Ryan Matthew Cohn and Jean Labourdette
“Mors et Anima”
November 4th - 25th 2023
Opening night reception November 4th 6-9pm All are welcome/artists in attendance
The concept of the Wunderkammer, aka The Cabinet Of Curiosities has been an artistic inspiration for some time, however our new show opening in November by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Jean Labourdette takes it up a notch with an exceptional exhibition of sculptures and paintings based thematically on the subject. Wunderkammers arose originally in the 16th century amongst the intellectually curious elite, who built rooms devoted to collections of objects gleaned from other cultures and the ethno-botanically wondrous. These collections served as the precursor to the concept of the Natural History museum… treasure troves meant to install creative wonder as well as scientific learning and examination. Contemporary wunderkammers often include historical oddities and can lean towards the macabre with collections of bones, taxidermy, and religious artifacts.
Ryan Matthew Cohn is widely known in Antique, Collector, and Oddities circles around the globe. Acclaimed for not only for his stint as an expert on the Sci Fi channel TV show “Oddities”, his breathtaking personal collection, and the hugely popular and influential traveling “Oddities Flea Market” he started with his with Regina Marie Cohn, he has a cult following for his sculptural work, in particular his articulated skull pieces. For this show, Ryan has stretched his oeuvre to create 5 haunting sculptures created with human skulls and very rare antique reliquary pieces.
Montreal based artist Jean Labourdette emerged from the graffiti (Known as Turf One) and tattoo worlds, but is mostly lauded for his hyper-realistically rendered works of poetically odd characters, meticulously painted skulls and birds, and loving and sympathetic portraits of dogs, often ensconced in reliquary inspired frames- adding a dimension of reverence and appreciation for things we often pass by in the mundane world.
Jean Labourdette “Anima”
Acrylic on panel, antique 18th century Belgian reliquary
20” x 17” x 5.5” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Ryan Matthew Cohn “Nature Morte” Wood, Polychrome, Paint, Silver, Preserved Butterflies & Insects approx 6” x 6” x 30” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
19th century wooden hand painted reliquary hand mounted to an italian faux painted plinth. The insects and butterflies used were mounted from old scientific shadowboxes.
Jean Labourdette “Don’t Stand There Gawping Like You’ve Never Seen The Hand of God Before !”
(Homage to Terry Gilliam)
Oil and gold leaf on wood, gold leaf on metal 20” diameter Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Ryan Matthew Cohn “Mors Omnia Rapit (Death Ravages All)” Bone, Wood, Polychrome, Marble, Glass Eyes, Brass approx 15” x 8” x 8” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
17th century Spanish wood Santos bust with an embedded medical skull sealed in wax. The mask still retains its original glass eyes. The stand is made from hand forged brass and mounted to a 19th century marble plinth.
Ryan Matthew Cohn “Totentanz (Dance of Death)” Bone, Taxidermy, Marble, Wood, Brass 22” x 12” x 14” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Antique monkey skeleton articulated by the artist fighting a taxidermy snake. This piece is mounted to a 19th century marble plinth atop a burl octagonal stand.
Jean Labourdette “Home” Acrylic on panel, vintage birdhouse 9.5”x 9” x 5.75” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Jean Labourdette “All Seeing Eye”
Acrylic on wood, antique 19th century gilded church carving
14.25” x 7.25” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Ryan Matthew Cohn “Mors ultima linea rerum (Death, the Final Boundary of Things)” Bone, Wood, Polychrome, Glass, velvet, Antique Paper approx 27” x 13” x 13” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Housed in a Spanish 19th century box originally made for a lantern. The dissected 18th century "Santo head is Spanish and mixed with a 19th century medical skull.
Jean Labourdette “Ab Eterno”
Oil and silver leaf on panel, vintage 1930’s metal clock case 13”x 10.25” x 3.5”
Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Ryan Matthew Cohn “Quis evadet (Who will be spared?)” Bone, Wood, Polychrome, Brass approx 17” x 8” x 7” Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Spanish 18th century wooden dissected Santos bust with an embedded medical skull that has been exploded in a "Beauchene" style. The piece itself is mounted to a 19th century medical stand that has been reformed and adorned with mechanical mechanism. Stand can be tilted and moved to position the angle of the head.
Jean Labourdette “Prehumous Reliquary”
Acrylic on panel, antique grandfather clock case, wood, brass, hologram and human bone 20” x 19” x 4”
Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing
Jean Labourdette ““With All My Heart”
Oil on wood 12” x 9.5”
Please Inquire For Availability and Pricing