DUNCE - CONTEMPORARY STREET ARTIST
BLENDING THE VISUAL CULTURE OF GRAFITTI WITH POP ART, DUNCE’S ARTWORK AWAKENS THE REBEL SPIRIT AT YOUR CORE
Dunce is a visual artist based out of Calgary, Canada. His practice is grounded in the culture of graffiti and street art combining spray paint, stencils and wheat paste with more traditional fine art techniques. The result is a unique style that blends street art and fine art into one.
His work takes defining elements of street art and combines them with an array of mixed media from vintage magazines, comic strips and photographs. Dunce adds a layer of grit and authenticity to his work, by incorporating materials collected in the streets into his collages.
Dunce creates artwork in the studio and the street. By breaking away from the confides of white gallery walls, Dunce hopes to spark the spirit of rebellion inside of you. While his work appears playful he often hides deeper meanings within his pieces that explore cultural topics, history and social commentary.
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WHY ARE YOU CALLED DUNCE?The name ‘Dunce’ was a graffiti tag born in 2010, after I created a Banksy inspired five foot tall stencil for a student art show based on an old image of a student wearing a dunce cap. I should add, this was a controversy at my high school and it was quickly removed from the show! Dunce became a creative outlet to poke fun and have a voice. The name eventually just stuck.
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WHAT INSPIRES YOUR ARTWORK?My artwork has always been grounded in the countercultural voice of street art. As my work evolved, I’ve looked for ways to infuse elements inspired by history, music and other cultural topics. I’m inspired by the music I’m listening to (lately that’s Stones, Bob Dylan in the late 60’s / early 70’s, Pink Floyd) as well as literature, including biographies and history books. These all play a significant role in fueling my creativity and contextualising the ideas and questions I’m exploring.
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WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU USE?My style is always based on street art techniques: spray paint, stencils and wheatpaste (a street art technique using paste to quickly put up a poster on the street). Lately, I’ve been infusing elements of fine art, including acrylics, screenprinting and sculpture. I’m also a fan of reusing materials found in the streets such as advertising posters and wooden palettes.
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DO YOU OFFER COMMISSIONED OR CUSTOM ARTWORK?Yes, I offer commission projects from custom pieces for your home or murals and other larger projects. Send me an email with your idea to get started! dunceartwork@gmail.com
CONTACT
REPRESENATION
Dunce is represented by MCQUEEN Agency. For inquiries, media, or acquisition requests you can contact: