Author: artoronto

June 24, 2015 / 7 p.m.
Gallery 1313
1313 Queen Street West

Gallery 1313’s 13th Annual Fantasy Fashion Show was held on Wednesday, June 24 featuring avant-garde fashion by creative and extremely talented Canadian designers and artists.

The crowd. Photo: Phil Anderson

Hosted by media personality Enza Anderson, the show treated viewers to two different sets of runway fashion broken by an emotive contemporary dance performance. Models strutted to a backdrop of exhibitions featuring artwork by the members of Gallery 1313 and the abstract artist Paul Brandejs. A film-loop installation played in the Process Gallery.

From left to right: dresses from Marie Copps, Francine Glynis Pooten and Michael Zoffranieri. Image from @ladylikeleopard on Twitter

Put on by organizer Sultan Sandur and members of the Gallery 1313 Board, the event drew a crowd of close to 100 fashion and art lovers who mixed and mingled, sipping wine and delicious tea-based cocktails before the fashion show. Notable attendees included MP Peggy Nash, City Councillor Gord Perks, and the head of The Fashion Council of Canada, Robin Kay.

From left to right: Organizer Sultan Sandur, Board Chair Gallery 1313 David McKay and Enza Anderson. Photo: Phil Anderson

In the first set, designer Cheryl Kocot’s collection was inspired by the concept of a strong yet feminine warrior woman.  One look featured an alligator skin embossed leather corset with a Grecian collar. The model’s tightly braided locks eased into raw, teased-out volumes of hair bound with pieces of frayed and textured material. Combined with mask-like tribal face paint, the overall affect was that of an animalistic combatant of the apocalyptic future.

Backstage look from Cheryl Kocot. Image from @cherylkocot on Instagram

Design by Wilma St. Holl and Tinee Campbell, their works deal with environment and pollution. Photo: Phil Anderson

Fibre artist Mary Dyja was inspired by the organic micro-world to create works influenced by the shapes and patters of mould and fungi. Her crochet pieces represented growing and changing living organisms. Textured knit pom-poms on clothing were reminiscent of spores while feathery light knits reminded me of creeping mycelium. Her crochets, clustered one atop the other, built fantastically lichen-like volume. The materials clung close to the bodies of her models representing a symbiosis between the human body and mould. Katherine Phan of Simple Smiles created knitted masterpieces using yarns of wool, alpaca, yak, and cotton. Her knitwear pieces were intensely current in shape and style, contrasted by the knit medium traditionally reserved for your hobbyist great-aunt. Phan’s jumpsuit was very fresh

Mary Dyja’s creations. Image from @marydyja on Instagram. 

Dresses from Lidija. Image from @lidija_lidija on Instagram

The second set brought us a wearable dress with Madonna-like cone breast cups made of 250 ft of exposed film attached to a nylon mesh dress structure by the artist, Paula John. The piece commented on the relationship between the two separate technologies of sewing and 16mm celluloid film making. Blue-white lights flickering beneath the translucent film brought life to the dress.

Designer Michael Zoffranieri’s work is all about audiences accessing and sharing in the performative narrative and dream of the designer. The audience was pulled into Zoff’s story through graceful gowns. The black and completely sheer floor-length number featured a fitted, strapless top embroidered with strategically placed, delicate flower appliqués. Paired with elbow length gloves, it was classic elegance. A gauzy white, and equally sheer, one shoulder gown followed. Ethereal tulle was cinched at the waist by a delicate white ribbon and the model wore on-trend flower pasties in a metallic gold.

Dress from Michael Zoffranieri. Image from @zoffranieri on Instagram

Dress from Michael Zoffranieri. Image from @zoffranieri on Instagram

The Baroque was alive and well with designer, Marie Copps, who pulled out all the stops for her black velvet corset worn over a black body suit. Brocade embroidery abounded. The sumptuous look was completed with a signature tall, flat-faced crown headpiece which was equally extravagant.

Design by Jordan Zebede. Image from @ladylikeleopard on Twitter

Cooper Cole joins the gallery migration process as he reveals his new space on Dupont and Dufferin, with Road to Ruin, a large group show, with a heavy infiltration of American artists.

The entrance is met with a tall lean sculpture hanging from the ceiling, joined by a pot with a hot plate on the ground. “Hot Pot Charmer (Flamingo)” by JPW 3 includes chains intertwined with rope and popcorn, encased in melted wax. It is a frozen performative piece, stuck on a loop, that greets the viewer with a loud presence, by reintroducing everyday objects in an odd and surrealist combination. Jeremy Jansen’s “Charm Bracelet” made up of a detailed assortment of metallic and rusty tools, chain linked fence, wires, with gears behind it, hanging on the wall while Ryan Foerster’s “Failed Laminating Photos, Fuck Holes” free stands on the grey cement ground. Reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s paintings on glass, this sculpture let’s the viewer walk around it, and observe the alternative photographic process that Foerster has captured. It is a loose collage piece of photographs, wooden frames, metal tubes, paint splotches or the remains of acidic reactions, accompanied by perfect round holes filling in the gaps between the rectangular images. These pieces offer the viewer a chance to observe their delicate and intricate compilation, while the simplicity of the graffiti inspired eye by Anne-Lise Coste, hanging on the wall, offers a quiet break.

