Born: Montreal, Quebec

Education:

Concordia University, Montreal, BA

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Price Range: $650 - $1200

Biography

Born in Montreal, Reuel Dechene was removed from his native environment at the tender age of 10, when the rest of his family moved out of his urban NDG neighbourhood, and relocated to rural South Western Ontario. In his teen years he was greatly influenced by his artistic family and friends as well as strong outside influences of muscle cars, comic book art and General Idea.

In 1985 returning to Montreal to pursue a BA at Concordia University in Montreal, Reuel became very involved in the campus radio station, CRSG, hosting a variety of shows and taking on the role of rock and roll journalist for Reargarde Magazine. Unfortunately these activities were not financially rewarding. Seeking a playful and inexpensive way to decorate his seedy downtown apartment, he bought a bunch of xmas lights Boxing Day 1987 - a catalyst for his current practice. For a career change Reuel studied cabinet making, and was soon putting his newly developed fine woodworking skills to use at a custom furniture shop in Montreal. Within months, fearing for the safety of his ten fingers, Reuel left for opportunities in Ottawa, where he has resided since 1992.

1994 saw Reuel's first kinetic light sculpture "MORE" - 4 letters blinking in sequence, an obvious call for attention. "MORE" was soon (1996) followed by "PEEP", part of Eliza Griffiths' installation "PEEP: Beyond the Eye of the Beholder". Reuel's first solo exhibition, "xmas-lite" (a series of 3 and 4 letter words spelled out in blinking lights), drew a wonderful response and gained him the appreciation of heavy metal sculptor Gayle Hermick. In 1998 he collaborated with Gayle on the pieces "A String of Pearls" & "Stilettos" (these pieces being representations of a necklace and high heels, constructed primarily from auto parts) - which showed at the Carl Davis Gallery in Ottawa and then at Skol in Montreal. String of Pearls was the first time Reuel had used hubcaps as a medium, and has continued to dazzle viewers ever since.

Statement

It's about light. Being and experiencing light. In my work, I rely heavily on the aesthetic of cinema marquees and neon glitz. For Carnal - low rider kitsch I created 14 new sculptures from found hubcaps. Each hubcap is interlaced with as many as 250 xmas lights, running in a variety of fade-out and flash sequences. The effect is hypnotic. Like mandalas, these pieces focus your concentration - relaxing and stimulating simultaneously.