Author: artoronto

Dawn Cain, Curator, BMO Financial Group

 Award winning artists (from left to right): Whitney French, Eshan Rafi, Hillary Smith, Laura Rokas-Bérubé, Derian Blake, Sam Knopp, Erika Dueck,, Tiffany Wollman, Charles Brendon Schick, Carson Isenor, Valerie LeClair, Alexis Bulman, Frederick Silas Qulaut.

The national winner received $10,000 and the regional winners each received $5,000. As the ultimate accolade, the national winner’s artwork becomes part of the BMO Corporate Art Collection, which includes works by historical and contemporary Canadian masters.

National winner, Erika Dueck from the University of Manitoba.

Her mixed media installation work, The Ephemeral Mind, took 40 hours to set up in MOCCA.

Visitors with Erika Dueck, The Ephemeral Mind. Mixed media installation, 203.2 x 203.2 cm.

Award winner, Alexis Bulman, Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, with her work, Mildew

Visitor in front of Pipe by Tiffany Wollman, Alberta College of Art & Design

Visitors with Carson Isenor, Nest (right), Mount Allison University, New Brunswick

See the winning works at the 1st Art! Exhibition, October 2 –  27, 2013, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, 952 Queen Street  West. Gallery hours: Tues–Sun 11 – 6 p.m.

Photo: Celeste Ringrose

Markham Museum
Markham

On Friday September 20th I journeyed out to Markham to attend the opening reception for Land Slide: Possible Futures. I went with some reluctance not knowing what to expect and not looking forward to taking a rather long drive out to somewhere I was unfamiliar with. The main strip was under some reconstruction but once I arrived and pulled up in front the modern impressive museum building, I became more engaged if not curious.

Land Slide is a site specific public art exhibition sprawling over the 25 acres of the Markham Museum including 30 pioneer buildings constructed between 1830 and 1920. Shows by over 30 artists are included in the project as well as an extensive programming including panel discussions, a Saturday Film Series and dinners.

The poster for Landslide: Possible Futures

As I entered the building I saw one of my neighbours Jennifer Marman, a participating artist, which raised my comfort level. Leaving the modern museum building I saw lights coming from a multitude of small wooden pioneer like buildings. Each were occupied by an artist installation or video work. It was fun exploring the site in the dark, and some of the video works definitely benefited from it, such as Patricio and Dave Colongelo‘s video installation, The Line (2013).

Patricio and Dave Colongelo, The Line, 2013

Phil Huffman’s Slaughterhouse (2013), a multichannel video and sound installation, was engaging with peep holes into the slaughterhouse construction. Looking through them one could view a variety of scenes appropriate to the title. Huffman guided my five year old son to a peep hole at his eye level and what he could see from there was not frightening for him.

Phil Huffman, Slaughterhouse, 2013

I was strangely attracted to Skyhill Collective’s The Textured Structure (2013), an architectural intervention. I felt that I had been transported to a Salt Spring commune.

The Skyhill Collective , The Textured Structure, 2013

The curator, Janine Marchessault is also a Professor of Film and Media Studies at York University. She also has undertaken large projects in the past such as the Nuit Blanche’s, Museum for the End of the World and the Leona Drive Project. It must have been an arduous task putting together such a large group of artists for this project. The project had a great team working on it as well as many partners and collaborators. I can only image the many obstacles and challenges that might have been experienced putting together such an incredible exhibition.

Markham itself is an apt location for such a project as it is not only one of the fastest growing urban centres in Canada but also located in a rich agricultural belt. Change becomes very evident in this setting. It also must be challenging to get the audience to travel to see this exhibition, though there is an abundance of programming to attract visitors, as well as buses leaving from downtown Toronto. One artist I talked with had grown up in Markham but never visited the Museum. Hopefully locals would be curious enough to see this impressive project, in what seems a short run lasting, only till October 14, 2013. I encourage anyone with an interest in contemporary art to make the trek to Markham and catch this exhibition, a one of a kind experience.

Text and photo: Phil Anderson

*Exhibition dates: September 21 – October 14, 2013, Markham Museum, 9350 Markham Road, Markham. Gallery hours: Tues, Wed, Sun: 12 – 5, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 12 – 1 p.m. Extended hours: Sun, Sep 22: 12 – 7 p.m. Mon, Oct 14: 12 – 5 p.m.

Saturday, September 5, 2013, from sunset to sunrise

Nuit Blanche is bigger than ever and all the city is preparing for the events. It is more centralized this year, so would be easier to see more shows and performances. Many of the big projects are already covered by the media such as Off to a Flying Start by Ami Barak, the Parade which is new this year, curated by Patrick Macaulay and Romancing the Anthropocene, curated by Ivan Jurakic and Crystal. It would be an exiting and busy night for thousand of people for sure.