Jeremy Jansen, Charm Bracelet, 2013, Chain link fence, steel, copper, rubber, plastic and other various found materials, steel hooks, 91″ x 56″ x 12.50″

Ryan Foerster, Failed Laminating Photos, Fuck Holes, 2012, Mixed media, 44″ x 33″ x 7″

The gallery is broken up into smaller sections through various angles, with sculptures littered around. In the next smaller room, a sculpture by Brie Ruais rests against the crevice of two walls adjoining. “Corner Push (White)” stands tall at 75 inches, heavy at the bottom, stretching thin as it reaches towards the ceiling, reminding the viewer of “Hot Pot Charmer”. Hundreds of footsteps are immortalized in this white ceramic sculpture, a dynamic action that has been fired into a stationary moment against the adjoining walls.

Brie Ruais, Corner Push (White), 131 lbs, 2014, Glazed ceramic, 75″ x 16″ x 14″ (left) and JPW 3, Hot Pot Charmer (Flamingo), 2014, Wax, metal chain, rope, popcorn, hot plate, hardware, dimensions variable (right)

A freestanding sculpture of legs dressed in red pants and black canvas by John Riepenhoff supports a silkscreen print by Jesse Harris of a hand with a middle finger going through a dollar bill, wearing rings. By the set of stairs leading to the second floor, a sculpture by Marlie Mul hangs in an inconspicuous area. It could be easily overlooked, as it camouflages itself as a steel cover keeping something dangerous out of reach. It is made noticeable only by a spotlight, and the cigarette butts hidden in tiny slits. Screwed into the wall, this familiar outside scene has successfully snug indoors. 

John Riepenhoff, Handler, 2015, Wood, wire, cloths, shoes, fiberglass, clamp, 50″ x 14″ x 16″, supporting Jesse Harris, Evergreen, 2015, Silkscreen on canvas mounted to silkscreen, 48″ x 40″

Marlie Mul, Air Vent/Butt Stop (Mainstream/Sidestream), 2015, burnt steel, paint, glue, ash, cigarettes, 47.25″ x 23.63″

The journey upstairs is interrupted by a tall painting on plexiglass by Sara Greenberger Rafferty, of watercolour and hazy knives slicing a silhouette of a female figure, fragmenting her into pieces. The upstairs is a small makeshift space with plywood floors. Two of Martin Soto Climent’s sculptures rest on tall pedestals. “Monster” and “Modelo” include a can of each Monster and Modelo where part of the faces are cast in plasticine and attached to the can. The drinking hole becomes the face’s mouth, as a plastic eye rests wide open on top. A minimalist temporary object that is usually thrown out becomes animated here. The sexual and uncomfortable appearance reminds us of grotesque sex dolls.

 Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Window Piece, 2011, Direct substrate print on Plexiglas and hardware, 74″ x 35″

Martin Soto Climent, Monster (left) and Model (right) 2014, aluminum can, plasticine, plastic eye, dimensions variable

On the ground Jenine Marsh’s round concrete slab rests on top of a pile of flowers that have been pressed into the concrete, like a wet cement sidewalk inviting pedestrians to write a love poem. While in the corner, up a couple of more steps, a small SONY television resting on the ground plays a video made by Gee Vaucher in 1978, titled Semi-Detached. Various recordings of an older punk band called Crass, edited into repeating images in a purple filter. The wide variety of artists offers an exciting walk through, a never ending discovery of something new.

Tetyana Herych
Images are courtesy of Cooper Cole Gallery

*Exhibition information: June 10 – July 18, 2015, 1134 Dupont Street, Toronto. Gallery hours: Wed – Fri: 1 – 6 p.m., Sat: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The RBC’s Emerging Artist People’s Choice Award / Reimagining Clay selected five ceramics artists from all over Canada to compete for the prize of $10,000. Derya Akay (Vancouver), David R.Harper (Toronto), Lisa Hendriques (Vancouver), Veronika Horlik (Montreal), and Zane Wilcox (Regina) were nominated and then given funding and space to create and display their work. The resulting exhibition is a highly unique group of work with each artist’s section being an exhibition by itself. Naturally, there is no common theme among the artists except the material. However, even the material has been used so diversely by the artists that ‘ceramics’ would not be the first words to appear in describing them.

From left to right: Artists David R.Harper, Zane Wilcox, Derya Akay, Lisa Hendriques and Veronika Horlik

In this special exhibition at the Gardiner Museum, each artist has a private space, with giant quotes placed on the walls. All the works are intricate and complex. Derya Akay’s “cyclodrum potbound & soup from the stone” has a material list so long that it takes up most of his didactic panel. Food, notes, ceramic blobs, and paint marks (to name a few) are displayed on kinetic wooden models that imply movement through the faint paint marks on the walls. There are also huge jars of pickles displayed on top of acrylic boxes. I can only assume that these are actually edible based on Akay’s other works. Next to these eclectic pieces Lisa Hendriques displays two beautiful ceramic bowls that carry the artistic values of her experience in Vume, South Africa, where she learned the village’s traditional clay practices. 

