Author: artoronto

Kate McQuillen, Dead Reckoning, installation view. Courtesy of O’Born Contemporary.

Kate McQuillen’s Dead Reckoning, on now at the O’Born Contemporary, transforms the traditional commercial gallery space into an artfully abstracted information center. The showcased works manipulate large black and white monoprints, which are cut into smaller squares and reassembled to render the original image indecipherable. A series of five columnar structures simply titled “Data Column 1” through “Data Column 5” are dispersed throughout the space, where the slightly deteriorated condition of the squares reveals the incandescent glow of the support underneath. The substantial title piece, a mural that covers an entire wall within the gallery, is a more streamlined companion piece to the stacks, featuring a curiously anonymous silhouetted figure amidst the visual disorganization of her squares.

Kate McQuillen, Data Column 1 – 5, installation view. Courtesy of O’Born Contemporary.

Conceptually, the artworks embody the mystification of singular, human identity within the digital realm. Data becomes consumed within the anonymous and digitized abyss of the Internet, where personal information rapidly circulates from server to server, network to network. Aspects of one’s individuality becomes cut-up and disseminated when shared within the infinite reach of the Internet, and human beings become inanimate codes and alphanumeric symbols. McQuillen’s works explicitly address this loss of self, as her original images are fractured into pictorial “data” that lose any semblance of a uniform identity when rearranged beyond comprehension. Thus, her squares inevitably “float” on the surfaces they are applied to, similar to how data itself hovers within the digital realm. The silhouetted figure on the wall piece furthers this notion of anonymity, presenting an identity-less person consumed within the myriad of data that surrounds it. Furthermore, the stacks resemble structures containing an innumerable amount of digitized information, coyly referring to organizations such as the NSA.

Kate McQuillen, “Dead Reckoning”. Courtesy of O’Born Contemporary.

Kate McQuillen, “Dead Reckoning”, detail. Courtesy of O’Born Contemporary.

McQuillen’s installation provides an interesting dichotomy between presence and absence. The individual is forever present within the digital world through recorded data; however, a singular image and likeness becomes forever abstracted and absent when said data circulates throughout the boundless depths of the Internet. Concrete identities become fragmented and deconstructed, similar to the intriguing works displayed within the gallery.

David Saric

*Exhibition information: November 7 – December 20, 2014, O’Born Contemporary, 131 Ossington Avenue, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tue – Sat 11 – 6 p.m.

Thursday, November 13, 2014 / 6 – 9 p.m.
442 Dufferin Street Unit H

Comprised of members:  Stella Cade, Alex Curci, Sarah Letovsky, Erin Loree, Mayra Majano, Andrew Patterson, Tania Santer and Mony Zakhour, NEST Collective is a group of young painters committed to developing a communal studio practice. The eight members of NEST inhabit a shared studio space at 442 Dufferin Street, and recently extended a public invitation to an open house. Held on Thursday, November 13, the open house was an opportunity for NEST to reach out and engage with the Toronto arts community at large. The evening was also significant because it represented the member’s first formal introduction to the public as a collective.

 My first reaction upon entering NEST’s studio space was to note how well the work of each member seemed to fit together. While there was a mix of both figurative and abstract work, and each artist appeared headed in a unique direction, much of the work felt as if it was unified in a way that was difficult for me to pinpoint. In fact, as NEST Collective Director and Co-founder Erin Kjaer later told me, the artists involved with the collective were selected through a curatorial process. Each individual artist, whether they are working figuratively, abstractly, or somewhere in-between, is a member of NEST because they add something specific and influential to the group, but as a whole the collective is working towards a shared vision.

As members of a collective, the painters involved with NEST intend to not only work in the same studio, but also to influence one another and to engage themselves with the broader arts community. In fact, just recently NEST was offered a residency with the creative community hub that is Artscape Youngplace. To begin in 2015, the residency means an opportunity for NEST collective to expand their practice outside of the confines of their studio space. This also means the collective will be given a chance to branch out and grow, having been given the opportunity to learn from a new experience.

