upArt Contemporary Art Fair @ The Gladstone Hotel

upArt Contemporary Art Fair with the theme Rooms of Wonder was on at the Gladstone Hotel this weekend. This was the perfect storm of friends, colleagues and art for me. It was also one of the only times I have felt like I was a real part of the art community in Toronto.

Barbara Gilbert and Chris Mitchell got an outstanding group of artists together around the theme of the cabinet of curiosities (the German word is wunderkammer translated literally as room of wonder). Was the basis for museums. They were personal collections which reflected the experiences, studies, travel and there for status and power of the owner.

It could be said, in the case of this exhibition, that it showed the power, knowledge and status of two arts professionals who really know what they are doing in selecting a group of contemporary artists. The various rooms with each with their own installation were strong individually, but together created a harmonious experience. Basically, there was not a discordant installation in the bunch, which was a refreshing surprise.

The cabinet of curiosities (more contemporaneously known as a curio cabinet) would display object d’art, antique items, and scientific specimens like bones or fossils and geological samples. All of these seemed to be represented. While I did not capture all of the rooms, what follows is a good sample of what was there.

The Canadian Society for Explorers of Contemporary Natural Heritage – by Jennie Suddick

From RoomWonder

Uberfluss (Overflow) – by Achim Zeman presented by Lausberg Contemporary

From RoomWonder

Losing Touch – by Diane Gougeon

From RoomWonder

From RoomWonder

Crawl Space – by Bonnie Marin (curated by Mary Reid)

From RoomWonder

From RoomWonder

Cases – Presented by the Red Head Gallery (Artists include: Janet Bellotto, Paula Braswell, Jane Martin, Jean Bridge, Laura Cunningham, Lynne Heller, Joan Kaufman, Margie Kelk, Ram Samocha, Elaine Wittaker

There was a video component to this installation, but it seemed rather dull to photograph headphones and iPod touches.

From RoomWonder

From RoomWonder

From RoomWonder

Automata – by Catherine Heard

From RoomWonder

From RoomWonder

Nuit Blanche Follow-Up

For the first time, I spent all of my Nuit Blanche in the downtown core, meaning Zone A and Zone B. In previous years I have gravitated to Zone C, because it had the exhibitions that I wanted to see.

I started my night by getting my very poorly coordinated groove on at the Toronto Public Library’s Reference Library – Dance Dance Evolution where I was learning to do either the swing or the jive. All night dance instruction was such a great idea.

From Nuit Blanche 2009

From Nuit Blanche 2009

At Bay and Dundas streets it just got crazy with people. There was no way to see or get near The Sonic Fun House at the Atrium on Bay. I was surprised to see, at the Toronto Coach Terminal for Battle Royal, a sign like this:

From Nuit Blanche 2009

The wait at 10 pm was not a half an hour, but the lines were surprising to me. Though Battle Royal was a fun concept, only volunteers were in the ring. The “big” show, with the famous wrestlers, was to start at 11 pm.

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Bay and Dundas was crazy with people. But there was room on the bleachers to watch The Reflecting Pool & Ancient Days by Bill Viola. I was pretty sure I had seen The Reflecting Pool before, which was a bit disappointing. I didn’t think they would need to “recycle” art for Nuit Blanche.

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Just down from the Bill Viola was Pwn the Wall by the Graffiti Research Lab. It was just alright. Computer drawing projected on the side of a building does not Graffiti make.

From Nuit Blanche 2009

There was the Ice Queen: Glacial Retreat Dress Tent in the Eaton Centre, but there was no one in the dress at 10:30 pm despite all the people milling around it.

From Nuit Blanche 2009

The Jeff Koons Rabbit Balloon was as expected. The lighting in the Eaton Centre made it a very dramatic scene.

From Nuit Blanche 2009

The largest line I waited in was for The Blinking Eyes of Everything by Geoffrey Farmer. I don’t think it was really worth the hour and a half I waited. It was a nice and calming experience, though I did not experience a hallucination. Though I did spend the first little bit waiting in line behind Ken Finkleman (he bailed after 15 minutes).