Derya Akay, cyclodrum potbound & soup from the stone, 2015, detail

Lisa Hendriques with one of her ceramic bowls

Zane Wilcox has created minimalist, however, not simple, pieces. “Perceptual Playground” fits its name perfectly with its playfulness. There are three geometric sculptures of wood and ceramics, accompanied by three pieces that are halves of the first three, each situated in front of a mirror. Wilcox creates an odd relationship between these three pairs of objects. The original three are unique sculptures and allow the viewer to walk around while the mirrored three are identical on both sides. The irony of the show is that the three dimensional images are already visible in the mirrors, so there is no need to walk around the original pieces. It questions the viewer’s perception and creates a somewhat confusing yet playful experience. David R.Harper’s very unusual display would be more expected in a natural history museum. Clay sculptures of skulls, horns, claws, and crystal rocks are placed in vitrines or displayed on the the floor like objects in an anthropologist’s storeroom. However, they are all artificial as the extremely white porcelain of the bones suggest. In this work, he attempts to re-create parts of others, who have passed away, as a memento in order to be reminded of them, knowing that the replication is the ritual.

Zane Wilcox, Perceptual Playground, 2015, installation view

Installation view of David R. Harper’s works

Veronika Horlik’s works are intriguing. She combines different elements of Canadian and Japanese cultures. She comments on the logging practices in Canada by using mangled pieces of burnt tree chunks placed in large panels with pictures of a logging town. Horlik then pairs these images with a Japanese game where a player collects various objects and compresses them into a giant ball, shoots it out into space to create a star. As an outcome of these combined cultures there is a sizable collection of ceramic leaves and small stars on the dark wall that resembles the sky. Horlik creates a narrative through the relationship of these two cultures, by ejecting the cluster of burnt trees into the space, as if to create a fresh start for them or a new star.

Installation view with Veronika Horlik’s work, Prouns (Slash), 2015

Visitors are invited to vote on their favourite artist, and can do so both in person and online at http://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/pages/cast-your-vote , between June 18 and August 3, 2015.

Sunny Kim
Images are courtesy of the Gardiner Museum

*Exhibition information: June 18 – August 30, 2015, The Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto. Gallery hours: Mon – Thu, 10 – 6, Fri, 10 – 9, Sat – Sun, 10 – 5 p.m.

The sequel to Kim Dorland’s I ♥ Paint II show at the Angell Gallery finds the artist/curator selecting contemporary paintings from artists around the globe. The exhibition aims to celebrate a medium that, for some, has receded in cultural relevancy with the onslaught of new media practices and installation art that have become more commonly exercised since the late twentieth century. As Kim Dorland said: “For this second instalment of the I ♥ Paint show, my thoughts haven’t really changed. Painting matters. It’s current. It’s relevant. And it’s exciting – in many different forms. The evidence for this are the works by the talented and diverse group represented in this show.” Generously spaced throughout the gallery, each work is given a singular presence, allowing visitors to ponder the individual stylistic motifs and subject matter present within each painting.

Installation view, West Gallery. Courtesy of Angell Gallery

Aesthetically, the artworks showcase a grab bag of modern painting styles, both in colour and form. Elizabeth Huey’s paintings recall a vivid tonal explorations through the use of prismatic blues, pinks, and yellows. Her landscapes, like “Picnic at the Falls”, are idealistic and dangerous looking at the same time. The couple seem to enjoy their time on the rocks surrounded by fast running waterfalls that might wash them away at any moment. Bill Saylor’s “Storm King” brings to mind Willem de Kooning’s visceral and gestural portraiture and the strong colors of the Fauves. “Storm King” depicts a large predatory cat – a lion perhaps – a savage hunter. It has blood running from its mouth and has additional eyes that are also painted in red. We don’t have the feeling that the “eye of the storm” is “safe”. There is something anthropomorphic in this figure. Saylor has created a mixed being – the human is hidden in the beast.

Elizabeth Huey, Picnic at the Falls, 2015, acrylic and oil on panel, 18″ x 24″. Courtesy of Angell Gallery

Bill Saylor, Storm King, 2015, oil and paper on canvas, 27″ x 40″. Courtesy of Angell Gallery

Adam Lee, who lives and works near Melbourne, Australia, uses a wide range of sources including historical and colonial photography, biblical narratives, natural history, contemporary music, film and literature to investigate aspects of the human condition. There is always something spiritual in his paintings, that as he says, comes from his effort to apply the biblical truth to our modern life. “Hermit” is a very ambiguous image. The figure might be a modern recluse with his sad face and ornamental hat that remind us of old clowns or he might be a dressed up performer. The semi-abstract composition is dramatic and playful at the same time.

Adam Lee, Hermit, oil on canvas, 18″ x 22″. Courtesy of Angell Gallery

Based on found photographs or magazine cut outs, Anna Bjerger’s paintings re-figure familiar imagery in a transformed context. She is drawn to images that blend the anonymous and the familiar, allowing the viewer to imagine countless possible narratives. The broader brushwork of Bjerger’s enigmatic “Flannel” and “Sailor Bag” reveal the inherent experimental qualities of paint, where recognizable forms and shapes can be loosely rendered yet remain partially perceptible. She creates an atmosphere that  can be found in other Nordic artists’ work, like that of Karin Mamma Andersson, that seem to be neutral but heavy with hidden tension and foreboding.

