The 2007 Biennale curator shares the triumphs and frustrations of organizing the world’s most famous exhibition with the Art Newspaper:

Read the interview HERE.

1. Wonderland, paintings by Rick Leong at Parisian Laundry, Montreal.

January 11 - February 23, 2008

Rick Leong, The Wandering Rain, 2006. Image: parisianlaundry.com

Rick Leong obtained his BFA (with honors) from the University of Victoria and his MFA from Concordia University in 2007.

A third generation Chinese-Canadian, Rick’s beautiful and delicate large-scale landscapes are explorations of Eastern and Western painting traditions. Contrasts and similarities morph into unique imaginary places filling the painted plane with elements of tradition, culture, style, technique, fantasy and reality.

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Ettore Sottsass. Image: nyt.com

VoCA is saddened to hear of the passing of one of our favorite designers, Ettore Sottsass. He was 90 years old. The influential designer, photographer and founder of the Memphis design group had an exceptionally creative mind and outrageous design sensibility.

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The Power Plant Art Gallery, Toronto. Image: Xavier Snelgrove

The Power Plant and Toronto artist Scott Lyall selected to participate in the SITE Santa Fe Biennale, June 22 through October 26, 2008.

The Power Plant is the only Canadian institution selected and is the only North American institution outside Santa Fe to be included.

“We are thrilled that The Power Plant has been selected by Mr. Fung to represent Canada at this prestigious international exhibition,” states Gregory Burke, Director of The Power Plant and one of the 19 curators at SITE Sante Fe.

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VoCA wishes you a very Happy New Year!

While we were sunning ourselves in beautiful Costa Rica, Bill Clarke, writer, collector and FoV (Friend of VoCA) caught up with Toronto artist Robert Waters in Mexico City, where Waters currently resides.

Since receiving his BFA, with honors, from York University in 1998, Waters’ work has been exhibited in Spain, Mexico and Canada.

Waters’ drawings are influenced by his interest in collage. In his best-known work, Waters begins with brown packing tape and uses it as a background for portraits and life drawings drawn with thick black line using permanent marker. Waters adds highlights to his figures by cutting away areas of the tape, revealing the paper beneath.

Robert Waters, Beauty and the Beast, 2007. Image: pmgallery.ca

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