From Nuit Blanche 2009

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Other highlights:
Beautiful LIght: 4 Letter Word Machine – D.A. Therrien

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Wild Ride – Shawna Dempsey & Lorri Millan

From Nuit Blanche 2009

From Nuit Blanche 2009

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Vodka Pool – Dan Mihaltianu (which I could not get in to see, this was shot from outside)

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Witches’ Cradles – Centre for Tactical Magic (this looked really cool and I would have like to have tried this)

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Monopoly with Real Money – Iain Baxter& (was cool but not attention holding)

From Nuit Blanche 2009

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Out in Liberty Village around 1:45:

Fire & Sausages: Small Mercies – Tom Dean

From Nuit Blanche 2009

And finally THE END IS NEAR HERE IS NEAR THE END – Jason de Haan & Scott Rogers

From Nuit Blanche 2009

Nuit Blanche – Art Christmas!

Tonight is Nuit Blanche in Toronto. I have my list of exhibits and events that I want to see. I have a top (un-viewed) 10. My choices may not actually reflect artistic merit as much as I just want to have a good time and the thought of experiencing some of these amuses me. I hope they live up to my expectations.

Top 10 of Nuit Blanche:
10 – Battle Royal @ Toronto Coach Terminal (610 Bay Street) by Shaun El C. Leonardo
9 – Vodka Pool @ Lobby of Commerce Court West (25 King Street West) by Dan Mihaltianu
8 – Dance Dance Evolution! @ Toronto Public Library (Reference Library) (789 Young Street) (basically I just want an excuse to dance in this building)
7 – Fire & Sausage: Small Mercies @ Parking Lot at Liberty Street and Hanna Avenue by Tom Dean (Yum Fire & Sausage)
6 – Monopoliy with Real Money @ TSX Broadcast Centre Gallery by Iain Baxter&
5 – Wild Ride @ Bay Street by Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan (’cause I do think the financial district of Toronto is a carnival)
4 – Beautiful Light: 4 Letter Word Machine @ Toronto City Hall/Nathan Phillips Square by D. A. Therrien
3 – The Blinking Eyes of Everything @ Church of the Holy Trinity/Eaton Centre by Geoffrey Farmer
2 – No Melatonin in Parkdale curated by Dave Dyment
1 – Rabbit Balloon @ Eaton Centre by Jeff Koons (’cause I have a secret and shameful love of Jeff Koons yet I hate the industrial nature of his art production)

Will post pictures from each of these tomorrow, post Nuit Blanche.

My Curatorial Projects

This week provided me with two opportunities to play curator. At Gallery 1313 I hung (or directed the hanging) of the Park It Over Your Sofa art auction preview show. With over 30 pieces, most of very large size, salon style was the best way to squeeze it all in to the gallery space.

Park It Over Your Sofa is the first time Gallery 1313 has had an art auction as part of the Queen West Art Crawl. We’re going to be auctioning off work in the park on Saturday afternoon. And as you can see from the pictures the work is good (and reasonably priced)! I’m hoping to sell all the pieces.

The second show I curated, was of my friend Barbara Gilbert’s work. Her show, in the member’s gallery at Gallery 44, is a presentation of the creative process behind her Vanitas series. The combination of preliminary sketches and test shots, I feel, gives insight in to her finished or final printed pieces, of which there are only two. I’m hoping someday she will complete the series, or at least see these test shots as finished works. I think some of them are strong enough to be considered such.

With the various photographs being no larger than 8×10, it was a challenge to hang the show. I joked that I was focusing too much on everything being symmetrical in its placement, but I think this works in its favour and creates a good flow for the viewers.

Details:

From Curatorial

From Curatorial

Love Las Vegas

I made my second trip to Las Vegas this year. The first trip was in early January, where it was sweater weather outside. Just a smidge too cool for swimming.

This time, early August! The peak of heat in the desert. I loved it. I loved the heat, which I usually dislike, though I guess now it is the humidity. The colours, the intense sun, the mountains were all beautiful to me. I can’t wait to go back again.

Coming in to land in Vegas – 7:45 pm.

From Vegas 2009

The Wynn. I would totally stay there again.

From Vegas 2009

Our room!

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

Various things that interested my eye:

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

From Vegas 2009

Tree Museum – Gravenhurst

From Tree Museum

An Akimbo announcing the opening reception of the new works by Ed Pien and Dyan Marie at the Tree Museum combined with an open schedule for the Labour Day weekend, had me making plans for the 2 hour drive from Toronto to cottage country.

I had no or low expectations about the collection of work at the Tree Museum. Art in the great outdoors was appealing, having enjoyed environmental art at the MacLaren Art Centre a number of years back. I had heard of some of the artists, which isn’t saying much for me because I do not have a great memory for many contemporary artists or their work. The Tree Museum was totally worth going to. I can’t wait to see what they will be installing next year, meaning I’m making plans for next Labour Day weekend!