Anna Bjerger, Sailor Bag, oil on aluminum, 16″ x 12″. Courtesy of Angell Gallery

The contrasting contours and dense impasto of Erin Loree’s “Wing It” defies the two-dimensionality of the medium, while also giving the image a tactile and vigorous quality akin to Abstract Expressionism. Light radiates from her paintings that reminds us of portraits or landscapes. Kent Merriman Jr.’s “Untitled” strays from the other artworks by incorporating lacerated Xeroxed prints and an undulating surface to present the least conventional and most immediately striking piece in the exhibition.

Erin Loree, Wing It , 2015, oil on canvas, 50″ x 40″. Courtesy of Angell Gallery

Kent Merriman Jr., Untitled, Xerox print transfer, oil, acrylic, staples on canvas over panel, 34″ x 34″. Courtesy of Angell Gallery

The lack of stylistic and thematic cohesion between the artworks supports the idea of heterogeneity within present-day painting practices, while also showcasing Dorland’s varied reverence towards the craft. There is no substantial contextual relationship between the paintings in this exhibition, as viewers are called to appreciate these interesting, yet disparate artworks based on their own singular merits. In an age of temporal performance art and ephemeral installation practices, the durable materiality of I ♥ Paint II provides an alternative art-viewing experience that feels more permanent. Furthermore, the exhibition reveals the continued persistence and necessity for more traditional means of artistic expression.

David Saric

*Exhibition information: June 5 – July 11, 2015, Angell Gallery, 12 Ossington Avenue, Toronto. Gallery hours: Wed – Sat, 12 – 5 p.m.

Graduating Sculpture Students (from left to right) 3rd row: Chantelle Boismier, Allan Farnell, Marilyn Freedman, Kery Maddison, Jounghwa No, Hannah Pertsovsky, Cynthia Ravindran, Rebecca Richards, Patty Wilkinson, Christina Trutiak; 2nd row: Chelsea Greenwell, Fumiko Ohno; 1st row: C.L.Linda Park, Aurora Judge, Semone Rajkumar, Linda Pleet, Tammy Tang, Jesse Wardell

The 20th Annual Juried Graduating Sculpture Student Exhibition and Award Presentation at the Canadian Sculpture Centre literally could not be contained on this hot summer night. Patrons crowded in the large space of the gallery to see their friends and family proudly display their art works, some even standing outside the door, attempting to squeeze in. It was a diverse mix of competitors, about half being recent graduates and the other half established sculptors and sculpture lovers.

Jurors and award winners (from left to right): C.L.Linda Park, MST Bronze Ltd Award; Chantelle Boismier, A & M Green Award; Joshua Burston, juror; Barbara Fletcher, juror; Kelly McCray, juror; Linda Pleet, Artcast Inc Award

Most of the pieces were large objects sitting on the floor, constantly disturbed by the flow of the crowd. Thankfully most works were heavy pieces that could stand a bit of disruption. Linda Pleet, winner of the Artcast Award, displayed a sizable sculpture of a bird-like object that initially fools the eyes. It is constructed of long pieces of wood that are stained to resemble metal scraps. Also using cement fondue and pieces of wood that stick outwards, Pleet created a work that is assertive and threatening at the same time.

Linda Pleet receiving the Artcast Award (left) and her sculpture (right)

Winner of the MST Bronze Award, Linda Park, displayed a large potpourri-style burlap sack containing both English and Korean alphabets, titled “Mind-Scent: Emanation”. Park posits that when one speaks, his/her mind travels to others like a scent would: it emanates. However, unlike a traditional potpourri, Park’s work is displayed on the floor instead of being suspended in the air. The reason for this placement, according to Park, is that words carry a sense of gravity. While her ideas are interesting, there is not enough indication that it is a potpourri, and that it is emanating. The wood-patterned letters are color-coded based on language; without flowers or actual scent and the burlap sack is not specific enough to point to the concept of potpourri.

Winner of the MST Bronze Award, Linda Park with her work, Mind-Scent: Emanation

On the lower floor of the space, Chantelle Boismier displays ” Fusion”, a stunning wood and resin sculpture. It is a large block of a tree trunk, with a layer of clear resin on top and pieces of the tree reconstructed using resin as adhesion. Although not shown in the best possible display, a closer look reveals the intricacy of her work. There is a juxtaposition between the clinical and the organic. While the top might look like an MRI scan of a tree, the bottom part shows the greatness of nature. It brings back the sensations that occur when one stands in front of a vast cave or a thousand-year old tree: an overwhelming sense of nature that could consume the self. The sculpture’s ability to recreate this sensation is rather astonishing. Whether it is a celebration or a study of the tree, Boismier presents a piece that is both calming and expansive.

Chantelle Boismier, Fusion, wood and resin

Chantelle Boismier receiving the Al & Malka Green Award form Judi Michelle Young, President of SSC / Co-director of CSC

Aside from the award recipients, several other pieces were notable as well. Chelsea Greenwell’s “Reflex Loop” is a wonderfully creepy display of a 3D-printed human spine. When a person walks by the sensor and it feels the heat, it automatically pumps water through its pipes to cool itself down. When it happens, the hanging spine twitches and oscillates, in the never ending quest to achieve equilibrium.

