Encode by Cody Lecoy
By Clive Holloway
Posted in News, on February 19, 2020
Encode is a pair of paintings by upcoming Coast Salish artist Cody Lecoy. In a literal sense they depict the transformation between tadpole and frog, however as is typical for Lecoy, layers of symbolism and abstraction lurk beneath the surface. He had this to say about the works:
"With this painting Encode it is my intention to present a scene of technological metamorphosis. A tadpole turns into a frog. Hidden from the viewer is the liminal space where this change takes place. With the advent of new technology, I reflect upon what is gained and what is left behind as we live through a technological metamorphosis."
Encode is a stunning example of Lecoy's modern reflections on traditional Northwest Coast Indigenous art. He uses the trigon, a mainstay feature of formline design, as a free-floating auxiliary element, and experiments with core tenets of formline itself through the interlocking forms within his subject's bodies. Lecoy's boundary-pushing style is also on display in Dissociation, another piece of his we currently carry.
Cody Lecoy was born in Richmond, British Columbia on May 16, 1989. He began studying at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Fine Arts Program in Vancouver in 2008. He was a recipient of the Vancouver International Airport Art Foundation Scholarship in both 2011 and 2012. Between 2011 and 2013, he worked under famous Indigenous painter, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. In 2013, Cody had a solo show at Lattimer Gallery titled Cody Lecoy: Recollection of a Dream. In 2014, he was featured in the Richmond Art Gallery exhibition Interweavings. Lecoy is a promising young artist that we are excited to see continue evolving.