The open house showed that the artists have already settled into their space, as there were half completed paintings hanging from the walls and piles of art supplies stashed in almost every conceivable space. By the time I arrived there was already a decent crowd hovering in and outside of the studio, which was located in what appeared to be a converted warehouse. The studio itself was a large room that had been subdivided with drywall partitions so that each artist was given their own space, but one that was part of a whole. I talked to members Erin Loree and Stella Cade, who said that the space meant a place where they could develop their work and learn from the influence of their peers, as well as contribute their own ideas.

Artist Erin Loree

Artist Stella Cade

Having been formed only a few months ago, NEST Collective already seems well on its way towards establishing a meaningful and mutually beneficial practice amongst its members. To hear more from NEST Collective, and to follow their progress as they embark on their residency, visit them online at www.nestcollectivestudios.com.

Text and photo: Madeleine Till

Exhibition: December 6 – 31, 2014
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 6, 2014 /2 – 6 p.m.
Reception: Thursday December 11, 2014 / 6 – 10 p.m.

Deadline: December 1st, 2014

Project Gallery is pleased to announce our second large-scale salon-style art exhibition, festively entitled Deck the Walls. This exhibit will be on display from December 6 – 31, 2014, and will showcase a dynamic roster of artists working with diverse subject matter, media and styles. We invite artists to submit artworks in any and all media up to 12”x12” in size by December 1st.

Each participating artist will exhibit up to 8 works each and contribute a small 10$ hanging and admin fee per piece for the month-long exhibition. Project Gallery will accept a 40% commission, and transact any sales of consigned artwork during the exhibition period. Please ensure all work is signed and ready to hang before drop-offs on December 3rd and 4th from 2-8pm. There will be an Opening Reception for the exhibition from 2-6pm on Saturday December 6th, and an additional reception on Thursday December 11th, from 6-10pm.

If you wish to SUBMIT, please include:

• Up to 16 Images of your work

o Titled: FULLNAME_TITLE_SIZE_MEDIUM_DATE

• A brief artist bio/statement – up to 150 words [in the body of the email]

• Contact information – including phone number and website/blog

TO: submissions@projectgallerytoronto.com by December 1st, 2014

(quoting ‘DECK THE WALLS’ in the email subject)

A few months back I helped Alex D’Arcy run her booth at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. As visitors wandered into her tent, I used the same phrase to introduce her work: “Alex paints using just five colours—two reds, two blues and a yellow—and she’ll spend two to three hours in her studio just mixing her colours before she even starts to paint.”

Everyone’s reaction was identical; the same automatic half-nod, the same non-registering look, and then, slowly, as the words started to collide with the paintings on the walls, the same immediate, “Wait—just five colours?”

I understood their reaction, because it had been mine too.

When Alex first talked about her works, hers had only been a passing comment—but very soon it struck me. In her tent we were surrounded by large-scale canvases vibrating with colour—with every colour—and yet I was really only seeing five?

Alex D’Arcy, Static White, 2014, , oil on canvas, 34 x 40 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

“Well, there are only three primary colours,” Alex reminded me, “and for me, choosing to paint with just a few of them—plus white, of course— is a way of setting limits.”

I nodded at her last remark, but it was a comment I didn’t fully understand; to me, a reduced palette seemed just one more element to celebrate in her work—and a surprising starting point for conversation.

Yet only a couple of weeks later, while interviewing Canadian-born, Detroit-based artist Lilian Crum, a similar comment was made which sparked an interesting connection—causing Alex’s comment to click—and a new conversation to take shape.

Lilian explained how early on in her career her initial goal had been to develop her own unique method of mark-making. In her search for what felt right she had experimented with a number of different materials and eventually found her voice using 100% cotton paper, Sumi ink and a calligraphy pen—three simple elements—and she kept it at that.

Lilian Crum, Untitled XV, 2013, , sumi ink on paper, 28 x 40 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

“So why was choosing just three so important?”—I wanted to understand. “Because for me,” Lilian explained, “it was a way of setting limits.”

