Rally Presents an Exciting Exhibition of New Works and Treasures from Yves Laroche’s Gallery Vault
First Time Rare Collection of Artwork Shown Together

TORONTO, October 28, 2015 – Rally is a group exhibition made up of newly created works and treasures from Yves Laroche’s Gallery vault. It’s the second art show to be hosted at 12 Ossington, a new meeting place and rallying ground for Toronto’s growing creatives and innovators. The show will run from November 6 to 23, 2015

Following a sold out first exhibition at 12 Ossington that welcomed Chicago’s Hebru Brantley for Coffee Makes you Black, a 22 piece show, artist residency and outdoor mural work, comes Rally – a curated show for Toronto by artist Jon Todd, Yves Laroche Gallery and Hermann & Audrey. It’s a showcase of some of their favourite contemporaries and a rare access to Yves Laroche’s vault.

“I was a bit selfish. For Rally I decided to choose my favourite works from artists that I have respected and admired for many years, and in some cases requested new pieces” says Jon Todd, Toronto based mixed media artist and leading curator for this show. “Across geography, these artists share a similar illustrative upbringing and at times draw from similar motivations and inspirations. This is a collection that brings international game-changers and vaulted works to Toronto’s consciousness, a rare occasion.”

The group of artists from across the globe, from Brooklyn, to Berlin, to Paris, to Montreal and Toronto, share a common ground as image storytellers and execute with hyper-rendered detail, folky and at times absurdist sensibilities, all while sharing a fine art focus rooted in illustration. A style of artistic expression that was once regarded as low brow in comparison to museum works, has in recent years emerged with momentum into the contemporary art market, capturing imaginations and paving the way for a new, more inclusive, collector segment.

Art lovers will get to see works from international leading artists’ Jon Todd, Beau Stanton, Gary Taxali, Jean Labourdette, Max Wyse, Lauchie Reid, Marco Wagner, Shea Chang, Other, Osvaldo Ramirez Castillo and Miss Van. They will also benefit from the opportunity to purchase a rare collection of artwork that has not been shown together before.

Media preview is being held on Friday, November 6 from 4-6pm, with the public opening from 6-9 pm. The exhibition will run from November 6 to 23, 2015 at 12 Ossington, Toronto, from Monday through Friday, 12-5pm and by appointment by contacting rally@hermannaudrey.com. Free admission to show.

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Media Contact:

For any media questions or images, please contact Quyen Ha at Tel: 416 590-0265 or           E: media@hermannaudrey.com

About Jon Todd:

Jon Todd is a Toronto based mixed media artist. Todd combines many mediums in his art including painting on found objects, collaging various papers, wood block cuts and screen-printing. His artistic process involves layering various mediums coupled with distressing techniques, and it is this pairing that gives his art a unique style. Todd’s recent works are of contemporary portraitures whose bodies are adorned with intricate symbolic images.  These images provide the viewer the means to decipher the character’s life story. The result is a contrasting blend of rawness and refined beauty.

About Yves Laroche:

Since 1991, veteran Yves Laroche gallery has presented a thought provoking collection of art. From its origins in the Old Port of Montreal, to its current location at the junction of the Mile End and Little Italy, the gallery’s mission remains the same: to showcase the avant-garde in contemporary art.

Yves Laroche has positioned itself at the forefront of Canadian art and remains committed to promoting artists both internationally-established and emerging. Rooted in the underground worlds of tattooing, graffiti, comics, cartoons, pop art, illustration, and surrealism, the art exhibited at Yves Laroche feeds off of an eclectic blend of cultural influences. Supported by its reputation and its presence at several international art fairs, Yves LaRoche offers an urban gallery fundamentally connected to international contemporary production.

About Hermann & Audrey:

Hermann & Audrey is a creative house working at an intersection of worlds of art, commerce and community.

In the 6 years since inception, Hermann & Audrey have been industry leaders in the development of commercial art projects, festivals, exhibitions, city-building initiatives in Toronto and Chicago and spearheading community programs.

They join the community at 12 Ossington where they’ve built a creative factory and concept gallery space catering to Toronto’s creative class. An intersection of art showcase, retail concepts, culture events, co-working and daily creation with artists in residence. The space aspires to be rallying ground for creatives of today.