Ian Wallace
Study for My Heroes in the Street (Stan)
1986-1992
Study for my Heroes in the Street (Stan)
Ian Wallace says of his Heroes in the Street series, “The street is the site, metaphorically as well as in actuality, of all the forces of society and economics imploded upon the individual, who, moving within the dense forest of symbols of the modern city, can achieve the status of the heroic.” The hero in Study for my Heroes in the Street (Stan) is the photoconceptual artist Stan Douglas, who is depicted here (and also included in the Kadist Collection) as an archetypal figure restlessly drifting the streets of the modern world. Patches of canvas cover parts of this otherwise representational photograph and ask the viewer to consider the role that editing and play in our perception of the urban landscape and modernity.
Renowned for his influential role in the development of photoconceptualism, Ian Wallace's work seamlessly blends photography, painting, and conceptual art. His innovative approach often explores the intersection of everyday urban life and the overarching structures of modernity, employing a minimalist aesthetic that challenges traditional boundaries. Since the mid-1980s, the artist has explored the relationship between documentary photography—often featuring sites of urban development—and abstract monochrome painting, to investigate the characteristics of media-specificity and the limitations of representation. Shaping the Vancouver art scene, Wallace’s contributions extend beyond his artwork, encompassing critical writing and curatorial projects that have helped frame contemporary art discourse.