Lilian Crum, Marionettes, 2014, sumi ink on paper, 18 x 24 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Apparently at the start of her career Lilian faced limitless possibilities. She could, quite literally, take her practice in any direction, using any and every material available. Yet instead of propelling her art-making, the prospect of limitless possibilities paralyzed her.

Sensing freedom in structure, Lilian began by setting some ground rules. In many ways, it could be said that her initial approach was quite unconventional, as she worked hard to put in place strict parameters that would serve to delineate the boundaries of her exploration.

And that’s where the paradox emerges: instead of limiting her practice—as one would imagine—choosing to set parameters actually served to facilitate it, for in working within a finite structure, Lilian was able to set herself free—free to explore her creativity and free to develop her own sense of direction, without the pressure of having left things untried.

Lilian Crum, Untitled II, 2012, sumi ink on paper, 45 x 65 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Using just three materials—paper, ink and a calligraphy pen— Lilian is able to develop the full potential of each, and to mine the depth of her mark-making through them. Without the noise of superfluity, her drawings shine with an intrinsic authenticity, and it is precisely because of their reduced simplicity that every element of her work is so fully present.

Alex D’Arcy, Horizon, 2014, oil on canvas, 42 x 60”. Courtesy of the artist.

The same is true of Alex’s oeuvre.

Using just two reds, two blues and a yellow as a base, Alex must spend hours in her studio just mixing her colours—sometimes up to a hundred and fifty at a time. Yet as her densely layered canvases show, the limitless range she is able to produce far exceeds her original five.

In fact, even the daily exercise of mixing her palette is a fruit of her limitations; developing her colours in series, Alex utilizes the lengthy routine as a way to sharpen her eye, training her mind to recognize infinitely subtle nuances, like when a blue becomes a green and when a yellow turns almost imperceptibly to orange.

D’Arcy’s palette shows how the artist works to develop her colours in series, maintaining equal increments between each gradation. Photo: Love Art Fair.

“I use just five colours because there is so much range within that,” she explained back in July, “you come to find that there’s a lot of expansion within the contraction”.

A lot of expansion within the contraction—that is exactly the limitless freedom that Lilian’s drawings show.

A lot of expansion within the contraction—I understand, and I nod my head in amazement.

Veronica Scarpati

Note: Lilian Crum’s works will be featured in Drawn: A Selection of Drawings by Contemporary Canadian Artists, presented by the AGO Art Rental & Sales Gallery in the Art Gallery of Ontario, Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge, October 20 – January 12, 2015. Exhibition curated by Elizabeth Petrova.

Alex D’Arcy is represented by Mayberry Fine Art. Examples of her work are on display at the AGO Art Rental & Sales Gallery.

When one usually thinks of networking or building a network, there’s the instant thought of exchanging contact information with others to build tit-for-tat relationships — often, in the world of business. We rarely associate network with community. Often we see ourselves at the center of our personal network; a shared virtual space, composed of people with the same or similar occupations. But once our perspectives are changed to this degree, then we are able to initiate ways of getting everyone within that network to connect and share with each other, thus creating an actual community.

Indipractises poster.

Creating an actual community is the message I get from the Indipractices Collective, a group of artists brought together by artist and curator Jacob Brown. Indipractices started with a group of 11 artists, mostly recent grads from Sheridan College, and has recently spanned to 17 members. Talking with some of these artists, it’s quite evident that the collective places importance on a communal state-of-mind, with the goal being an ever-expanding network that goes beyond social media communication onto face-to-face interactions within the art industry. I’m getting the impression, especially with this current exhibition, that many of them shift their gears away from obsessive consumerist culture. In Smaller Is Better, all of the artwork was made accessible by being more affordable, which is especially appealing to the younger demographic of art enthusiasts. There were also zines and t-shirts for sale at the front desk. Indipractices Collective is like a peaceful brigade of anti-consumerists, which is interesting, and might also be the reason behind their name.