Here are our Picks:

PHIL ANDERSON, publisher:

Garden Tower – Tadashi Kawamata
October 5 – 14, 2013
Metropolitan United Church
56 Queen St. East

Garden Tower in Toronto, 2013

(x) Static Clown Factory, Douglas Donald /Claire Ironside /Ruth Spitzer artist
University Avenue

Forever Bicycles, Al Weiwei
October 5 – 27, 2013
Nathan Phillips Square

Ai Weiwei, Forever Bicycles, 2011

Mariner 9 (2012 ), Kelly Richardson  Video Installation
Commerce Court
25 King Street West

Mariner 9, 2012

EMESE KRUNÁK-HAJAGOS, publisher:

Pink Punch v.2, 2013
First Canadian Place courtyard
120 King Street West

Pinks punch v.2, 2013

My Virtual Dream
Leslie L. Dean Faculty of Pharmacy Building
144 College Street

Your Temper, My Weather, 2013, Diane Borsato
Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas Street West

Postcards From The Future, Alex McLeod
The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen Street West

Postcards From The Future

STEVE ROCKWELL, publisher:

Plastic Bags, 2001 Pascale Marthine Tayou
Trinity Square
483 Bay Street (North of Queen Street West)

PLASTIC BAGS, 2001 – 2011

Crash Cars, 2013 Alain Declercq
Nathan Phillips Square
100 Queen Street West

El Agua de Niebla, 2008 Melik Ohanian
Bay Street & Queen Street West

The Little People, 2013 Workparty
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West (At Bay Street)

The  Little People, 2013

LEANNE SIMAAN, writer/photographer

Identity in Place, Julia Lee Patterson
Distillery District – DEAF CULTURE CENTRE
34 Distillery District Lane

Tree House, 2012

KRDW  Spatial Construct
bulthaup Showroom
280 King Street East

Art Objects (Ma Babies) batch 3, Paulina Wiszowata
bulthaup Showroom
280 King Street East

Diaspora Dialogues: Lexicon, designer: Camellia Koo
Metropolitan United Church
56 Queen St. East

Take a Load Off, 2013, Tongue and Groove
Ditty Lane
Queen Street East & Berti Street

Take a Load Off, 2013

CELESTE RINGROSE, photographer

Strange Science/City Symphonies – Silent Films with LIVE Instrumental Accompaniment
TIFF Bell Lightbox
350 King Street West

VHS Fever Dreams
TIFF Bell Lightbox
350 King Street West

VHS Fever Dreams

Postcards from the Future
Drake Hotel
1150 Queen Street West

VERONICA SCARPATI, writer/photographer:

Light_Scape , Group Exhibition
Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor Street West

Light_Scape 

Ad Astra, Group Exhibition
Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor Street West

RevitaLight, Group Exhibition
Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor Street West

Speakeasy Contemporary
at AWOL Gallery

There is a deep well of hidden talent that lies submerged in Toronto, trickling forth from dwindling numbers of studios as inevitable gentrification takes place. Artists are faced with ever bourgeoning costs and lessening opportunities. In recognition of this, David Brown founded the Speakeasy Contemporary, a forum devoted to networking and showcasing associated artists. Their aim is to facilitate participation in international art fairs and local exhibitions.

Five-Star is the most recent Speakeasy event, curated admirably by David Brown who also displays his own art, coalesced with the voices of Chris Knights, Raw’n Wild, Margaret Glew and Susan Szenes.  AWOL gallery is a small space yet this show impresses with judicious spacing and artist selection, combining works that explore similar territory but in markedly different ways. There is also a high level of professionalism as artists have honed their art over many years. Some come from design or information technology backgrounds, which adds its own distinct flavor.

David Brown, Lemon Zinger, encaustic on panel, 48″ x 36″, 2013

Brown’s encaustic wax paintings are lyrical abstractions that play with pictorial elements like shape, space and line. His background in industrial design seems evident in these clean designs and perfectly balanced compositions. The wax is surprisingly fluid and controlled in his hands, yielding very textured, layered paintings that sometimes make use of text. ‘Lemon Zinger’ is my favorite for physicality and abstract suggestion. A knotted line traverses areas where space and shape are in dramatic tension. Delicate lines contrast with large, floating shapes almost reminiscent of leaves, yet avoiding precise identity.

