Franco DeFrancesca explores mixed media as a mode of creating abstraction in the form of an art object. His artwork investigates the links between art, memory, history and technology, using digital imaging as a means to navigate the territory between photography and painting. As a result of mixing references to photography and painting, these multi-media artworks represent reflections on contemporary visual culture charmed by minimalism, modernism, technology and futurism.

Franco was born in 1967 and he lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

Biography
An attendant of OCAD and University of Guelph, multidisciplinary artist Franco DeFrancesca investigates the links between art and technology, using digital imaging to navigate between photography and painting.
His vibrant coloured minimalist work acknowledges the colour field and geometric work of mid-to-late 20th century.

Franco DeFrancesca explores digital/mixed media as a mode of creating abstraction in the form of an art object.
His artwork investigates the links between art, memory, history and technology, using digital imaging as a means to navigate the territory between photography and painting.
As a result of mixing references to photography and painting, these multi-media artworks represent reflections on contemporary visual culture charmed by minimalism, modernism, technology and futurism.

DeFrancesca’s artwork highlights the visual, temporal, and spatial qualities combined with the physical and tactile.
Applying a keen sense towards craft and a reverence towards materials and processes, the abstract image is integrated with an exposed support of layered plywood, then encapsulated beneath crystalline resin, creating an ‘object of desire’.
With its physical depth and highly polished glean, these works reference minimalist industrial design and refer obliquely to the urbane.

DeFrancesca has exhibited in Canada and the United States and his work can be found in corporate and public collections world-wide, including Cenovus Energy Inc., Repsol, Encana and Enbridge Inc. (Calgary, AB), Rodin Law Firm Litigation Counsel (Calgary, AB), amongst others.

Education
2004 – 2005 Studio Art B.F.A program at University of Guelph
1990 Graduated Ontario College of Art, General Studies

Solo exhibitions
2018 Franco DeFrancesca, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2017 Spin Cycle Matrix, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2015 Colour Junkie, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Candada
2014 Franco DeFrancesca: Recent Works, William Turner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, USA
2014 Geo-engineering Normality, Galerie Bernd A. Lausberg, Düsseldorf, Germany
2013 Tune In, Turn On with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada.
2012 Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, QC, Canada
2011 New Works, Lausberg Contemporary, Toronto, ON, Canada
2011 Furniture Music, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2010 Retinal Traffic, Oeno Gallery, Prince Edward County, ON, Canada
2010 Furniture Music, Lausberg Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2010 Plasma Gels, ARTITLEDcontemporary, Herpen, The Netherlands
2009 Ambient Field, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2009 Musique d’Ameublement, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, QC, Canada
2008 Plasma Gels, Galerie Lausberg Contemporary, Toronto, ON, Canada
2007 The Aesthetics of Non-Committal, Engine Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2007 Plasma Gels, SNAP Contemporary Art, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2006 Vagilanti – Prophylactic Nanobots, Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada

Group exhibitions
2019 Mixology 2019, ARTITLEDcontemporay, Herpen, The Netherlands
2018 Deck the Walls!, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2018 Sunscreen, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2018 Mixology 2018, ARTITLEDcontemporary, Herpen, The Netherlands
2017 Deck the Walls!, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2017 Sunscreen, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2016 Deck the Walls!, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2015 Sunscreen, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2013 Sunscreen, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2012 Spring Group Exhibition, Oeno Gallery, Prince Edward County, ON, Canada
2011 The Intersection of the Internet and Digital Technologies in Contemporary Art, Elisa Contemporary Art, Bronx, NY, USA
2011 Konkrete Abstraktion, Galerie Lausberg Contemporary, Düsseldorf, Germany
2010 Sunscreen, Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2010 Ears Wide Open, Lausberg Contemporary, Toronto, ON, Canada
2010 Liquid Supercool 2, William Turner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2010 Pulled – A Print Show, Headbones Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2009 Best Of, Lausberg Contemporary, Toronto, ON, Canada
2009 Chromatic, Oeno Gallery, Bloomfield, ON, Canada
2009 Die Farbe Bunt, Lausberg Contemporary, Düsseldorf, Germany
2009 Summer Fires, Lausberg Contemporary, Toronto, ON, Canada
2009 55° Summer 2009, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, QC, Canada
2009 Little Luxuries, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, QC, Canada
2009 The Blue Show, Lausberg Contemporary, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 Aurora Fughetta, Oeno Gallery, Prince Edward County, ON, Canada
2008 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 Holiday Glow, Engine Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 Queen West Art Crawl, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 O Canada 2, Propeller Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 The Centre Cannot Hold, Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 The Cult of Speed Meets the Slow Movement, Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto, Love Potion Project, Propeller Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 XXX Show, Engine Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 Small Art Show, Leonardo Art Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 O Canada, Propeller Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 The Corporate World, Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada

