There Must be 50 Ways to Kill Your Lover

My appetite was whet after hearing about the Canadian Conservative Government's introduction of Bill C-61 and how artists will respond to what is being hailed a police state if the act is passed. Bill 61 is the Harper Government's attempt at initiating digital locks by ensuring complete control over media that is purchased, rented or downloaded.

The Appropos group, a coalition of artists whose exhibit opened at the Edward Day Gallery on Thursday night is a middle finger to the proposed law displaying imagery of existing popular culture icons.

The work that stole the show was by Diana Thorneycroft appropriately titled There Must be 50 Ways to Kill Your Lover, which portrays the murderous behaviour of popular cartoon characters commenting on the "ubiquitous use of violence as a form of entertainment...particularly in television shows geared towards a younger audience."

I wouldn't suggest bringing impressionable children to the exhibit. Expect to see your favourite cartoon characters caught in the act after the aftermath; Barney Rubble holding his privates as Betty stands proud after gouging him with a knife or the infamous Marge Simpson caught with a mischievous smile while blood trickles onto the floor from the knife in Homer's heart.

Appropos is curated by Kelly McCray at the Edward Day Gallery and runs from July 3 to July 27th. No doubt this Bill will continue to cause outcries from contemporary artists and I hope that Thorneycroft will take my advice and eliminate the entire crew of Jem and the Holograms.