Andrew Buszchak: Counterproductive Work Behaviour
I am a recalcitrant labourer; my work is recalcitrant labour… Andrew Buszchak
Andrew Buszchak makes sculpture using carbon steel, lumber, and other materials common to the construction trades. Drawing inspiration from experiences as both a general labourer and journeyperson welder, he is particularly interested in materials and their associated joining methods – often taken for granted as a means to an end. With this body of work he looks to draw attention to the implicit hierarchy between “parent” material and the method for fastening, testing joining methods themselves in a shifting dialogue between his pursuit of meticulous technical achievements and acquiescence to the inherent tendencies and limitations of the materials he works with. Approaching this work as a critical commentary on labour itself, Buszchak suggests that “to overlook the joints of any given assembly is to enact a blindness metaphorically similar to the way subordinates are taken for granted by superiors.”
The sculptures in this exhibition represent the culmination of two years of focused work in the University of Guelph’s Master of Fine Arts program. The AGG’s annual exhibition of a graduating MFA student is presented in conjunction with the School of Fine Art and Music at the University of Guelph.
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