The other, possibly bigger, intention of this exhibit was to have the collective work within a smaller scale of dimensions than they are used to; although a few of them do work in a smaller scale, like Elizaveta Semechko, who displayed her paintings Burst 1 & Burst 3. These pieces are inspired by the famous novel Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Semechko’s brother, a scientist, suggested her to work with supernovas for these series of explosions and this was her first go at it.  

Elizaveta Semechko, Burst 1, 2014, ink and acrylic paint, 12 x 12 inches.

Kylie Chadwick, another exhibiting artists, is the opposite of Semechko in the sense that she normally works with larger pieces: she creates mixed-media work with many layers and details. This show was a challenge for her, because it pushed her to express herself with less layers, with the end result that is more bold and less subdued, as Chadwick says. Her watercolour painting entitled, Hold Your Own Damn Hand stands out with it’s bold colors and its message as well. The statement is clearly a wake-up call to claim your independence. Chadwick was inspired by a public message she saw, and it read: “Hold your own hand”. It spoke about independence and self-sufficiency, two important factors for her.

Kylie Chadwick, Hold Your Own Damn Hand, 2014, acrylic ink on watercolour paper, 10 x 12 inches.

Next to Chadwick Daniel Deus showcased two different series of painting. One of them is entitled, The People Watcher, where he depicts photos taken from his cellphone that were not intentionally meant to be taken as portraits. The other series are portraits with solid background color, with the figures each having a brownish tone.

Daniel Deus, People Watcher #1,  2014, acrylic on wood, 14 x 11 inches.

My favourite pieces of the show were Nathan Galbraith’s. His style reminds me of underground art culture, and it just so happens that Galbraith is inspired by graffiti, surrealism, and toy art. In one of his pieces, Thank God for capitalism, he drew his own version of Hello Kitty — or as he likes to call her “money cat”. It’s a commentary against the overhyped popularity of this pop culture icon, overused for the simple sake of selling a product. We moved onto talking about his other series, How I Killed a Few Kings: suicidal stories of similar-looking characters he calls kings, which don’t necessarily have intricate meanings behind them, but hold intense melancholic auras nonetheless.

Nate Galbraith, King 3, 2013, ink and gold paint on Masonite, 8 x10 inches.

Every art piece was impressively hung to fit together like a puzzle by Daniel Deus. Despite the number of artists showcased, there was still room on the walls, giving the impression of a larger gallery space. In this sense, the Smaller Is Better exhibit certainly lived up to its name, and was without a doubt a social commentary worth experiencing.

Text and photo: Josephine Mwanvua

*Exhibition information: October 30 – November 5, 2014, The Black Cat, 2186 Dundas Street West, Toronto. Gallery Hours: Mon – Tues, closed. Wed – Sat, 1pm – 6pm.

Artist talks: Friday, October 24, 6 – 7 p m. followed by Reception from 7 – 9 p.m.
Open Studio

On the evening of Thursday October 24th, Open Studio, hosted an artist talk and gallery opening reception. This talk was meant to introduce the recent work of two artists; Hazel Eckert and Annyen Lam, who had each been awarded Scholarship/Fellowship residencies by the studio following a juried selection process. Both Eckert and Lam could be considered emerging artists, with Lam receiving the Don Philips Scholarship awarded to recently graduated students coming from a major in printmaking, and Eckert receiving the Nick Novak fellowship which is awarded to artists currently involved in Open Studio as active members. Along with the artist talk and solo exhibitions, both artists were given free use of, and access to Open Studio’s facilities. The work on display was the final result of those residencies.

Hazel Eckert with Present Tension. Courtesy of Open Studio.

After a few brief introductions, Eckert opened up the artist talk with a slideshow presentation meant to outline some of her influences and reasons for making the work that she did. She explained that her part-time job at a commercial print shop often influenced her work and her direction in different ways. Eckert stated that she often collects the scraps and by-products that accumulate as various printmaking processes unfold. Thus, she took an interest in materiality and found objects, and chose to incorporate these things into the work she made over the course of her residency. Eckert chose to call her exhibition Traces, a fitting title for a collection of mixed media print and installation work that utilizes found objects and examines the material qualities of various printed media and paper. The mixed media work that Eckert chose to display in Traces was unified through what seemed to be a refined and specific attention to composition.