Raw’n Wild, All Your Base, chromogenic original on panel 18″ x 18″, 2012

Linear strategies in his work seem to relate to Raw’n Wild’s intense digital expressions. Wild has been collaborating with mathematicians and doctors trying to present aspects of their experience in a visual manner. This has evolved into a visual language essentially diagrammatical yet also humorous as in ‘All Your Base’. Wild draws material from our common digital environment and manipulates his images through Photoshop into layered units that can be co-opted into various ‘maps’. There is a reductionist mentality to these works as Wild ‘concocts’ a floating universe of symbols, diagrams, proliferating images of the brain and neural passages, cultural clichés and fractal designs. By carefully monitoring the degree of opacity of individual image layers, he is able to unify and finally present exceedingly poised vistas that seem machine-generated.

Susan Szenes, Metalhead, collage with enamel on metal, 48″ x 41″, 2013

The Pop Art sensibility evident in Wild’s digital collages is echoed in a more underground, tattooed sense by the collages of Susan Szenes. She rescues obsolete items and transforms them into gritty works that express street culture. Punk bands like the Sex Pistols are referenced in typography along with other bands. Comic texts are used as visual elements alongside pictures of Batman and other heroes charged with rescuing our culture from oblivion. ‘Metalhead’ uses an old sign as a base for an image of R2D2, the Star Wars walking computer with a funny voice so symbolic of our age; at once exploring new frontiers and destroying the environment.

Chris Knights, Eyes of Blue, oil on board, 60″ x 48″, 2013

Chris Knights paintings lead in a more introspective direction. Deeply personal, he imprints his emotions metaphorically in forms that suggest metamorphosis. His fractious ‘vision landscapes’ are populated by existentially bare forms, like soft, internal organs, that seem to have sprung from the loins of chaos. The monochromatic amorphous forms suggest humanoid, animal or tree fragments in a process of disintegrating or forming anew, enduring an environmental hailstorm of paint and scratches. ‘Eyes of Blue’ reminded me of Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ and shares that sense of apocryphal loneliness.

Margaret Glew, Shoreline,  oil on canvas, 48″ x 36″, 2013

Margaret Glew’s abstract works are a response to life and an energizing of the work itself. Her painted marks have their own ‘life’ and ‘grow’ into their aesthetic composition aided by the artist. Like Knights’ vision, Glew has an intrinsic link to the natural world. Titles like ‘Shoreline’ reference landscape but the image is of an inner landscape. The qualities of life we experience become lodged in the abstract passages of paint, just as the slow turn of a brush carries with it a host of associations. Glew makes tough, uncompromising paintings with severe colour relationships. At some level these paintings articulate the natural energy that flows through all things.

This exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to appreciate the works of these five artists and bodes well as an inaugural show for the Speakeasy Contemporary, which will hopefully grow in strength. It is a much-needed initiative that will blaze a trail for future emerging artists. The duration is very short but it is still open for ‘Nuit Blanche’ and well worth a visit.

Ashley Johnson

*Exhibition dates: September 26 – October 6, 2013, AWOL Gallery at 76 Ossington Avenue, Toronto. Gallery hours: Thu – Sat 12 – 6, Sun 1 – 5 p.m. Open for Nuit Blanche, Saturday, October 5, 2013, 7 p.m. to late.

Micah Lexier and Self-Portrait as a Wall Text, 1998/2013

Opening Reception: September 20, 2013, 8 p.m.
Power Plant
231 Queens Quay West

One of the most integral necessities for an artist, along with public recognition, is to have the support of their fellow artists. One, Two, More Than Two reflects on the work of Toronto-based artist, Micah Lexier, in his first exhibition at the Power Plant. The title of this exhibition: One, Two, More Than Two, is drawn from Lexier’s personal artistic contributions to the Power Plant, collaborations with other artists, and the network of artists that surround him.

The exhibition is composed of works that have been created in a diverse range of media including film, drawings on paper, and installations. These pieces were put forth by Lexier and are also the result of his collaborations with other artists that make up the One and Two components of the exhibition. More Than Two, occupies the central space of the Power Plant and is composed of over 200 works by 101 artists from Toronto, including Michael Snow and Kai Chan, selected by Lexier for the exhibition. Lexier has created a complex and expansive map of the creative individuals that make up Toronto. Lexier has illustrated the artistic community of Toronto as a tight knit, yet inclusive community, as well, he has presented the expanding artistic network within the city.

