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Three bloody prints of the artist's back arranged in a row on a wall
A woman stands outside the installation box, filming the performance from the top of a ladder
Jason Fitzpatrick lying prone on a bench being tattooed on the small of his back

Jason Fitzpatrick
Bite n Burn
October 5 – October 14, 2006

In Jason Fitzpatrick’s project Bite n Burn, the artist undergoes an extensive tattoo. Running the length of his spine in a thick black stroke, the tattoo is associative of the written line, and by extension, the word. In this intense performance the artist produces prints from the wounded skin, further exploring the inscription of ink onto and into the body as an act of mark-making and as an act that produces documents that can be viewed and read.

Over the years Fitzpatrick has been and continues to participate in the artist-run culture beginning with being the CO-Founder of 536 (Vancouver BC) and The Space (Saint John NB). He served on the Board of Directors at Access Artist Run Centre (President 2005 – 2008). Fitzpatrick’s various projects utilize sculpture theory, drawing, interventions, actions, performance, video, sites of art production and collaboration. Fitzpatrick’s projects can be seen across Canada in artist run centres, public galleries, private spaces, institutions in North America and Europe. These projects are described by Fitzpatrick as:

“Sculpture becoming decentralized, not limited to exist within a static form but to be the transformation of form (sculpture-body). The processes/lineage of the projects are exposed. The projects, therefore are an embodiment of several interrelated elements that are combined to create a time-based/multi faceted action that is not limited to a particular material or method of production. In my projects the body is used as a point of departure: my height, weight, strength, mental capacity, sexuality, gender and endurance are utilized as material to establish the initial context in which I work. ”

In 1993 Jason Fitzpatrick received a BFA (Sculpture Studio) degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Windsor in 2004. Fitzpatrick lives and works in downtown Vancouver.