools, USA, graduated in fine art painting,
correspondence program
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