Artists, Micah Lexier (left) and Michael Snow (right)

Artist Kai Chan (left) and artists Patrick Howlett (right)

When the exhibition opened on September 20th, the event brought together artists, art enthusiasts and gallery hoppers. This exhibition is complemented by a wealth of public programming hosted at the Power Plant and is on until January 5, 2014, giving the public many ways to become involved within Toronto’s ever growing cultural community.

Art critic, Sarah Milroy (left) and friend

Power Plant director Gaëtane Verna (left) and friend

Micah Lexier in front of his work, I Am The Coin, 2010

 Text and photo: Alice Tallman

September 27, 2013, 6 – 8 p.m.
VIP 8-1 Public
99 Sudbury Street 

I attended the VIP reception for the Art of Fashion’s Design Competition on Friday September 27^th.

Art of Fashion is an award-winning not-for-profit organization that champions high-quality Canadian fashion. Art of Fashion is committed to fostering the careers of Canadian apparel and accessory design­ers by creating award winning platforms for exposure.

Model wearing Elena Sanjikhaeva’s designs from her collection: Irreplaceable Coco

Model wearing designs from Jung Min Oh’s collection: Barnburner

Designer Alysia Myette with model wearing designs from her collection: Asian Persuasion

I haven’t attended a fashion event for a little while. I used to organize Gallery 1313’s Fantasy Fashion Show, an annual mix of fashion and art, that went on for 12 years. I saw some familiar photographers and fashion reporters as well as guest MC Glen Baxter who also had covered the Fantasy Fashion Show for several years.

Models wearing designs from Diana Dan Li’s collection: Devote

The Design Competition consists of 10 design finalists showcasing 6 designs. This year’s theme for the competition is PAST BEHAVIOURS, that means taking inspiration from the past and applying to the contemporary fashion scene.

Model wearing designs from Katelyn Bowland’s collection

Models wearing designs from Rani Kim’s collection: MON-FRI

I checked out the designers’ works who had set up areas on the south side of the runway. I have always liked how art and fashion intersect  and the Art of Fashion events, that now is going on for 17 years, bring that point across.

The event had a party atmosphere with lots of appetizers and cocktails.

Winners to be announced: October 8th @ Friday Night Live at the ROM
(Most Promising Designer, and Voted By The Public)

Text and photo: Phil Anderson

The Gardiner Museum was recently recognized by the Ontario Museum Association (OMA), receiving the Award of Excellence in Exhibitions for Transformation by Fire: Women Overcoming Violence Through Clay.

The culmination of the last 10 years, Transformation by Fire was a ground-breaking exhibition originated by the Gardiner Museum in partnership with the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. “This landmark exhibition used clay as the medium for storytelling and demonstrated the strength of these women who have provided real life examples grown in the face of adversity. We are very proud of all the women who stepped forward and participated in this project,” said Rachel Gotlieb, Interim Executive Director & Chief Curator.

In addition, Raphael Yu has been selected as the recipient of the 2013 OMA Museum Benefactor Award of Excellence for his instrumental work towards the achievement of the Museum’s mission and vision. Yu recently donated an extraordinary collection of over 300 contemporary Canadian works to the Gardiner Museum, which lead to the establishment of The Raphael Yu Centre of Canadian Ceramics. The Yu Centre’s core activities include the collection, research, publication and exhibition of Canadian ceramics, as well as programs that feature Canadian artists and their work.

Both the Award of Excellence in Exhibitions and Yu’s 2013 OMA Museum Benefactor Award of Excellence, will be presented on November 7, 2013 at the Markham Museum at the OMA Annual Conference.

Interview with Patrick Macaulay (P.M), curator of the Parade for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, 2013, by Phil Anderson (P.A)

Patrick Macaulay, Head of Visual Arts Harbourfront Centre and Curator of the Parade

P.A: How did you come up with your concept of The Parade for Nuit Blanche?

P.M: I grew up in a small town and the July 1st Parade was the second biggest event of the year, just behind Christmas, for me. Since then I’ve always been fascinated by parades and I would seek them out wherever I was. When I was asked to submit a proposal for Nuit Blanche the idea of an all-night art parade, that represented Toronto’s art community, appeared to me.

PARALLAX (Artist Rendering), 2013. University Avenue & Edward Street

P.A: You worked on a number of large scale projects in the past, such as the Super Danish. How do the logistics and challenges of the Parade compare to them?

P.M: What I’ve worked on the past has been festivals and exhibitions which have a presence in one location over an extended period of time. This is a lot of work and organization for one night. It’s been daunting and, to be honest, quite a scary endeavour. The sheer number of people who come out for Nuit Blanche is amazing. And there are also big questions like safety and the weather! On the other hand, the city has an amazing team which has all the knowledge about doing large scale events, so they made my job a lot easier.