Chelsea Greenwell with Reflex Loop, 2015, mixed media

Christina Trutiak presents a gentle blue figure sitting ever so depressingly in “Solitude”. Deprived of his ‘soul’, the figure displays distorted and contorted limbs and facial expressions. There are several aspects about this piece that come effectively together: the ambiguity, the bright blue skin paired with copper nails and nipples, suspension of movement, and the oddly elongated tongue. The fact that the piece itself was  separated from the other pieces contributed to its desolation as well.

Christina Trutiak, Solitude, 2015, resin and acrylic

Citing the Greek myth, Patty Wilkinson presents “Sisyphus”, a humourous approach to the frustration of life. Illustrating the futility of effort, she mirrors the story of Sisyphus with her unsolvable Rubik’s cube of  rubber bands. Wilkinson will never create a perfect cube, since it will bounce back again and again, doesn’t matter how hard we try and will stay unsolved. I laughed in my frustration and walked away feeling like Trutiak’s figure in “Solitude”.

Patty Wilkinson, Sisyphus, 201, wood and rubber bands

Through this exhibition the Sculptors Society of Canada welcomes and introduces emerging newcomers definitely worth watching in the future. With this kind of support system for sculpture artists, both the Canadian Sculpture Centre and artists will benefit from their relationship.

Text and photo: Sunny Kim

*Exhibition information: June 11 – July 3, 2015,  Canadian Sculpture Centre, 500 Church Street. Gallery hours: Tue – Fri: 12 – 6, Sat: 11 – 4 p.m.

Glossary / An art installation by Regina Silveira

June 19 – 28, 2015 / 12 pm – 12 am
Festival Hub at David Pecaut Square
55 John Street, Toronto

World Premier

Acclaimed Brazilian artist Regina Silveira reimagines this year’s Luminato Festival Hub at David Pecaut Square with her installation Glossary, a large-scale play on the word “light.” Best known for her explorations of space through optical illusions and geometric constructions, Glossary touches on Silveira’s interest in light and shadow, and the interaction of images with constructed spaces.

Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been; I am also called No-more, Too-late, Farewell / Geoffrey Farmer

June 19 – 28, 2015 / 12 am – 12 am
Trinity Bellwoods Park
155 Crawford Street, Toronto

A spontaneously generated, never-ending montage sequence, drawing upon tens-of-thousands of discarded images, creating a compelling visual and auditory experience, from Canadian artist Geoffrey Farmer, presented in collaboration with the AGO

Known for his monumental cut-outs and collages, Geoffrey Farmer mines popular culture, combining film, theatre and literature to create his large scale immersive works. Playful and poetic, Farmer’s projects are meticulously researched, and involve the transformation of found material. His most recent project is currently on display at the National Gallery of Canada, 22,000 images cut from Life magazine displayed chronologically in the form of shadow puppets. Presented in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been; I am also called No-more, Too-late, Farewell. is a computer generated algorithmic montage sequence that has been developed in collaboration with Brady Marks and with the support of The Barbican in London, Mercer Union in Toronto and Fondazione Morra Greco in Naples. The film’s program organizes thousands of images creating both categorical groupings, and randomly associative narratives that arise out of the juxtaposition of picture with sound. The title refers to a dedication written on the back of a photograph given to Marcel Proust in 1893 — a synonym of love, memory and remembrance.

Art in Transit

June 19 – 28, 2015
TTC subway station in Toronto

A partnership between Luminato Festival and PATTISON Onestop

Artists from the Pan American countries – who have never been to the city – share snapshots of the Toronto they imagine in an art installation appearing throughout Toronto’s transit system. Artists are paired with a TTC subway station and tasked to create a 10-second silent video/stop frame postcard that encapsulates their vision of Toronto while reflecting the identity of their native land.

After a successful debut in the 2014 Luminato Festival, Art in Transit poses a series of important questions for our daily commute: What impression has Toronto made on the rest of the continent? Is this a true reflection of the Toronto we know? And what would you put on your postcard to the city?

For more information on Luminato please check www.luminatofestival.com.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.; The Show: 7 p.m.; Reception: 8 p.m.
1313 Queen Street West, Toronto

Art Meets Fashion at the Gallery 1313’s Annual Fantasy Fashion Show.

This year Gallery 1313 is celebrating its 13th annual Fantasy Fashion Show. Escape into a wonderland of fashion as we showcase creative works by Canadian artists and fashion designers who will showcase one of a kind pieces of wearable art, sort of avant-garde fashion blended with elements of art.

Join us for a runway show and some surprises followed by a cocktail reception at a secret place to raise funds to promote creativity, learning and growth in the careers of emerging artists and to inspire the appreciation of arts and culture in the public.

Host: Media Personality, Enza Anderson

Participating Designers:

Cheryl Kocot of MARON and Northbound Leather
Fashion label LIDIJA
Francine Glynis Pooten of FRANCINE
Fashion and Accessories Designer Marie Copps
Jordan Zebede of Zebe Design
Katherine Phan of SimpleSmiles & Co.
Textile Artist Mary Dyja
Michael Zoffranieri of ZOFF
Set and Costume Designers Wilma St Holl and Tinée Campbell presenting Gradient Decay
Fashion Designers Nella and Ashley presenting a piece inspired by Emily Carr
Textile Designer Vanessa Wishart
Felt Artist Jennifer Tsuchida

The raised money would assist the gallery to gain some operational funds and arts programming.

