Yvon Cozic and Monic Brassard adopted the name “Cozic” in the late 1960s in an attempt to redefine the artist in society. In 1971, the pair founded the Société Protectrice du Noble Végétal, an farcical organization that oversaw several land art interventions such as Corde à linge (1971), Chaperons rouges – vêtir ceux qui sont nus (1971, 1990) and Néo-nymphéas during the 2001 exhibition Artefact Montréal – Urban Sculptures along the Lachine Canal. In addition to the tradition of Pop Art, Cozic has carried on the legacy of Russian Constructivism and minimalist art. The artists abandon so-called “noble” materials in favour of those regularly found in consumer society, creating works that are often tinged with a popular and humorous connotation. For example, the use of plush or pipe cleaners in many of their installations becomes a manner of democratizing art, as visitors are invited to touch and even modify the constructed space. Cozic is a prolific team, having held numerous solo and group exhibitions while also producing architecturally integrated and open-air works. These outdoor installations contemplate the passage of time and the notions of fragility and impermanence.
SEE:
« Incontournable : La sculpture » by Serge Fisette, ESPACE, vol 5 #2, p.5-8.
« Cozic, ou le jeu des apparences » by André Lavallée, ESPACE #18, p. 40.
« Cozic and the latent meaning of matter » by Jocelyne Lupien, ESPACE #35, p. 39.
« From One Duo to Another : Questions & answers [part two] », ESPACE #46, p. 10.
« Cozic : La forme duale comme processus artistique » by Jocelyne Connolly, ESPACE #46, p. 22.
« Après moi le déluge! » by Gilles Daigneault, ESPACE #69, p. 26.
« Cozic. Esthétisation du lieu privé. Relation objetartiste-visiteur » by Jocelyne Connolly, ESPACE #74, p. 30.
« Les Paysagistes : Entretien avec Monic Brassard, Yvon Cozic » by Serge Fisette, ESPACE #85, p. 7.
« Entretien avec COZIC », ESPACE (entretien, 1987-2017 (30 ans !)), 2017.
