Leopold Plotek’s radical, immersive paintings mine the territories of memory and experience, the subconscious and the intellect, the abstract and the figurative. Positioning pictorial space as a vehicle for both narrative content and emotional exploration, Plotek re-imagines architecture and objects, artists, philosophers and gods, destabilizing the cultural pantheon and offering poignant commentary on the current state of Western civilization.

Born in 1948 in Moscow to Jewish parents, Plotek later moved to Warsaw with his father who became an economic attaché to the Polish Embassy in Moscow during the late Stalinist period. Living and working in Montreal since 1960, he has created a substantial body of work that has been extensively exhibited and collected, carving an essential place in Quebec’s artistic history. Initially a protégé of prominent Plasticien artist Yves Gaucher, Plotek became a teacher and major influence himself, forming a new generation of artists who are at the forefront of Canadian painting today, including Allison Katz, Etienne Zack, Martin Golland and Ben Klein.

The first survey of his work, this exhibition spans five decades, including the debut of his most recent paintings alongside pivotal earlier canvases that establish the artist’s formal and intellectual investigations.

Guest Curator: E.C. Woodley

January 19 to March 19, 2017

Koffler Gallery

Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street

WINTER OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, January 19, 2017 | 6–9 PM | FREE

ARTIST & CURATOR TALK: Sunday, January 22, 2017 | 2 PM | FREE