Tickets on sale now at http://gallery1313.eventbrite.ca/.

The open ended question of Between

What would happen when contemporary ink painters stop using brushes, theater practitioners abandon verbal language, or photographers put down the camera? Fu Meng’s solo exhibition Between at IDO Art Gallery offers the viewer a fresh dimension to rethink and redefine photography in today’s social and cultural narratives.

From left to right: Artists, Fu Meng, art advisor Yan Zhou, Professor Matthew Brower of University of Toronto, Yam Lau and Vanessa Fleet at the Panel Discussion on May 9, 2015. Photo: Daisy Li Meng

Fu Meng used to work as a professional photographer for renowned newspapers and magazines in mainland China. During that time he had documented many important political and cultural events, and earned several national photography awards. Gradually his interests in photo journalism faded and “It was the time for a change,” as the artist said. Fu Meng moved to Toronto in 2006 and became a graphic designer and also made photographs of different products for advertisements. Just recently, after the opening of his own gallery in 2013, he started to reconsider the values of documentary photography. Between is a product of that interest.

Fu Meng, Adam (348 Men Faces), Digital Print, 100 x 120 cm. Courtesy of the artist

We tend to connect photography with cameras in a natural and take-for-granted manner. The responsibility of the photographer is to capture reality through the lens. However, after the emergence of digital photography, both digital cameras and scanners can be used in capturing moments of everyday life. Fu Meng is infatuated by the latter. He utilizes the scanner as a tool to express his perceptions on space, time and people.

Fu Meng, Subway Top – 60 Seconds, Digital Print, 234 x 54 cm (top); Subway – 20 Seconds, Digital Print, 300 x 70 cm (bottom). Courtesy of the artist

None of the pieces in Between were produced through a traditional photographic process. Fu Meng used scanning, extracting and other digital technologies in creating these photographs. Traditional photographic practices depict a single moment. Moving away from them Fu Meng aims to extends that single moment in order to capture the feeling of constant movement. This method also enables him to add some abstract and surreal elements to the otherwise realistic images. With the help of these digital technologies, spontaneous movements were organized into orderly compositions, such as “Shopping Mall – 60 Seconds” and “High Way – 120 Seconds”. The passing of time is visually captured, and the interaction between space and time is interpreted in quite a post-modern and experimental way.

Fu Meng, Shopping Mall – 60 Seconds (left); High Way – 120 Seconds (right), each Digital Print, 234 x 75 cm. Courtesy of the artistFu Meng, Airport – 90 seconds, Digital Print, 234 x 65 cm. Courtesy of the artist

Melancholy and solitude is deeply rooted in these experimental works. The artist’s emotions and thoughts are reflected upon enclosed places, faceless figures, and the mechanical movements of people. The frequent use of cold colors can also be viewed as a sign of loneliness, alienation and monotony. As Fu Meng himself said at the opening of Between, he, as a professional photographer as well as an observer of city life, has paid close attention to the urban space of Toronto and its people. “What lies between us” is the core question of Fu Meng’s solo exhibition but he has no intention to provide an answer.

Daisy Li Meng

*Exhibition Information: May 1 –  July 18, 2015, IDO Art Gallery, 1-20 Wertheim Court, Richmond Hill. Gallery hours: Mon – Sat, 10 am – 4 pm.

Proof, an annual group exhibition for emerging photographers, reached it 22nd year as Proof 22 opened on June 5th. Seven artists from different cultural backgrounds gathered to discuss the relationship between visible and invisible, remembering and forgetting.

Both Esmond Lee and Rachael Granofsky attempt to interpret their memories on places that were important to them. Esmond Lee’s series “Between Us” aims to describe the relations between him and his immigrant family from mainland China. Subtle and complicated emotions still linger in small windows, in empty tables and in an apology letter left behind. Ordinary objects are transformed into the embodiment of memories, and through them family ties and connections are visually explained. Rachel Granofsky also uses ordinary objects in her photographs. Some of them are abandoned by their owners, while others seem to be forgotten. Through the composition and color selection everything goes through a poetical methamorphosis creating a melancholic atmosphere.

Rachel Granofsky, beans, bed & the body, digital c-print, 2014. Courtesy of Gallery 44 

Esmond Lee, Between Us series, 2014. Photo: Daisy Li

Melancholy and nostalgia can also be found in the images of Sarah Sands Philips and Catherine Plaisance. Their photographs address the temporality of life. Sands Philips reprocessed pictures of Canadian landscapes by the techniques of erosion and layering. The whole process of remaking photographs reminds the viewers of the passing of time. Plaisance’s video clip documents the darkness and gloominess of a miniature world after a disaster where the beauty of the natural world was destroyed. It can be associated with the disappearance of childhood memories under the pressure of a complicated adult life.