Hazel Eckert, Offcuts, 2014

Following some technical difficulties with the projection system, Lam concluded the artist presentation by discussing the path she followed in order to arrive at the work she produced for her show, entitled Wayfinding. Lam suggested that her affinity for narratives led her to create a body of work that was both whimsical and labour intensive. A handful of her framed prints were hung across from two installations that had been set inside the wall, and could be viewed through a portal resembling a pair of goggles. Lam’s work involved precision cutting prints to create textured landscapes and delicate natural forms. Her two installation pieces Portent (2014) and Passage (2014) were accompanied by lighting configurations, and were reminiscent of otherworldly museum dioramas.

Portal view of Annyen Lam’s installation Portent, 2014

Annyen Lam next to one of her cut-out prints

Both Eckert and Lam’s exhibitions had something unique and promising to offer the viewer, with Eckert’s show being rooted in physical and material based processes and Lam’s being centered around an imaginative land that exists in a reality outside our own.

Text and photo: Madeleine Till

*Exhibition information: Hazel Eckert: Traces and Annyen Lam: Wayfinding, October 24 – November 22, 2014,  Open Studio, 401 Richmond St. West Suite 104, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m.

Ella Gorevalov (E.G) talked to Toronto artist Nicholas di Genova (N.d.G)

 Nicholas di Genova. Photo: Brittany Shepherd

During Canadian Art’s annual Gallery Hop, I had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite Toronto-based artists, Nicholas di Genova. He is renowned for his incredibly intricate creature-hybrids, where he uses ink and animation paints to develop elaborate encyclopedic illustrations of the animal kingdom. In an almost rubiks-cube-like fashion, he is able to splice up features of plant life, reptiles, birds and humans and reassemble them into unbelievable line work drawings. In September, LE gallery displayed his newest show, Ultima, which featured a diorama that depicted quaint trading town, full of miniatures, many of which he has transformed into his own creation. Recently, Nicholas and I sat down to talk about his background in illustration and a recent transition into the world of sculpture and installation.

Nicholas di Genova, Wildlife of the Savanah Region, 2009, pen and ink on paper, 26″ x 32″. Courtesy of the artist.

E.G: Where do you gather your inspiration to create your artwork?

N.d.G: I draw a lot of my inspiration from my childhood. As a kid, I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that valued art. During my childhood, my mother trekked me across town to take private art lessons. The art lessons were coupled with my inherent fascination with both zoology and ancient myths. As well, my basis from drawing animals was also rooted in my history of raising various pets – I grew up with crustaceans, crabs, lizards, dogs, and cats to the extent that I thought that I would grow up to be a traveling veterinarian. Eventually I settled into a career of being a professional artist.

 E.G: Nicholas went on to tell me how he is often enamored, and draws inspiration from the worlds that encompass various videogames and comic universes. RPG games, in particular allow for him to distill an essence of the imagination that encompass the storyboard and setting of each videogame universe. Nicholas calls them “interesting places for the imagination”, but instead of playing these games, he finds the time to buy the art books accompanying them and read interviews from the creators so that he has the tools to capture their graphic essence.

One of Nicholas’s pieces, titled 20009 Butterflies, exhibits over 20,000 butterflies drawn in ballpoint pen in a grid formation – each about the size of a thumbnail – referencing an encyclopedia to complete the work. Nicholas admitted that in fact there are only about 17,500 butterflies because he drew every documented type of butterfly in existence, and had to use moths to complete the rest of the drawing. He uses this beautiful grid-pattern style of drawings as a type of mental exercise and views it as practice in order to get the gears of the mind working.

Nicholas di Genova, 20009 Butterflies, detail, 2009, ballpoint pen on paper, 46″ x 54″. Courtesy of the artist.

