Born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in 1966, Taras Polataiko immigrated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1990. Polataiko holds a BFA (painting and drawing focus) from the Stroganov Museum of Fine and Industrial Arts, Moscow, Russia, and a MFA from the University of Saskatchewan (painting, performance, and critical theory focus). Polataiko is known for testing established artistic norms in his work. His paintings in the mid-1990s, including his piece “Kazimir Malevich, Cross #1” which is featured in the Camosun College Art Collection, emulate magazine photographs of Kazimir Malevich’s (painter art theoretician, and pioneer of the geometric abstract art) paintings. These paintings explore the intersection and connection of meaning between different forms of media. Polataiko’s work often engages with issues of politics, memory, history, and society. His 2012 performance piece, “The Untold Sleeping Beauty Tale” (“Taras Polataiko: The Untold Sleeping Beauty Tale” by Nancy Tousley, featured in Canadian Art, September 6, 2012 http://canadianart.ca/features/taras-polataiko-the-untold-sleeping-beauty-tale/ (Accessed January 15, 2017) challenged values of marriage, love, possession, and gender roles, as well as political apathy, through a legally-binding real-life performance of the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ folklore tale – where 5 women “sleep” for a period of 3 days each whilst kissed by potential suitors (strangers) – if the woman chooses to awaken to a kiss, she is contractually obligated to marry the man or woman that awakened her. Polataiko’s “War. 11 Portraits” (2014) documented the experiences of men who were effected by the political conflict in the Ukraine (Russian invasion of Kyev) through photography and audio recordings. Polataiko was recorded discussing “War. 11 Portraits” by the Barbara Edwards Contemporary Gallery, Calgary Alberta. It is available on the Barbara Edwards Contemporary Vimeo page at: https://vimeo.com/131558833 (Accessed January 11, 2017). Additional information about “War. 11 Portraits” is available on the website “Voices of the Ukraine” at https://maidantranslations.com/2014/09/07/taras-polataiko-war-11-portraits/ (Accessed January 11, 2017). In 1995 Polataiko was named as one of ten artists to watch world-wide, by the New York art magazine, ARTnews. His work has been exhibited internationally and given extensive coverage in art journals, magazines, and by the popular media. Perhaps because of this renown, art critics have suggested that aspects of the “Sleeping with Gaga” performance piece held at the Guggenheim Museum by Lady Gaga strongly mimic Polataiko’s piece “The Untold Sleeping Beauty Tale” (‘Did Lady Gaga Rip Off Artist Taras Polataiko?’ by Alicia Eler featured in Hyperalleric, September 21, 2012 http://hyperallergic.com/57315/did-lady-gaga-rip-off-artist-taras-polataiko/, Accessed January 15, 2017).
