'BulletProof Vests'

Barbara Klunder, Toronto artist, designer and humourist, launches her 'BulletProof Vests', a collection of papercut undergarments made from hand-made Washi paper, satirically reflecting what Klunder calls ?the insane gun culture?.  

  

These sexy undergarments suggest protection for all species. ?This is a critical issue and it is not just humans against humans,? Klunder says. ?Weapons of all kinds are far too available everywhere and with the inevitable tragedies, my art this year comments on the state of things: all forms of life on this planet are in peril."  

From June 1 to June 30, 2013, at the David Kaye Gallery, 1092 Queen West, Toronto, the complete six-piece collection "BulletProof Vests" will be on view. Fish, skulls, birds, plants and animals, along with her usual acerbic comments are designed into the madly detailed, layered, full-colour papercuts.

Also on view will be her four "BeeJackets", first shown at the Ontario Craft Council, Queen West, 2012 show "Exuberance, the Garden".  

Klunder says, ?This previous collection of papercut jackets illustrates the very real issue of bio-diversity versus the fatal corporate monoculture in terms of bees and our agriculture.

About Barbara Klunder

Barbara Klunder has been an award-winning Toronto illustrator/designer for over 45 years.  She first attended OCAD when she was just 15.  At 17 she started working freelance for The Globe and Mail.

Her work was often seen as posters for musical festivals such as the Jazz, Blues, Afro-Fest, and the legendary BamBoo Club.  She has designed two fonts distributed by Fontshop, Berlin.

She has received several national and international awards including the very prestigious Lifetime Achievement award from the Art Directors CLub of Canada.

Klunder also has worked with a variety of mediums including: children's books, (published by Groundwood Books, House of Anansi),  hand-made rugs (Textile Museum of Canada), hand-knit sweaters  (Saks Fifth Ave, N.Y), and designed hundreds of good-cause t-shirts, helping to raise money for various environmental causes.  Her hand-made jewelry has been in the AGO and Gardiner shops.

Klunder's papercuts about Laura Secord were shown at Brock University, St Catherine's, Ontario, last year during the War of 1812 festivities. She also self-published, with Coach House Press, a papercut illustrated book about Laura Secord.

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Tory Crowder

Jump Start Communications

416 998 9702

torycrowder@sympatico.ca