N.d.G: I really love to create these drawings, and have the goal to create smaller size versions of them, Perhaps about one a year, so that after six or so years I can put together an institutional gallery show, which at first seems to be a minimalist grey scale experimentations, but then when you get closer you realize the actual drawing consists of these small creatures.

Nicholas di Genova, Ultima. Courtesy of the artist.

E.G: Your newest project is a diorama, and you’ve mentioned that building it involved a lot of “kit bashing”. What is kit bashing and how does it work?

N.d.G: Well, when building miniatures and dioramas usually you would order a “kit” online, which basically includes sheets of wood or plastic that are then glued together and painted. Some people build from scratch where you assemble bought or found materials and tools that are built on your own without a model or outline. Essentially, kit bashing is the middle ground to both of these things where you order a kit online but you use the pieces in a way that suit your own needs. So you’re not paying attention to the instructions, and you can remix kits and use one to supplement the construction of another. It works the same way with miniatures, which are puttied, primed, painted while some just sculpted. With the diorama I just completed, I tried to use as much scratch built or kit bashing as I could. Nothing is built in the “right” way.

Nicholas di Genova, Ultima, detail. Courtesy of the artist.

E.G: Does this diorama include people from your own life?

N.d.G: Yes, I’ve included myself in there, as well, I have my assistants, my girlfriend’s cat, Carl, who’s got his own pet shop, and various nostalgic memories from my childhood. There are some very direct nods, as well, to other people’s work who inspires me. Unlike drawing, where you run out of room, I found that with a diorama you could keep building upwards in an almost unlimited way. I’ve bought enough diorama supplies to last me for a few years, so I plan to create more of these dioramas but I probably won’t do another big one.

Nicholas di Genova, Ultima, detail. Courtesy of the artist.

Speaking with Nicholas was an amazing opportunity; our untethered conversation let me inside the mind of a rising local artist. His diorama was on display at Art Toronto, 2014, the annual Toronto International Art Fair, and was very popular.

Ella Gorevalov

The chimera: a multi-headed monstrosity traditionally combining the head of a lion, the head of a goat, and the tail of a snake or dragon. Emerging from Greek antiquity and eventually imbedding itself into modern fiction, every interpretation of the chimera remains relatively unchanged from the original. It exists as a synthesis of thematically inconsistent creatures: the proud dominant lion, the humble hard-working goat, and the devious serpent. On a conceptual level, it shows an unnatural amalgamation of differing ideas that relate in sense that all of its constituent parts exist naturally, which then becomes immortalized in art and thus our culture. Mavis, Harper, and Moon explore the existence of nature within both its secular and cultural interpretations. Our impulse to shape the natural elements into our cultural expressions creates a chimera that, as Mavis, the curator of the exhibition describes, is a “fusion of specimen and artifact.”

David R. Harper, Better the Devil You Know, cowhide, polyurethane, cast acrylic, extruded acrylic, marine epoxy, ceramic epoxy, decals, feathers, wood

David R. Harper focuses on the historical methods of ornamentation in depicting nature, particularly embroideries. His works generally involve intricately woven images that directly interact with the animal subject, creating a relationship that ultimately favors the human presence. His largest installation, Better the Devil You Know, displays a boar woven from blue regal fabrics that is bombarded and impaled by a flurry of arrows; the beast writhing in agony as they pierce his flesh. Historically, boars are associated with the nobility not only because their meat is reserved for the lavish feasts of monarchs and wealthy lords, but also because to hunt a savage boar was regarded as an impressive act of bravery to be celebrated. Harper deliberately chose this particular moment to immortalize in sculpture: the moment when the hunters enjoy the satisfaction of slaughtering the dangerous beast while the boar contorts and screams at its own excruciating demise. His other works, though less dramatic than Better the Devil You Know, use similar strategies of elaborate embroidery and regal imagery to express the establishment of a hierarchy between animal and human.

