PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto International Art Fair
October 26 - 29, 2011 Booth # 1202 ADCA

With the untimely death of the artist’s sister in 2008, an admirer and collector of vintage clothing, the artist looked for a way to pay homage to her.

The methodology/medium Waters uses for all his works, including the Couture Sculptures, are reused/recycled base materials which he deconstructs and reconstitutes. From 35 mm movie Film to Canadian or American coins, the artist highlights objects and their meaning as human constructs. For example, coin elements such as dimes or pennies, copper (born of the natural world) are transformed and commodified in society, resulting in a new language: “currency.” Waters challenges this language by recycling the economically-imbued object, casting it into new shapes. By re-shaping and re-defining its purpose and economic functionality, the coin's monetary value continues to be called into question.
Similarly, Waters recycles/re-uses film to redefine the meaning of this cultural artifact. He transforms this medium which customarily is ‘in motion’ in order to tell a story, by‘stilling’ film into a sculpture (in this case, couture sculpture) thereby celebrating, preserving and ‘dis-stilling’ value to film itself. In doing so, Waters reminds us that film can reflect and speak to our need to capture a point in time, remember it and re-tell our individual and collective stories.

Raymond was born in Toronto in 1965, where he currently lives and works. He graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1989 where he was awarded a Fine Art scholarship in his graduating year to subsequently study in New York. Waters' work can be found in corporate and private collections around the world, including the Sanford Levinson collection of leading American flags which includes a piece from Waters' Values show (2008), Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis has a Waters piece based on the film, "In the Valley of Elah." Last year Waters was added to the roster of Canadian artists who sold at Phillips de Pury in New York.

Raymond Waters Haute Couture Sculpture No.3  2010, recycled penny and copper wire with zipper & fabric under dress on mannequin with wheels. 64 x 16 x 9 inches (162 x 76 x 22 cm)