Your Cultural Concierge! VoCA offers critical commentary on the Canadian art scene, with a focus on Toronto. Featuring exhibition previews, critics picks, interviews and in-depth articles on art in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Halifax.
November 15th, 2011 — Artist Spotlight, Drawing, Painting, Toronto and region, Underrated Canadian Artists
The other day, I stopped in at the studio of Toronto artist Francisco Gomez.
A detail from Empire of Dust, Macca, 2009. All images: VoCA
Born in Caracas Venezuela, he moved to Canada in 1991 and studied at OCAD. Gomez generally works in ink and pastel on mylar – an unusual combination that Gomez tells me is difficult, since the pastel resists the mylar after a certain point, but it’s a very clean, effective look. I can see why he likes it.
July 9th, 2011 — Art fairs, Art Market, Art News: Canada, Collecting, Drawing, Painting, Prints, Upcoming Events & Exhibitions, Winnipeg
While it’s clear that Canada has some thriving art scenes in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg, the issue continues to be the comparatively weak market for contemporary art. We have Nuit Blanche in Montreal and Toronto (which is a good start) and we have art fairs for collectors, but the question is how to get the average non-art person visitng gallieres and purchasing work by local artists?
Darren Stebeleski, $400.
An idea to bring the gallery to the people will launch at Winnipeg’s popular Fringe Festival (July 13 – 24, 2011). Conceived by Martha Street Studio, RAW:Gallery of Architecture and Design, and Golden City Fine Art, the idea is to increase exposure and appreciation of Winnipeg’s outstanding artists. “We felt it was unfortunate that people are not able to find local contemporary artists as easily as in other markets,” say the organizers. “Thus, over some drinks we hatched POST NO BILLS temporary commercial gallery. We hope that this event, in conjunction with the Fringe Festival will help both artists and patrons to meet one another.”
February 28th, 2011 — Drawing, First Nations/Inuit, Montreal, Painting, Photography, Sculpture/Installation, Toronto and region, Upcoming Events & Exhibitions, Vancouver and region
If You’re in the Hood….
Scott Massey, Two Yellow Lines, 2006. Image: Helenpittgallery.org
In Vancouver, I just got word of a video projection exhibition that will happen on March 18 at W2 Storyeum, 151 W. Cordova.
The show is the work of a new not-for-profit called Drop Out Video Arts that has brought together artists, artsworkers and musicians to create this one-off event. Expect 30 projections, alongside installation and interactive artworks.
And if you’re an artist, submissions are still being accepted until Monday. Check out their website at the link above and the submission form HERE.
January 24th, 2011 — Art News: Canada, Drawing, Halifax and Eastern Canada, Montreal, Painting, Toronto and region, Upcoming Events & Exhibitions
The third biennial national portrait competition, the Kingston Prize, is accepting submissions until April 29, and this year, the prize is being doubled to $20,000.
Marina Dieul, Le défi, oil on panel. Image: kingstonprize.ca
The prize is a wonderful project of the Kingston Art Council (and by the way, it’s supported by the W. Garfield Weston Foundation.)
Andrew Valko of Winnpeg won last year’s Kingston Prize with this piece, titled Personal Surveillance. Acrylic on panel.
Image: kingstonprize.ca
Portraiture is interesting for many reasons. Portraits are a true document of the times. It’s certainly not the most hip kind of art being made today – that’s what the Sobey Art Award is for – but it’s a lot more accessible to audiences than some of the cute conceptualism out there.
And when the works of 30 finalists goes on display at the Royal Ontario Museum from November 10, 2011 to January 2012, audiences will have an opportunity not only to see some outstandingly skillful works, but will also learn a lot about artists from across the country. As Oscar Wilde recognized, “Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”
Gerard Kuehl, Martha Otuk. Graphite. Image: kingstonprize.ca
Prior to the ROM, there will be a preview exhibition of the works in Gananoque, Ontario and in February 2012, the show will travel to Drummondville Quebec.
Looking back at submissions from past years, it’s clear that Canada boasts some astounding portrait artists.
Click HERE for the Kingston Prize website.
February 11th, 2010 — Art Gifts, Artist Spotlight, Books, Design, Drawing, Toronto and region, Upcoming Events & Exhibitions
Toronto artist Micah Lexier is everywhere these days.
A view of Micah Lexier’s installation I Am the Coin, at BMO in Toronto. Image: iamthecoin.com
Not only did he have new work in a recent show at his Toronto dealer, Birch Libralato, he has a just-opened year-long installation at the Bank of Montreal’s Project Room titled I am the Coin – click HERE to check it out – along with several upcoming collaborations.
-Twelve of One: A Series of Twelve Consecutive Vitrine Displays is on view at Art Metropole, and will change each month over the course of one year. Click HERE for more info.
February 5th, 2010 — Architecture, Collage, Drawing, Performance art, Sculpture/Installation, Toronto and region, Upcoming Events & Exhibitions
Great curatorial minds think alike, it seems.
After what seems like an interminably long period of preciousness with Toronto’s starchitect-designed art spaces at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum, the gloves are off.
Both institutions have invited artists to literally destroy gallery walls.
The gorgeous, Frank Gehry-designed AGO. Image: seanjohn.com
At the AGO, the glorious collages and installations of Kenyan-American artist Wangechi Mutu will, for her first major solo exhibition, include a haunting series of drawings mounted on a ‘pockmarked’ gallery wall, which will be punctured and torn to reflect the post-colonial themes at the core of Mutu’s work.
February 1st, 2010 — Architecture, Design, Drawing, Toronto and region
We snuck in on the final day to see the Cut/Paste: Creative Reuse in Canadian Design show at the Royal Ontario Museum this past weekend, and, while the huge gallery spaces overwhelmed the design objects on display, there were a few things of particular interest, like objects that prison inmates had ingeniously cobbled together: water-boilers and crudely made toaster, to transform water and bread into toast and tea.
December 23rd, 2009 — Drawing, Halifax and Eastern Canada, Sculpture/Installation, Toronto and region
Jean-Pierre Gauthier, Nul/Flirting with the Puck 2008. Image: canadianart.ca
1. Kinetic works by the former Sobey Art Prize winner Jean-Pierre Gauthier at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia from December 18, 2009 to March 15, 2010.
A drawing by Dan Perjovschi. Image: romanianculturalcentre.org.uk
2. The curators at the ROM finally see the light and bring in Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi to graffiti the walls of Libeskind’s precious crystal. The artist will work on the walls ‘live’ during gallery hours from February 13 to 22, and the show continues to next summer.
A portrait piece of Janusz Dukszta by Evan Penny. Image courtesy UTAC.
3. From 19 January to 13 March 2010, collector Janusz Dukszta is the subject of a new show at the University of Toronto Arts Centre. It’s curated by Gordon Hatt and should be an interesting comment on the artist/patron relationship.
Andrea Carson writes on contemporary art, architecture and design...Read full bio