David R. Harper, Losungen (results/solution) (crouching), cow hide, linen, cotton embroidery floss, glass beads, polyurethane, wood, enamel

Julie Moon’s works concentrate on the manipulation of the materials that then fuse with naturally-inspired subject matter. Within Grasp, for example, she uses the earthly material of clay along with the artificially-generated porcelain and gold lustre to explore the central theme. The tone is much gentler than Harper’s, the conveyed relationship of the hand and the flower seems more symbiotic than predatory. The flower does not rest on the palm, but instead merges with it, as if the roots extended peacefully throughout the sinews of the hand. Here there seems to be a more integrated and tranquil coexistence of the subjects. Moon’s works, on the whole, show the same interaction between man and the environment as being exquisite, beautiful, and generally serene, since nature remains the originating point of humanity.

Julie Moon, Within Grasp, earthenware, glaze, gold lustre

Julia Moon, Animal Thoughts, porcelain, glaze

Julie Moon, Sight Flight, porcelain, glaze, mylar, ink

The largest piece in the exhibition, contributed by Morgan Mavis and the Contemporary Zoological Conservatory, is an assortment of mounted animal heads and complete birds, domestic and foreign, entitled Entanglements. Taxidermy is a strong illustration of the concept of fusing specimen and artifact. The animal naturally exists as a specimen of the environment; it is a spectacle with its own unique patterns and characteristics that can be admired. As a wall mount, the animal becomes a fetish object associated with ownership and dominance. It is now a possession that emphasizes its inferiority to man, transforming into an ornament that is admired as an overt display of the possessor’s status. No longer is it an example of a primal existence; the creature has manifested into a cultural artifact with entirely new meaning.

Morgan Mavis, Entanglements, antique taxidermy mounts from the Contemporary Zoological Conservatory

The interpretation of the relationship between nature and humanity vary greatly among different cultures, whether it is as an inherent component of our biological heritage or as an obstacle to be subdued and monumentalized for an outward demonstration of one’s own legacy. Nature can exist in society as either a specimen of our world or as an artifact of our imposed cultural values.

Text and photo: Simon Termine

 *Exhibition information: October 16 – November 22, 2014, Craft Ontario Gallery, 990 Queen Street West. Gallery hours: Mon – Sat 11 – 6 p.m.

Nestled in Dundas West, LOOP gallery is tucked in-between commercial spaces and finds itself to be a creative enclave for cutting edge Toronto up-and-comings. The current two exhibitions of Charles Hackbarth and Sung Ja Kim-Chisholm are somewhat of a tension of opposites and have a tricky underlining narrative.

Kim-Chisholm’s rather minimalistic pieces hit you immediately upon entering, hanging well lit on stark white walls. The clean white mixed media pieces cleanse the mental palette. Kim-Chisholm’s explores the interconnectedness of human relationships, appreciating complexities of the individual. There is no particular vantage point in Kim-Chisholm’s pieces; they instead offer a form of contemplation. Their own-layered development recalls the layered development of selfhood. Each piece of work may compliment one another, but there is a quiet strength to each on their own. Kim-Chisholm simultaneously pulls you in a form of captivation, while demanding a sense of ease.

Sung Ja Kim-Chisholm, (from top row, left to right) Leaning, Leaning 2, Layering, Pages

Sung Ja Kim-Chisholm, Layering

While Sung Ja Kim-Chisholms pieces feel cleansing upon entry, they are dutifully gearing you for the psychosomatic experience of Charles Hackbarth’s work. In a mad fit of dream-and-nightmare intertwined, Hackbarth’s charcoal, pastel and acrylic sketches are mesmerizing. It is hard to tell whether Hackbarth intended to scare, seduce or probe. Upon take-in, Hackbarth teases the senses of perception both literally and figuratively. Background and foreground are indistinct as a mesh of animal, human and hybrid characters populate the scenes. There is no clear narrative to follow. Hackbarth’s work is a dark and detailed doodle that seemingly erupted from the subconscious in a violent fit. Although much of the artist’s work has a dark complexity to it, it is also nonetheless inviting and comical.

Charles Hackbarth, Out of the SILENCE there came a beautiful ROAR!

