About Phantoms in the Front Yard
Founded in 2009, Phantoms in the Front Yard (PITFY) is a Vancouver-based figurative artist collective focused on elevating the human figure’s role as muse in the Canadian contemporary art scene.
The name captures the essence of the group’s purpose: to address the fact that Modernist and Postmodern schools of thought virtually ignore the importance of figurative work, effectively banishing it to the “back yard”. With each exhibition, the Phantoms hope to bring figurative work back to the front yard of contemporary art.
With a goal of creating art for all, not just academics and industry veterans, the PITFY collective opens its doors to members from a broad range of career stages. Every PITFY exhibition features work by collective members and one invited guest who has the potential to join the collective full-time. PITFY exhibition structure enhances this exciting mix even further, with biannual shows in alternative venues independent of any gallery or institutional setting. This format allows complete freedom to determine which work will be shown and how – a truly unique feature of the PITFY collective.
Current collective members:
Pennylane Shen (curator) – www.dazedandconfucius.com
Jay Senetchko – www.senetchko.ca
Michael Abraham – www.michaelabraham.com
Paul Morstad – www.paulmorstad.com
Bruce Pashak – www.brucepashak.com
Jonathan Sutton – www.jonathansutton.net
Jeremiah Birnbaum – www.birnbaumjeremiah.ca
Caroline Weaver – www.caroline-weaver.ca
James Knight – www.fourhundredml.bigcartel.com