The 1970's Gallery

The 1970's Wing of the Gallery at www.GerardPas.com reflect works made in the early years of Gerard's career. This was a difficult time in Gerard's life, full of physical pain and psychological grief. As an infant Gerard contracted Polio while living in the Netherlands. At the age of ten, he was chosen to be "The Easter Seals" Poster Child for Crippled Children; in Canada. Gerard wore a metal and leather leg brace until the age of 15. These experiences form the backdrop of his developing years and inform us of his inspiration as an artist. The 70's era was a time of apathy and disco dancing. Gerard and his friends were pissed and felt alienated from society, thus forming Punk and No Wave. Gerard's "raison d'être" was that his work act as an exorcism for what he perceived to be his darkest demons. By bringing these issues to the forefront, he hoped to confront his own fears, issues and concerns: while reflecting society's ills at the same time. The art consists of stark images of pain and consternation, in a time where Gerard mostly enacted his art as performance
... click on any image for an enlargement ...

LIquid Legs Study 1977 Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors Even 1977 Lourdian Blinds 1977 Notes from Gerards Drawing Book - Paris 1977

post teenage angst or a deeper underlying current? why me? why anybody?


Gerard PaS in Amsterdam 1977-78 Study for Homo Sapien 1976 The sculpture Homo Sapien 1976-77 Gerard PaS in Amsterdam 1977

pain leads anger leads destruction - or a confused escape - even pain has a threshold

from the performance "Anti-Works" 1977
From the performance Anti-Works - London Canada 1978 From the performance Anti-Works - London Canada 1978 From the performance Anti-Works - London Canada 1978
From the performance Anti-Works - London Canada 1978
From the performance Anti-Works - London Canada 1978
 From the performance Anti-Works - London Canada 1978

more consternation - more subversion - more anarchy - less is not more - more is more

From the performance Homage to Mondriaan... Cologne Germany 1977 Two Leg's 1978 Kunstledematen 1979 - images found in medical text books

trying to understand an abstracted body

Be careful with that axe! Gerard in Aachen, Germany 1979 Dream Memory of the Brace exhibition 1978 From the series Facing Reality 1978 Dance with Leg 1977

if nothing is wrong why do others keep making you cogent that it is contrary

From the series Dance with Leg 1977 From the series Dance with Leg 1977 From the series Dance with Leg 1977

celebrating a paradox between what is health and being infirmed

the series “Dream Memory of the Brace” (1977) a recollection of wearing a metal brace
From the series "Dream Memory of the Brace" 1977 From the series "Dream Memory of the Brace" 1977 From the series "Dream Memory of the Brace" 1977
From the series "Dream Memory of the Brace" 1977 From the series "Dream Memory of the Brace" 1977 From the series "Dream Memory of the Brace" 1977
it's my broken body but i've learned to love it broken

Voor mij de Realitiet Schommelt - For me Reality Sways 1979 detail from the seires: Voor mij de Realitiet Schommelt - For me Reality Sways 1979 street performance of Voor mij de Realitiet Schommelt - For Me Reality Sways - Amsterdam 1979

suddenly every thing becomes or begins to look abstracted

From the Series Do Not Press 1978 - Gerard undergoes plastic surgery after receiving a crippling punch to the head Vorsicht Shusswaffen 1979 from the performance Un Autre Faux Pas - Kingston Penitentiary Canada 1978 from the performance Un Autre Faux Pas - Kingston Penitentiary Canada 1978

individual alienation can be the grounds for social alienation

Gerard and William Burroughs in discussion - Brussels Belgium 1978 Gerard on New York's lower West Side 1979 - it's serious out here Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gerard play on a precipice - New York 1979 Gerard speaks to CBC TV about his art - it turns into a conversation about his being a Poster Child - Vancouver Canada 1979

and what about me and him and her and him and her ...

From the performance Kunstledematen - Amsterdam 1978 From the performance Kunstledematen - Amsterdam 1978 From the performance Kunstledematen - Amsterdam 1978 From the performance Kunstledematen - Amsterdam 1978

hoping for healing but not a physical healing

The Artist - The Timmy 1979 From Gerard's last performance Art As Accupuncture - Vancouver Canada 1979 From Gerard's last performance Art As Accupuncture - Vancouver Canada 1979

art can act as a catharsis - but it still hurts

a sample of gerard’s early videos and video documentation from performances
A Study for Pataphysician Thought 1977 - 21 mb MPG Kunstledematen - 49mb WMV the london lEDGE 1977 - 4.52mb MPG
“A Study for
Pataphysician Thought”
1978
20.7mb MPG
1:20 min.		 “Kunstledematen”
 1979
48.7mb WMV
31:38 min.
(performed in Amsterdam)		 “the london lEDGE”
1978
4.52mb MPG
0:19 sec.
“A Study for
Pataphysician Thought”
small Windows Media Version
2.08mb - WMV
click here		 The above performance
was first performed at
De Appel, Amsterdam.
This documents the
complete performance.  		“the london lEDGE”
small Windows Media Version
511kb - WMV
click here 
Stutter - 47mb MPG VIDEOS 
Please note that the large files
are Standard 4:3 Aspect
Ratio TV size MPG's.
We have provided smaller
files which can be accessed
by clicking on the texts below		 Am I the Abstract - 36mb MPG
“Stutter” 1979
a short video in mpeg format
47mb - 1:17 min.		   “Am I the Abstract” 1979
a short video in mpeg format
35.6mb MPG - 2:30 min.
“Stutter”
small Windows Media Version
1.81mb - WMV
click here		   “Am I the Abstract”
small Windows Media Version
3.40mb - WMV
click here
hope or abandonment - certainly a great deal of despair

... click on any of the above images for an enlargement ...

 
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