Rumbling Drumlins (Artist Rendering), 2013. University Avenue & College Street

P.A: Have you worked with most of the selected artists on other projects in the past?

P.M: Yes, I’ve worked before with all the artists I invited. It was important to me to make this parade/event about the artists from Toronto. Almost everyone lives in the city or within driving distance. Toronto is where I live and I think events like this should celebrate the artists who are part of this community.

P.A: Is there any installation that present more challenges than others?

P.M: The (X)Static Clown Factory has required a lot of work and preparation from the artists and the city. One of the two project leaders is Umbereen Inayet and she has been amazing in terms of plotting and planning and working with these artists on this project. The other leader is Allison Duchaine and she can stick handle her way through any technical problem thrown at her. So between Umbereen and Allison it’s been pretty clear sailing.

Douglas Donald/Claire Ironside/Ruth Spitzerartist, (X)Static Clown Factory, 2013. University Avenue & Gerrard Street West

P.A: How do you think Scotiabank Nuit Blanche event has evolved over the years?

P.M: Over the years through the projects of Nuit Blanche a knowledge has been built, a base, and by now artists and curators know what works and what doesn’t. They are also pushing the boundaries of what can be done, experimenting. I’m looking forward to see what takes place in the years to follow. It’s a great event.

P.A: There are ten curated projects in the Parade and four Open Call Projects. Were the Open Call Projects specifically made with the parade in mind?

P.M: There were a lot great proposals but the ones that I selected really fit into the idea of the Parade. All four projects are amazing and are new and being constructed for this Nuit Blanche project. I can’t wait to see these pieces installed.

Ferris Wheel, 2013. University Avenue & Dundas Street West

P.A: Can explain Margaux Williamson’s project? I like the idea but I am not sure what to expect.

P.M: Everything about Nuit Blanche is about the spectacle. There are thousands of people out that night searching for the bright lights of that spectacle. What Margaux is going to do is turn that idea upside down and create a non spectacle event; a celebration of darkness. We placed her float at, what could be said to be, the end of the parade in the darkest area next to a large park. An analogy could be drawn saying that the parade route represents the movement from the city to the country. Margaux’s piece stands for the country, a place where you can be more aware of your surroundings. She is attempting to enlighten you about the beauty of the night.

HOW TO SEE IN THE DARK, 2013. Queens Park Crescent East & St. Joseph Street

P.A: Will you be out all night?

P.M: It’s been a long, long time since I stayed up all night but I’m going to try.

P.A: Do you worry about the weather?

P.M: I started checking the long term weather reports a couple of days ago and now I’m getting worried.

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Saturday, October 5, 2013, 6:51 to sunrise. Follow curator Patrick Macaulay’s Parade route along University Avenue. Meet the Queen of the Parade at Queen Street West, then walk north to Charles Street West to see all 14 projects. For the route and more information on the project please check http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/2013-event/exhibitions/parade.html.

Featured image: Hybrid Globe, 2013. Queens Park Crescent East & St. Joseph Street.

Edward Burtynsky
Water
Nicholas Metivier Gallery

Thjorsá River #1, Iceland, 2012, chromogenic print. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery

After spending over ten years poring over the theme of oil, Edward Burtnsky has turned his camera to a resource no less politically fraught but much more ubiquitous. The Canadian photographer dived into this ostensibly familiar subject back in 2008, a project that carried him to across the globe from Iceland to China, and from India to Spain. His work navigates meditatively through the ubiquity and complexity of water, revealing the myriad physical and emotional ways in which humans relate to it. Photographs from this project are currently showing at a series of galleries internationally in tandem with his latest documentary, Watermark. In Toronto, a selection of Burtnsky’s work is hosted by Nicholas Metivier Gallery, showing across two locations until October 12, 2013.

Pivot Irrigation #1, High Plains, Texas Panhandle, USA, 2011, chromogenic print. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery

Water is a word that conjures up very mixed feelings. It is a primordial source, an invaluable resource, a holy purifier, a picturesque scene, a victim to human callousness, and an unruly, destructive force. The photographs in Burtynsky’s water project, beyond just covering vast geographical grounds, also manage to capture a wide span of these emotional and cultural associations. His photos of pivot irrigation farms in the Texas Panhandle explore the role of water in enabling human sustenance, and the technologies that mediate our resource use. These images, like many other works in the water series, adopt a high aerial perspective that renders the irrigation system into curious and abstract compositions of concentric circles. Further twisting the practical into the strange, the crisp detail signature to Burtynsky’s photographic work imbues the circular plots with sensuous texture, evoking imagery of a spinning vinyl or the stump of a millennia-old tree.