Art fairs
2023 AAF Battersea, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, London, United Kingdom
2023 London Art Fair, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, London, United Kingdom
2022 AAF Hamburg, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Hamburg, Germany
2022 KunstRAI, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2022 Moderne Art Fair, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Paris, France
2022 Art Karlsruhe, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Karlsruhe, Germany
2020 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2020, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2020 London Art Fair, with ARTITLEDcontemporay, London, United Kingdom
2019 artMRKT San Francisco, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2019 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2019, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2019 Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2019 KunstRAI, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2019 art KARLSRUHE, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Karlsruhe, Germany
2019 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2019 Art Miami International Art Fair, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Miami, FL, USA
2018 Affordable Art Fair Battersea, with ARTITLEDcontemporay, London, United Kingdom
2018 artMRKT San Francisco, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2018 Art The Hague, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, The Hague, The Netherlands
2018 Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, with ARTITLEDcontemporay, London, United Kingdom
2018 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2018, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2018 Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2018 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada.
2018 London Art Fair, with ARTITLEDcontemporay, London, United Kingdom
2018 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2018 Art Miami International Art Fair, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Miami, FL, USA
2017 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2017, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2017 Rotterdam Contemporary, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2017 artMRKT San Francisco, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2017 London Art Fair, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, London, United Kingdom
2017 Art Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2017 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada.
2017 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2016 artMRKT San Francsico, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2016 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2016, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2016 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, USA
2016 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2016 Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2015 artMRKT San Francisco, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2015 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2015, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2015 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2015 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2015 Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2014 Dallas Art Fair, with Newzones, Dallas, TX, USA
2014 artMRKT San Francisco, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2014 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2014, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2014 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2014 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2014 Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2013 artMRKT San Francisco, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2013 Dallas Art Fair, with Newzones, Dallas, TX, USA
2013 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2013, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2013 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2013 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2013 Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2012 artMRKT San Francisco, with Newzones, San Francisco, CA, USA
2012 Dallas Art Fair, with Newzones, Dallas, TX, USA
2012 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2012, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2012 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2012 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2012 Palm Beach, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2011 Art Chicago, with Newzones, Chicago, IL, USA
2011 Dallas Art Fair, with Newzones, Dallas, TX, USA
2011 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2011 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2011 Palm Beach,, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2010 Art Chicago with Newzones, Chicago, IL, USA
2010 Dallas Art Fair, with Newzones, Dallas, TX, USA
2010 Perception, as part of EXPOSURE 2010, with Newzones, Calgary, AB, Canada
2010 Art Miami, with Lausberg Contemporary, Miami, FL, USA
2010 Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2010 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, and Lausberg Contemporary, Toronto, ON, Canada
2010 Art Amsterdam, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2010 Los Angeles Art Show, with Lausberg Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2010 Realisme, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2010 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2009 Art Miami, with Galerie Lausberg Contemporary, Miami, FL, USA
2009 Art Chicago, with Newzones, Chicago, IL, USA
2009 Palm Beach 3 International Art Fair, with Galerie Lausberg Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2009 LA Art Show Los Angeles, CA, USA
2009 Lineart, with ARTITLEDcontemporary, Gent, Belgium
2009 Art Fair 21, with Lausberg Contemporary, Cologne, Germany
2009 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2009 art KARLSRUHE, with Lausberg Contemporary, Karlsruhe, Germany
2009 Palm Beach 3, with Lausberg Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2009 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL, USA
2008 Bridge Wynwood, with Newzones, Miami, FL, USA
2008 Art Miami International Art Fair, with Galerie Lausberg Contemporary, Miami, FL, USA
2008 Toronto International Art Fair, with Galerie Lausberg Contemporary and Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 Unite with Art, Unicef AIDS benefit, Trunk Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2008 Palm Beach 3 International Art Fair, with Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, FL, USA
2008 Toronto International Art Fair, with Engine Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 SNAP 07, AIDS benefit, SPIN Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 Toronto International Art Fair, with Engine Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2008 Art in the Air, Audio Art Festival, Radio Component, Faucet Media Arts/Struts Gallery, Sackville, NB, USA

Awards
2005 Untitled Art Award nomination – Best Solo or Group Exhibition in Artist Run Gallery, The Corporate World Group Exhibition curated by Heather Haynes, Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto.