Catherine Plaisance, still image from Désordre (Disorder), 2014. Courtesy of Gallery 44

Leila Syed-Fatemi and Bijan Ramezani express their anxieties as well, not due to the absence of childhood memories and purity, but to their dual identity between western and Middle-Eastern cultures. In Syed-Fatemi’s photograph series “Clothbound”, the flower-patterned veil has become a meaningful tool to explain feminism, western paranoia, as well as “East-meets-West” in the era of globalization. Ramezani’s prints try to reedit and rework the photographs made by western media on individuals’ daily lives in Middle-East countries. There is, indeed, a tension between western and middle-eastern perceptions.

Leila Syed-Fatemi, Amna II, from the series Clothbound, digital c-print mounted on plexi, 2014. Courtesy of Gallery 44

Installation view with Bijan Ramezani, Persona Non-Grata, 2014. Photo: Daisy Li

The group exhibition offers some interesting perspectives to think about. From Alvin Luong’s minimalist photography through Esmond Lee’s still life series to Bijan Ramezani’s documentary pieces diversity is the main characteristic of the show. As Ricky Varghese states in his essay, “The Cure by Image”, art can not cure global problems and inequities, but it could bring people together and create connections, some kind of “relationality”.

Daisy Li Meng

*Exhition information: June 5 – July 4, 2015, Gallery 44 Centre For Contemporary Photography, 401 Richmond Street West, Unit 120, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tue–Sat, 11 – 5 p.m.

Art can be a great way to inform people about public health issues. Mindset at Artscape Youngplace is a juried photography exhibition about mental health. The crowded show unexpectantly starts in the hallway of the second floor and spans both sides from the door, so I decided to start from the left.

Installation view. Photo: Sunny Kim

Claudette Abrams’ photographs hang at the end of the left hallway. “Addie & Max” shows a girl and a boy. The realistic part of the picture has been cut off under their eyes and the colors crudely dragged down, suggesting some kind of distortion disorder. Jaene Castrillion documents a young native woman’s journey. Her story comes to life through three vertically displayed photographs: she is hugging a scarred tree while looking into the camera, her arm with scars of cuts, and standing at a beautiful lakeside. The images suggest self-reflexion: a painful past followed by liberation.

Claudette Abrams, Addie & Max, 2015. Courtesy of Artscape Youngplace

Jaene Castrillion, Reftections. Photo: Sunny Kim

Marta McKenzie’s work, “Anger Due to Lydia; Push to Reset; Bliss” is a series of photographs that are both personal and informative about mental health. Three photographs are repeated three times, to make a long horizontal nine-picture display. The first picture is a construction sign that originally said ‘Danger due to Demolition’. The letter “D” has been erased and the word ‘demolition’ has been replaced with the word ‘Lydia’, reading, ‘Anger due to Lydia’. The second picture shows a button that reads ‘Push to Repeat’. The third picture is a neon store sign that reads ‘Bliss’. McKenzie illustrates how our ‘peace of mind’ is not a permanent state of our being, but a short-lived phase that takes hard work – one can easily slip in and out without precedence.

Marta McKenzie, Anger Due to Lydia; Push to Reset; Bliss, 2015. Photo: Sunny Kim

The right side of the hallway has quite a different atmosphere. Perhaps because it is close to the guitarist playing psychedelic, ambient, and grim music, the photographs themselves seem to carry a similar overtone. Marco Buonocore displays a set of photographs that – even though they were taken in daylight – seem gloomy maybe because they are black and white. The pictures are of suburban houses, and numbered randomly 1, 4, 2, 5, 3. I still felt compelled to look at them in their numerical order. Fences are the common theme of the photographs: classic white picket fences that both isolate and protect. In picture #3, the fence takes up half of the photograph; the sharp white fence paired with dark windows produce a rather eerie atmosphere. I can almost see a person in the window, peeking out – but it is just my imagination, I hope. The dark stylization of these images makes me think of a distant past, where hazy memories haunt the present.

Marco Buonocore, Untitled #3 (White Fence), 2010. Courtesy of the artist

Heather Fulton, Boiled, 2014. Courtesy of Artscape Youngplace

Memories is what Heather Fulton deals with in her works as well. “Boiled” was perhaps the most interesting and complex piece for me in this show, both in aesthetics and process. She describes how she intentionally damaged (by boiling) the film role, then went outside and photographed the world. The result is an intricate photo that could be mistaken for a micro-bacteria slide. It is not representational but a quite heavily distorted view of reality. It is compelling because the camera itself had photographed something representational, only to result in non-corresponding images. This process speaks most closely about mental health. There is always attempts in every patient’s life at wanting to be ‘normal’ – whatever that is – but the mind is unable to cope or adapt. The cluster of ‘organisms’ in “Boiled” are moving, textured, and faded. However, it’s not faded in a meaningless, forgetful way: it’s faded in a focused, vignette-like way, like a faded memory we’re desperate to get back.

Sunny Kim

*Exhibition information: Mindset / Claudette Abrams, Marco Buonocore, Jaene Castrillon, Heather Fulton, Hayley Harrington, Marta McKenzie, Annette Seip, Carrie Steenburgh, Monika Szopinska, May 25 – June 13, 2015, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street North, 2nd Floor Public Gallery, Toronto. Gallery hours: Mon – Sun, 8 am – 9 pm.