Rice Terraces #2, Western Yunnan Province, China, 2012, chromogenic print.  Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery

In northern British Columbia, the photographer encounters the sublime beauty of the Stikine River, which flows in a sinuous languor in between towers of rock that thrust up on either side. The rugged view recalls the Canadian landscape tradition inaugurated by the Group of Seven, and the long-existing ties between our national identity, the land, and its bounty. Though oil seems to be the resource de jour taking a front seat in our national consciousness, Canada and the politics of water go further back. Our nation contains one fifth of the entire world’s fresh water, and this valuable endowment has spurred desires and debates over the privatization, commodification, and export of water. Within the cultural realm, Joyce Wieland was already tackling this theme back in 1970 with her work Water Quilt. This quilted work incorporated sixty-four excerpts from James Laxer’s The Energy Poker Game, a foreboding political book on an alleged American plot to take over Canada’s water resources.

Greenhouses, Almira Peninsula, Spain, 2010, chromogenic print. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery

In exploring myriad human attachments to water, it may strike as a curious observation that the photographs in this show are largely devoid of actual human presence. Burtynsky explains, however, that he is less interested in the individual’s relation to water than in our collective impact on water systems through history to now. In many of the photos, man-made constructions stand as placeholders for the human will to progress. A photograph of marine aquafarming in Luoyan Bay in Fujian Province, China is particularly unsettling. Rectangular grids of aquafarms nestle one next to another in systematic indifference; their regularity is momentarily disturbed by a rock formation rising through the water, but the plots weave around and extend unfazed and relentlessly into the horizon. The photograph is an affecting reflection of capitalist culture and its paradigm of overconsumption, resource depletion, and faith in technology to fix it all. The image, perhaps inconveniently, throws into question the growth imperative within contemporary political and economic mindset, and the simplistic straight line it draws between growth and progress.

Colorado River Delta #3, Near San Felipe, Baja, Mexico, 2012, chromogenic print. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery

 In an oft-quoted lyric, Keats asserted that beauty is truth, and truth beauty. If so, Burtynsky’s beautiful photographic images bring up some ugly truths. In many of his works, a tension hangs between the pleasing formal elements and the unpleasant topical matter. In a shot of the Colorado River Delta, a green river gleams in stillness, branching like a capillary through a desert of white, crusty land. The visual impact is arresting and astonishing. Yet the image is also a sad footprint of what’s beyond the frame, of the multiple upstream dams constructed in the last century that have transformed the delta landscape into a shrunken ghost of its once expansive wetlands. The impact of undeclared human activities thus echoes through the picture, cutting across the quiet beauty of the barren scape.

Kumbh Mela #2, Allahabad, India, 2013, chromogenic print. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery

On this tension between the aesthetic and the topical, Burtynsky says his images are “beauty on certain terms.” On the one hand, his approach to photography aims to embrace beauty again, despite its falling status within Western art in the last century. On the other, he hopes the viewer engages beyond the visual surface to discover something more than just retinal titillation. Though Burtynsky’s work is inflected with environmental undertones, his visual language is never didactic or polemical. His images are stoic rather than confrontational, and open-ended rather than explicit. Avoiding the trap of propagandistic art, which tries to sell a pre-packaged idea, Burtynsky intentionally employs an open-ended delivery to leave space for the viewer to feel, explore, and discover on their own. For me, the water photographs are political art in so far as they heighten my sense of the political, social, and ethical dimensions of my being. But this is as far as Burtynsky is willing to nudge me, as he said at the opening reception, and after that, it is up to myself as the viewer to decide where I want to go.

Step-Well #4, Sagar Kund Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan, India, 2010, chromogenic print. Courtesy of Nicholas Metivier Gallery

Amy Luo

*The exhibition is on display till October 12, 2013, Nicholas Metivier Gallery at 451 King Street West and and a temporary space at 80 Spadina Avenue, suite 404.

Usman Haque and Natalie Jeremijenko, Flightpath Toronto, Nuit Blanche 2011. Photo: Mauricio Contreras-Paredes

Saturday, October 5, 2013, 6:51 – sunrise

Discover more than 65 independent projects by Toronto’s art community, three curated exhibitions featuring 44 projects produced by the City of Toronto, including a centrepiece installation by world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei, Forever Bicycles sculpture in Nathan Phillips Square. 3,144 interconnected bicycles will form a three-dimensional structure creating an incredible visual effect.