Ed Pien contributed a really great t-shirt design to the Gallery 1313 ArtTee fundraiser. I think I told more than one person I thought the design was a tremendous mind fuck (yes, I did get some odd looks for that comment). Ed Pein’s t-shirt design had provided an entry way, for me, in to his work. I wanted to see how he would work in 3 dimensions and outdoors.

So, why am I not talking about the Dyan Marie piece here? (not even photographs?) The pieces, set at various points in the outdoors, were large photographic and photoshoped panels, with outlines of people (who appear to be immigrants or non-rural Canadians, filled in with trees and other natural entities, each set against an urban backdrop, like a store or other small place of business. On the whole, I didn’t think it was successful or of the same caliber as Pien’s. I found the artist’s statement about her piece to be the opposite of how I would have interpreted the final work… or the part of the work I saw in the wilds of the Tree Museum. Admittedly, I did not see the accompanying piece in downtown Toronto, though I can imagine what it would look like.

Okay, so getting that admission out of the way, Ed Pien’s three pieces were a surprise to me. Two of them I thought were very successful. The third, not so much. So, lets go from least to most successful.

Least successful – The Tempest (red tarpaulin, styrofoam, wire cable, hardware):

From Tree Museum

The repeated shapes formed by the tarpaulin wrapped styrofoam seemed unremarkable. Of course the red, a complementary colour of the very green environment plays optically for all (unless you are red/green colour blind). Being installed on the water, the viewer only experiences them visually and with little shade from the trees, because they are out in the middle of the water, I don’t feel that it really fulfills what the artist statement suggests.

Middle of the road – False (florescent rope and trail maker tape):

From Tree Museum

From Tree Museum

From Tree Museum

I love the way False reflects in the water, when you see it from the right angle. It looks like a cascade coming down the rocks and going in to the darkness. The red of the rope looks stunning against the green trees. This was much more the experience outlined in the artist statement with shadow, light, and colours playing for your eyes. Though it did feel reminiscent of Christo’s work…. wrapping, covering, reflections.

Most successful – PSYCHO (aluminum with copper chrome plating)

From Tree Museum

From Tree Museum

From Tree Museum

Why do I deem this most successful? The mirrors capture and reflect the shadows, the other aspects of the environment. They can be experienced from almost any angle. They hide covertly in the trees until the light hits your eye as the mirror turns. It is far more poetic to me than the other two.

But overall, I feel more the poetry and awe with these three pieces than any fear or vulnerability that he might be trying to achieve. Though, like the t-shirt design, all three are wonderful mind-fucks!

500 Sodas

I first saw this on the blog Neatorama. At first I was amazed that there were more than 500 different types of soda pop available to consumers. But, what really struck me was the attitude of the fellow being interviewed.

When I was much younger than I am now I imagined how the working world was. This guy who runs Galco’s Soda Pop Shop has the philosophy I thought most businesses would have. A smaller business helping out other small businesses. Someone who was actually happy and enjoyed the job that they did.

Anyway, I know that ain’t the case, but it is refreshing to see someone so pleased with the job that they do.

Interiors

In the moments when I am out, usually while I am waiting, whether it is for some one or some thing to happen, I am always looking around. More and more I find myself looking at the spaces around me. The patterns created by light and by the architecture. Geometry and line. Shapes and colour. I am especially drawn to the repetition of all these components.

Chairs, tables and chocolate

From Wabi-sabi

The lights, tiles and floor of my local subway station

From Wabi-sabi

The way the architecture repeats, yet changes in the sunlight in the lobby of a building

From Wabi-sabi

Tumblr blog

I think wordpress is good blogging software. But, I was recently introduced to Tumblr. I decided to move my drawings off to the tumblr blog because it is easier to get the pictures right. So, for drawings try Drawing A Day. I’ll keep putting up my random commentaries and photographs here.

Random

I was sorting through my pictures the other day. There are a few random shots that I thought I would include here. These are little moments that struck me.

Artist Unknown: from Gallery 1313 show

From Wabi-sabi

From Wabi-sabi

Waiting for the 48 bus:

From Wabi-sabi

While waiting at the Dark Horse Cafe:

From Wabi-sabi

A WTF moment:

From Wabi-sabi