Simon Petepiece
True Divided Lite

January 7 to February 11, 2023

Galerie Nicolas Robert is pleased to present True Divided Lite, Simon Petepiece’s first solo exhibition. In this new body of work, Simon explores the materiality, construction, and iconography of the built environment. Created from sheets of drywall and steel studs, the work uses these ubiquitous materials as both symbolic elements and substrates for drawing, painting, and sculpture. Depicted across the series are eight interior spaces, constructed from a mix of personal, archetypal, and historical references.

Rendered with distorted perspectives, the images contain moments of illusionistic depth and incongruities that reflect the disparate collection of references on display. Devoid of people, architecture acts as the focal point of these scenes as windows, doors, and furniture become central characters. Imbued with an anthropomorphized quality, the objects appear to have a certain autonomy and observational presence.

Materiality is at the foreground of both the physical construction of these works and the unfinished quality of the images. Across the surface of the drawings, incisions reveal the drywall's mineral interior, while layers of textured joint compound and primer add a painterly quality to the work. The drywall panels are supported by steel studs, at times mimicking the assembly of a wall and in other works are bent into ornate sculptural frames. Together, this series offers a window into the material and temporal juxtapositions that make the built environment a compelling and generative subject.

Simon Petepiece lives and works in Montreal and holds a master’s degree in architecture from Carleton University. His work has been presented in Ottawa (ON), Montreal (QC), Toronto (ON), and Dublin (IE) and can be found in the City of Ottawa Art Collection.