PARADE is new and will cover the University Avenue / Queen’s Park area. Follow curator Patrick Macaulay’s Parade route along University Avenue. Meet the Queen of the Parade at Queen Street West, then walk north to Charles Street West to see all 14 projects.

Some works encourage an intimate encounter with art, while others will wow you with large-scale spectacle. Register for a My Night Planner and create your list of must-see projects.

Exhibition Projects produced by the City of Toronto

Under the direction of four curators, 44 temporary public art projects by local, national and international artists have been commissioned. Each curated Exhibition includes Open Call Projects which encourage involvement by a wide range of Toronto artists – established and emerging. They involve Off to a flying start curated by Ami Barak concentration  around Nathan Phillips Square and Toronto City Hall and Romancing the Anthropocene curated by Ivan Jurakic and Crystal Mowry, who invite you to explore the age of man and its effect on our environment along King Street west of Yonge Street and Bay Street south of Richmond Street West.

Independent Projects produced by Toronto’s art community

Toronto artists, cultural and educational institutions, museums, galleries and neighbourhoods participate in Scotiabank Nuit Blanche each year by producing one-of-a-kind projects that transform the city.

For locations and more information please go to http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/.

September 21, 2013

Panel Conversation: Inside Story / 11 – 12:30 p.m. 
The Underground | Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen Street West

With a spirit of enthusiasm the first program of the 2013 Gallery hop began. Excitement filled the voices of Christine Shaw, program and outreach manager of Canadian Art Magazine, and Richard Rhodes, editor of Canadian Art magazine, as they presented the theme of last Saturday’s Gallery Hop 2013 Panel Discussion: “Inside Story”.

Editor of Canadian Art Magazine, Richard Rhodes

As he introduced the Canadian Art Foundation’s 17th annual event, Rhodes explained that this year’s theme is meant to have a tabloid spirit with a narrative capacity. By making reference to the media and tabloids and the initial (and succinct) headline, the theme suggests that these artist’s work, in simple terms, explore an event/occurrence/moment, in history or the present, and locate it within a cultural, political, and/or personal context. On the panel, artists Yam Lau, Dana Claxton, and Sky Glabush spoke to the diversity of ways in which the “inside story” informs their work.

Sky Glabush’s presentation

Moderator Richard Rhodes first introduced Sky Glabush who, with charm and vulnerability, explained that his inside story centers on his youth in Moose Jaw, SK and his father’s involvement in the Bahaii community. He expresses the latter through the “universal language of abstraction”. He suggested that he was transforming the abstract from the sublime to a personal language which would leave his audience to learn his inside story rather than meditate on symbolic theosophy.

Dana Claxton’s presentation

In contrast, Dana Claxton explores the inside story behind the “erasure of liberation” through the lens of the American Indian Movement. By unearthing sanctioned oppressions, she aims to use art not only to further the discourse and inform her audience, but to also bring  justice forth.

Yam Lau’s presentation

Lastly, Yam Lau spoke about his fascination with the Chinese language as a tool to access China’s inside story without having to permanently reside there.

As with previous years, the event served as a visual and intellectually stimulating experience for supporters of Canadian Art.

Text and photo: Leanne Simaan

Canadian Art Magazine Launch / 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Jessica Bradley Gallery / 74 Miller Street

The event was very well attended and was a great mix of exciting, innovative art; the opening reception of the Berlin based artists Hadley and Maxwell, the launch of the fall issue of Canadian Art magazine, and test drives of the all electric Smart Car.

The show, Hadley+Maxwell: If You Were Me, I Would Think Twice…, included sculptures mounted on the wall as well as stand alone pieces; and oil paintings on linen canvases that were incredibly three dimensional looking. You had to get right up to the paintings to see that they were actually painted and not a sculpture attached to their surface.

Coco (swag), 2013, oil on linen, 29.8 x 40 cm

Visitors with Available (fall collection), 2011 – 2013, painted and silkscreened cinefoil, magnets, steel armature

I spoke to Maxwell in front of the large installation “Graces and Exemplars”, which takes up an entire wall of the Jessica Bradley Gallery, and asked him what was his inspiration for the sculptural pieces in the show.

Graces and Exemplars (Archive), 2011 – 2013, 24 pieces of cinefoil, magnets, steel armature

He said, that to mold their sculptures they use cinefoil which is a heavy, black aluminum foil that is often used to create lighting effects for video or photography by forming tubes or screens with holes. He said he wanted to take the cinefoil, a utilitarian object and something usually used to look at other things, and use it to create something monumental. With Hadley they take forgotten and ignored monuments from the past and bring them back into the spotlight by re-sculpting their parts such as legs, arms and heads.

