ZAMIC Rene
facebook.com/rene/Zamic. Accessed 4 March 2024.
“I love doing art for the consumer.”
He was part of a group of young Toronto graphic artists in the late 1980’s, which included Jamie Bennett, Blair Drawson, Jeff Jackson, Anita Kunz and Maurice Vellekoop, whose work had spread throughout both the North American and European markets. . “I was in New York at a symposium a couple of weeks ago and everyone was talking about what a hotbed of talent Toronto has become.” Said Kunz, “Art directors now seem to be on the look out for people from Toronto.”
He has sold his illustrations to publications in both the U.S. and Europe as well as Canada.
“His strongly graphic designs are vaguely nostalgic but also futuristic. His visual vocabulary is based loosely on how the 21st century was imagined back in the 1930’s and 1940’s. He pares complex shapes down to bold graphic outlines that have a hint of cartoon.” [C. Hume]
He was interested in adapting his work to as many uses as possible. He has exhibited rugs and “designer” traffic signs as well as painting and drawings. “I want to explore the possibilities of applied art, I want to do plates and cups … from T-shirts you can do a whole line, pants, shoes, jackets, and so on. I’ve also done some chair design.”
WORK:
ILLUSTRATOR:
BOOK TEXT:
Cover dust jacket, front:
The Mind Gods. Writ., Marie Jakober. Macmillan Co. of Canada Ltd., 1976.
Cover dust jacket wrap around: The Wolf. Writ., Marie-Claire Blais. McClelland & Stewart, 1974.
BOOK TEXT & GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Content & Cover book front:
Peter Gzowski’s Spring Tonic. Ed., Peter Gzowski. Hurtig Publishers, 1979: Drawings. 1-7, 154.
Peter Gzowski’s Book About This Country In The Morning. Ed., Peter Gzowski. Hurtig Publishers, 1974: Drawings. 1, 8/9, 35, 48, 62, 78, 82/83, 104, 123, 124, 130, 159, 168/169, 200, 215, 221, 232. Cover design with David Shaw.
PERIODICAL TEXT:
Content essay:
The City Toronto Star Sunday Magazine 2 March 1980: “Hot Is Swell”. Writ., Unknown: 6.
Net Worth, February 2000: A special advertising feature: 63, 64,66, 68.
Radio Guide, 5-11, November 1985: “The Sound Of A Decade”. Writ., E. Varangu”: 7. Image repeated on Radio Guide, 7-3, March 1987:25.
Saturday Night, October 1995: “The 21st century belongs to Canada”. Writ., Andrew Coyne: 72-73, 75.
Saturday Night, 115-1, February 2000: “Net Worth, A Special Advertising Feature”. Writ., Gordon Powers: 63, 64, 66, 68.
Star Week, 19-26 1980: “We all lose if …”. Writ., Bob Blackburn: 49.
TV Guide, 5 May 1979: “You, Too, Can Be A TV Sex Expert!”. Writ., Harry Stein: 11.
TV Guide, 14 June 1997: “Down for the count”. Writ., David Kronke: 10.
Content program preview:
Radio Guide, 5-5, May 1985: “Saturday Afternoon at the Opera”. Writ., unidentified: 9.
SOURCE:
Article newspaper:
The Toronto Star, 20 Nov.1988: “Vital Designs.” Writ., Christopher Hume: G1.
GALLERY:
The Mind Gods. 1976: Front cover.
Star Week, 19-26 1980: 49.
Radio Guide, 5-11, November 1985: 7.
The Toronto Star, 20 Nov.1988: G1.
Net Worth, February 2000: 63.