Team Macho is Jacob Lionel Whibley, Nick Aoki, Lauchie Reid, Stephen Appleby-Barr, Chris Buchan and, unofficially, the studio cat Punchy who ends up being the inspiration for much of their work. His love for deli meat allowed the team to coax him from the street where he prowled garbage bins and scared off puppies with his 27 toes. His full name is Spaghetti Arm Punch-Claw, the 27 Toes of Destruction.
But enough about the cat. While the five friends can each hold their own as individual creators, it's as a group where they really shine. They've already had four shows at Magic Pony including their self-proclaimed "best-ever" earlier this year. Titled "Kitschy, Gay and Over in a Second", it showcased their usual tongue-in-cheek style perhaps most typified by a grave and tomb stone in the front window marked with "Team Macho RIP".
Their work isn't confined to any specific medium but tends to draw mainly from water colour, graphite, alkyds, acrylic, ink, and guache. They're influenced in part by pop culture, but mostly from one another and spend countless hours making fun of each other or just making up stories that amuse them.
The location of their studio is a guarded secret and is located in a part of Toronto they refer to as the "knocks". It's half underground, poorly lit and owes its heritage to an old munitions factory.
Currently, Team Macho is working on a group show for Giant Robot in Los Angeles curated by Mark Todd. It will include artwork only on Post it Notes and it's an annual thing for the magazine - although the first time these guys have been invited to participate. They also have a show currently on display at the Sid Lee Collective Gallery in Amsterdam, and continue to pen the Loves Bites illustration that can be found every Thursday on the back page of Eye Weekly.
But enough about the cat. While the five friends can each hold their own as individual creators, it's as a group where they really shine. They've already had four shows at Magic Pony including their self-proclaimed "best-ever" earlier this year. Titled "Kitschy, Gay and Over in a Second", it showcased their usual tongue-in-cheek style perhaps most typified by a grave and tomb stone in the front window marked with "Team Macho RIP".
Their work isn't confined to any specific medium but tends to draw mainly from water colour, graphite, alkyds, acrylic, ink, and guache. They're influenced in part by pop culture, but mostly from one another and spend countless hours making fun of each other or just making up stories that amuse them.
The location of their studio is a guarded secret and is located in a part of Toronto they refer to as the "knocks". It's half underground, poorly lit and owes its heritage to an old munitions factory.
Currently, Team Macho is working on a group show for Giant Robot in Los Angeles curated by Mark Todd. It will include artwork only on Post it Notes and it's an annual thing for the magazine - although the first time these guys have been invited to participate. They also have a show currently on display at the Sid Lee Collective Gallery in Amsterdam, and continue to pen the Loves Bites illustration that can be found every Thursday on the back page of Eye Weekly.
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A very odd collective with equally varied tastes, styles and opinions. Was great fun to see them strut their stuff at the 'Kitschy, Gay.." Magic Pony exhibit... a big thanks to the fellow above with glasses for talking to me about his past ambitions as a 'scientific illustrator' :)
There is no 'I' in Team Macho.
(There is 'TEA', however.)
I love these lads to death.
KNOX.
nice pants. a cut for every macho.
Artists making funny art, off of their own funny stories.
Sure to attract those hipster, queen street west going, naive-art lovers who seem to run polarize our pop culture these days.
Not my cut of "tea" but if you can make money of this stuff, all the more power to you.
you said it steve!
Yeah! I hate these guys!
i hear one of them has an impressively large weiner.
or wiener, rather.
a cut of tea. how unusual.
i've never had sliced tea before.
how does one prepare said beverage?
curiously yours,
Milton S. Filthbottom
happy moachings, thanks for the blog update email.
I hope these guys don't get paid...
They do get paid, but they have to pay a 20% commission to the Royal Art Lodge...
Oh Chris H, What do you do? Come to our next show and we can debate how much our art looks like the RAL.
Cool, you bring Whiskey Boot, I'll bring Uncle Crazy, and we can have a little sitdown.
ha ha, totally got you their Buchan (what kind of first name is that ?!?)
Hahaha wicked response....and name!