Hadley (in the middle) explaning Nymph (Archive Shade), 2013, cinefoil. magnets, steel armature, 161.3 x 31.8 cm

Jason McLean’s painted Smart Car was also on display.

Jason McLean (in the middle) and company with Smart Car in front of Jessica Bradley Gallery and Smart Car (detail)

The exhibition is open till October 19, 2013.

Text and photo: Margaret Irving

TOUR 1 / Niagara
September 21, 2013, 1 – 2 p.m.

Canadian Art’s Niagara Gallery Tour encompassed an array of works and venues to represent the area’s diversity. The tour began at Diaz Contemporary with a discussion of James Carl’s s new body of sculptures by Canadian Art’s online editor, Leah Sandals. Touching upon their allusion to the human figure and their reference to the modernist sculptures of Moore, Sandals shed an array of readings on these optical works.

Leah Sandals in front of one of James Carl’s pieces

The show is on display till October 12th at Diaz Contemporary, 100 Niagara Street. Gallery hours: Thursday to Saturday: 11 – 6 p.m.

The tour continued to Rod Grigor’s Sorry, We’re Open exhibition at Walnut Contemporary. Grigor’s hyperrealist paintings shine attention on overlooked aspects urban landscape, forcing them into a position of re-evaluation.

Sorry, We’re Open is on display till October 28th at Walnut Contemporary, 201 Niagara Street. Gallery hours: Wednesday to Saturday: 11 – 5:30 p.m.

Afterwards, the group braved the rain to see George Legrady’s On the Road at Pari Nadimi Gallery. By referencing the Beat Generation and utilizing photographs that Legrady produced in the 1970s, this exhibition attempts to bridge the gap between the past and the present in a non-linear format.

On the Road is on display till October 26th at Pari Nadimi Gallery, 254 Niagara Street. Gallery hours: Wednesday to Saturday: 12 – 5 p.m.

Finally, the tour ended with Jenine Marsh’s exhibition at Cooper Cole Gallery’s second location. Situated in a graphic space which also possesses a physical presence, Marsh’s work can be examined from an array of dimensions.

This exhibition is on display till October 14th at Cooper Cole Gallery, 777 Richmond Street West, Second Floor. Gallery hours: Monday, Friday, and Saturday: 12 – 4 p.m.

Tour Guide & Sobey Art Award Assistant Curator Stefan Hancherowas beside Jenine Marsh’s Scarecrow (2013).

Text and photo: Shellie Zhang

TOUR 8 / Yorkville
September 21, 2013, 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Our group met at Kinsmen Robinson Gallery.  We visited Louie Palu: Mira Mexico. Louie Palu is a photojournalist taking pictures of the drug war in Mexico.

Artist Louie Palu with Noah Richler journalist, Canadian Art contributor.

Louie aims to bring attention to the drug smuggling in Mexico. It is not officially called a war but over 60,000 people have died because of it. Louie also talked about the media and how they manipulate the public on subjects through the photos they choose.

Louie Palu, Execution By The River, 2012

The exhibition is open till October 12, 2013, Kinsman Robinson Galleries at 108 Cumberland Street.

The next gallery was Mayberry Fine Art Gallery where Hashim Wanoon’s paintings were on display. Hashim works are also about the war in Mexico. Children are his inspiration, they are the innocent victims of war.

The show runs till September 29, 2013, Mayberry Fine Art, 110 Yorkville Avenue

At Gallery Gevik Sylvia Lefkovitz were showing. She has a very simplistic style of landscapes and sculptures that captivate your eyes with beautiful scenery.

The exhibition is on display till October 11, 2013, Gallery Gevik, 12 Hazelton Avenue. Gallery hours: Tue – Sat 10:30 – 6 p.m.

In Loch Gallery Phillip Criag showed a lot of interior portraits. As the guide said he is returning to interiors after painting a lot of exteriors in the past.

The show runs till October 2, 2013, Loch Gallery, 16 Hazelton Avenue. Gallery hours: Tue – Sat 10 – 5:30 p.m.

The last stop in our tour was Mira Godard Gallery. Nathan Birch’s works are a little bit challenging since he works with two or three canvases for one image. To see the painting as a whole you need to look at it from the side.

Nathan Birch, “Beach and Forest” 2010, acrylic on canvas, 27 x 67 in. (triptych)

The exhibition is open till September 28, Mira Godard Gallery, 22 Hazelton Avenue. Gallery hours: Tue – Sat 10 – 5:30.

Text and photo: Celeste Ringrose