Daniel Bombardier, also known as DENIAL, is a Canadian pop/mural artist whose aerosol and stencil artworks critique contemporary politics, capitalism, consumerism and the human condition. His artistic career began in 1999 during his involvement in the graffiti and street art movement. His studio is based in the border city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada next to Detroit, Michigan and he spends much of the year travelling, painting murals, and exhibiting throughout North America and internationally. DENIAL is known for his prolific guerrilla-marketing campaign, which takes public aim at ideas involving social-justice, pop-culture, and mass-media. With over 500,000 of his adhesive logos displayed in public places around the world, the DENIAL PROJECT has become a conceptual piece of marketing absurdism.
Cube A is an abstract gift from an artist to his community; a stack of familiar iconography showcasing a variety of Bombardier’s larger scale work in a more compact and accessible size. DENIAL stacked his work playfully behind a white picket fence on 16 square feet of astro turf. This bright coloured kinetic tower of “blocks” reminds the viewer of their fundamental desire to create, build and “enjoy” life. Bombardier’s work pokes fun at modern advertising, politics, and media messages that society is often “in denial” about. With this sculpture, DENIAL intends to challenge traditional ideas about graffiti and public art, as well as the excessive corporate use of public space. DENIAL celebrates being a Windsorite by inviting the viewer to engage with a corner of his own backyard.
Big Idea is a conceptual collaboration between Bombardier and McLaughlin that shines light on the fragility of ideas. A transparent cube balances on a toothpick, covered by one of DENIAL’s signature motifs. This narrow perch cautions the viewer and reminds them that ideas are unattainable without action. McLaughlin’s sculptural aesthetic of crude construction juxtaposes the precision of Bombardier’s designs in an absurd and whimsical contrast. Bombardier and McLaughlin, both Windsorites, are determined to build a stronger art community in their city.