June 4, 2015 / 7 p.m.
The Power Plant
231 Queens Quay

It was a good night for excess. The weather was perfect. There was good food and drink and a lot of people ready to have a good time. This annual fundraiser was partnered this year with luxury brand, Max Mara which, given the theme, seemed appropriate. There was an abundance of art installations and works to explore by Toronto collective 8-11, Montreal based artist Karen Kraven, neon artist Orest Tataryn and Swintak among others. Installation of the art works began as early as 7 p.m. and I am sure it must be chaotic as organizers rushed to prepare for the throngs of visitors. When I arrived just after nine the party was quiet but all that changed in the next hour.

Neon Artist, Orest Tataryn and friend

 Oversized garment from artist Karen Kraven

Party with video installation from Max Mara

I missed the Food Performance, So Sorry, by New York artist Jennifer Rubell at 7 p.m. Some of the visitors who saw it seemed not too impressed with the performance, so maybe I didn’t miss much. There was an abundance of great food outside to excess with. Parts and Labour, a Parkdale favourite dinner/music club offered smoked duck, which was a particular favorite. The fire smoking the duck got going around noon that day. Plenty of cocktails and a soft breeze off the lake made it a perfect setting.

Parts and Labour’s smoked ducks

Some guests immersed themselves in the play bins filled with colour balls, lined up for Flare photos and explored the art around them. There was a large limo that people could climb into and occasionally one could hear the blast of the car horn as someone climbed into the front seat. In the hall of mirrors visitors could see themselves distorted in a variety of poses. It was a night for selfies. Many guests also took the opportunity to dress to excess or wear some playful creations. Others went glam with their dresses and tuxes. It created an interesting mix.

The Hall of Mirrors

Guests enjoying the play bins filled with colored balls

There was a small disco room with mirrored disco balls in the centre and tunes blaring in the darkness. Some commented that it had a night club feel to it. It was, indeed, an evening of escape and excess.

Disco room with disco balls and blaring music, installation by Swintak

Guests came from the corporate world, the fashion crowd, the arts community, just to mention a few. I chatted with fashion photographer George Whiteside and gallery owner Barbara Edwards, who was talking about her latest project. Also spotted The Drake’s owner Jeff Stober, Toronto Arts Council Officer and artist Peter Kingston, artist Dean Baldwin, gallery co-owners Manny Neubacher and Anya Shor, celebrity writer Shinan Govani, artist Orest Tataryn, artist Shawn Skeir and style and fashion editor Shar Nooraei  and many more.

Fashion photographer George Whiteside (centre) and gallery owner Barbara Edwards (right) with a friend

Celebrity writer, Shinan Govani, with a friend

Artist Luis Jacob (left) and friends

Artist, Shawn Skeir (right) and friend

The organizers created a good party and no doubt another success fundraiser for the Power Plant to continue its good work bringing contemporary art to the public.

Dance Floor with DJ

Text and photo: Phil Anderson

Project Gallery Studios Opening Party with Project Gallery director, Devan Patel (left)

Saturday, May 23, 2015
Project Gallery Studios

On Saturday May 23rd Project Gallery Studios was host to REVOLUTION: a group exhibition marking the two-year anniversary of Project Gallery’s inauguration. The evening also saw the opening of Project Gallery Studios, a shared workspace set in a secluded warehouse in a quiet neighbourhood not far from the intersection of Broadview and Dundas. The casual open reception featured a barbeque and scheduled performances, guests were free to gather in the studio’s courtyard with a view of the Don Valley and watch as Project Gallery director Devan Patel activated his installation: a tiny spirit house resting on an unlit fire pit.

Devan Patel’s installation

Inside the building visitors were given access to the studio space itself, which was divided amongst a small number of artists. Of particular interest was painter Callen Schaub’s space, which housed an inventive looking paint application tool made of pieced together bicycle parts. As is to be expected, all available nooks and crannies have been converted into painting storage lofts, but some breathing room was left in a long stretch of hallway making for an alternative exhibition space that can be viewed when entering and exiting the studios.

Callen Schaub with guests in his studio space

REVOLUTION features work by Graham Gillmore, Alex Buchanan, Ryan Dineen, Devan Patel, Callen Schaub, and Luke Pollard, and is open by appointment until June 28th, 2015. As stated by director and artist Devan Patel, this exhibition represents not only the launch of Project Gallery Studios, but also the continued trajectory of Project Studios and their affiliated artists. It serves as a indicator of growth, development, and evolution, and forges a connection between contemporary artists working with a variety of different mediums and methods. Moving forward, Project Gallery Studios will continue to host artists and exhibitions, as well as offer specialized workshops and programming.

Installation view of REVOLUTION, the two-year anniversary group show of Project Gallery

Installation view of REVOLUTION, the two-year anniversary group show of Project Gallery

Madeleine Till
Images are courtesy of Project Gallery

*Exhibition information: Project Gallery Studios, as artist studios and as an alternative exhibition space. REVOLUTION, a group exhibition, May 23 – June 28, 2015, 184 Munro Street, Unit #6, Toronto. Project Gallery Studios will be open by appointment following May 23rd. For more details call 416.890.5051 or visit www.projectgallerytoronto.com/studios or email info@projectgallerytoronto.com.