Charles Hackbarth, So… is this the ABYSS?

Installation view with Charles Hackbarth, (from left to right) Into the FIRE, Sleep Unlit The Red Light Fills The Sky, Whatever You Do, DO NOT Look Into The EYE of GOD, Out of the SILENCE there came a beautiful ROAR!

Although told that the artists had no connection to one another, the connection made in the space was interesting by the very least. Both Kim-Chisholm and Hackbarth tickle the mind’s eye in particular ways. The space at LOOP was inviting, well lit and presented, and upon seeing this exhibit you are left with a feeling of  disjointedness albeit curiosity.

Text and photo: Carter Brown and Kate Pendergast

*Exhibition information: October 11 – November 2, 2014, loop Gallery, 1273 Dundas Street West, Toronto. Gallery hours:  Wed – Sat 12 – 5, Sun 1 – 4 p.m.

NEXT: Emerging Art and Artists at Art Toronto 2014

2014 is a milestone year for Art Toronto, as it marks the international contemporary art fair’s 15th year of existence. This was also the first year I  attended, making this a banner year for me as well. I spent a significant amount of time at the fair because I wanted to make sure I saw absolutely everything it had to offer. Initially the experience was overwhelming and over-stimulating; perhaps the best comparison I can make is a weekend trip to IKEA. This isn’t to say the work on display was kitschy or poorly produced, in fact for the most part the opposite was true: the majority of the art objects were displayed with an acute level of care and polish. Instead it was the labyrinth-like maze of galleries and meandering visitors that made the whole experience feel overwhelming.

About two and a half hours in I started to feel that my legs and eyeballs needed a break from all the walking and the looking, so I sought out Thrush Holmes’ BREAK ROOM and took a seat on one of the upturned plastic buckets that he so generously provided. BREAK ROOM marked the center of NEXT, a section of the fair dedicated to emerging artists and galleries. As soon as I sat down on my bucket I looked up to my left and saw a wall of abstract paintings, many of which had interesting textures and compositions. The wall belonged to a gallery called WAAP, or Wil Aballe Art Projects from Vancouver, also a part of the NEXT section. The booths here were smaller and more evenly spaced out than any of the spaces that I had encountered previously, lending an air of modesty to much of the work.

 Thrush Holmes,  BREAK ROOM

Selection of paintings on the wall of WAAP’s space

At one point I stopped in the Robert Kananaj Gallery space to get a look at Oscar Figueroa’s humorous found object installations, and he came over to have a chat with me after he caught me taking pictures. He gave me some advice on life after graduating from art school, and even showed me a book of reference drawings when I asked for an explanation of his work. In fact, many of the galleries in the NEXT section had a slightly casual ambiance to them, and there was no shortage of gallery owners and artists that seemed interested in talking to me. The work here too felt almost experimental compared to a lot of the work set up in some of the more established gallery spaces, and there seemed to be a large emphasis on heavily textured paintings and abstraction. All in all, the entire exhibition was worth seeing but it was the galleries, artists, and artworks featured in and around the NEXT emerging art and artists section that engaged me the most.

Oscar Figueroa, Path Around a Burnt Pizza, Robert Kananaj Gallery

Text and photo: Madeleine Till

This year’s show was packed with unique pieces of artwork from all over the world. Certain standout artworks included Nap Station by VSVSVS, who are a seven person art collective in Toronto. Nap Station is a two story sleeping chamber which lets participants step in for a snooze. Similarly, BGL’s Canada Fancy– a large scale spinning carousel built of steel fence invited spectators to take a ride and encouraged audience participation.

Nap Station by VSVSVS

BGL’s Canada Fancy

Other exciting fan favorites included Evan Penny’s infamous hyperrealist stretched human sculptures, and Xiaojing Yan’s Cloud Cell– which is a instillation piece made of twelve thousand suspended freshwater pearls to give the appearance of a floating cloud formation.

Xiaojing Yan, Cloud Cell

Text and photo: Ella Gorevalov