Bibliography
2019 Confident Colour, Western Living, Cover, pg. 47, October 2019
2018 Sunscreen at Newzones, WSI Magazine, April 20 2018, Web
2018 Montgomery, Jenny. Perception at Newzones, Photo Life, January 29 2018
2018 Perception Group Show at Newzones, Calgary, February 03 – March 03
2018 Art Rubicon Web.
2018 Perception February 03 – March 03 2018 at Newzones in Calgary, Canada Wall Street International, Web
2018 Perception: February 03 – March 03 at Newzones, Preview Magazine, February 2018
2017 Montgomery, Jenny. Newzones: G’ddy Up and Sunscreen, Photolife, June 28 2017
2017 Montgomery, Jenny. Spin Cycle Matrix, Photolife, May 15 2017
2017 Calgary Herald, Art Gallery Shows. Press Reader. Web. May 12 2017
2017 Jon Roe, Swerve walk: The ADAC Gallery Hop. Calgary Herald. Web. May 11 2017
2017 Shelley Boettcher. Calgary’s trendiest street, Condo Living, Web. May 01 2017
2017 Preview, April – May 2017. Print. Pg 10
2017 Franco DeFrancesca- Spin Cycle, Matrix,Galleries West, Web. March 2017
2017 Spin Cycle Matrix- Franco DeFrancesca Eventium. Web. March 2017
2017 Perception, Galleries West. Web. January 2017
2016 Moore, Jacquie, Photos: Inside a Historic-Meets-Contemporary Calgary Home, Western Living Magazine. June 02 2016
2014 Franco DeFrancesca, luxe. interior + design. Arizona. Pg 251, vol 12, issue 3. 2014
2013 Colours of Winter, Domus Magazine, Winter 2013
2013 5 Things To Do This Weekend In Calgary, Swerve Online Blog, September 2013
2013 Franco DeFrancesca, Photolife Online Blog, September 19 2013
2013 Newzones Presents Franco DeFrancesca, Tune in Turn On, Art Rubicon Online Blog, August 15 2013
2013 Gallery Sources, Galleries West, Fall/Winter Issue, 2013, pg. 58
2012 Vates, David, Photographic Memory, Toronto Home Magazine. Spring Issue, 2, 2012
2011 Marcella, Ducasses, Colour outside the lines, FFWd Magazine. April 28 2011
2010 Newzones, Franco DeFrancesca, Photo Life Online Blog, March 28 2011
2009 Eye on Alberta, Alberta Views, June 2009
2009 Greatti, Eros. Screaming my name!, The Westmount Examiner, West End Living, July Black, Heather. Summer Wonderland, Art Scene, The Westmount Independent, July Landry, Marc. Ambient Field, ThingsOfDesire.ca Issue #36 May 2009
2008 Anderson, Shannon. It’s All a Blur, Design Lines Magazine / Azure, Stuff Section, Fall. Balzer, David. Franco DeFrancesca, Toronto Life Magazine, Arts and Entertainment, June.
2007 Ferguson, Jennifer. Summer at the Square, International Art Treasures, IATWM.com, August. Dault, Gary Michael. Walking the Line #49: Jellied Telepathy, Monday Art Post, ArtPost.info, April 2 2007
2006 Carson, Andrea. Vagilanti – Prophylactic Nanobots, View on Canadian Art, BlogSpot.com:VoCA September 2006
2006 Aranha, Sarah. When the City is not Enough, Surface & Symbol, June
2006 Carson, Andrea. The Centre Cannot Hold, View on Canadian Art, BlogSpot.com: VoCA May
2006 Whyte, Murray. Far-Out Ideas for Rebooting the Burbs, Toronto Star, April 23 2006
2005 Mirrlees, Tanner. Anti-Corporate Aesthetics and the Corporate World, Relay – A Socialist Project Review, March – April 2005
2005 Campbell, Meg. Use Your Illusions, The Newspaper, University of Toronto Independent Weekly, January 20

Permanent collections
Alta Gas, Calgary, AB, Canada
Andbank, Brazil
Bennett Jones LLP, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Boardwalk, Calgary, AB, Canada
Cenovus Energy Ltd, Calgary, AB, Canada
Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Enbridge Inc, Calgary, AB, Canada
Encana Natural Gas, Calgary, AB, Canada
AB GMP Securities, Calgary, AB, Canada
Inter Pipeline, Calgary, AB, Canada
Jones Divorce Law LLP, Calgary, AB, Canada
The Keg Steakhouse + Bar
Manpower, Calgary, AB, Canada
McGurk LLP, Calgary, AB, Canada
Nordstrom
OverEasy, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Oxford Properties, Calgary, AB, Canada
Paul Lavoie Interior Design, Calgary, AB, Canada
AB Rockwood Custom Homes, Calgary, AB, Canada
RGO Office Products, Calgary, AB, Canada
Rodin Law Firm Litigation Counsel, Calgary, AB, Canada
Spectrum HR Law, Calgary, AB, Canada
Repsol, Calgary, AB, Canada

DeFrancesca’s work is included in Corporate and Private Collections globally across North America, Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East.