Sheila Kernan
Well Worth the Wait, n.d.
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“When I was in grade three I found a book on my mom’s bookshelf called Utopia by Sir Thomas Moore. Before I was even able to comprehend the topic I was obsessed with the idea; I became captivated by movies such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland which emphasize a fantasy world.
As a painter I often find myself revisiting these topics. To me utopia means perfection; it signifies an ideal place filled with serenity. On the other hand, a fantasy world represents a journey of the imagination. The bizarre, eccentric, maybe even wacky happenings that occur in fantasy worlds like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland are truly intriguing.
Direct translation is not what I am after when I paint. Rather I am interested in how personal interpretations of the world can transform into paint. Paint squishes oozes and blends to create little happenings which leave traces of my touch with the brush. I can control the paint making hard edges, soft edges, creating dots, dashes, lines, and squiggles that form together to reflect a place.”
(Source: canadahouse.com)
Henri Masson
Fishing in the Gatineau River, 1972
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From Thomson Landry Gallery:
“Henri Masson’s works vary widely in subject matter and medium, yet he was always consistent in expressing the world by attuning himself to his particular perception of it. It is in this ability that his style became so strong and consistent, recognizable for its bold lines and forms. He has experimented with drawing, watercolours, pastels, inks and washes; however, he primarily resorted to oil paints, which comprise about ninety percent of his works. His themes are varied, but a commonality in all seems to be the presence of life and humanity in each work. Whether the human subject is depicted or not, Masson always refers to the human landscape. Masson’s ultimate desire to break free of the contemporary discourse around art theory allowed him to paint with a sense of honesty and the freedom to let the subject govern the ultimate spirit of the picture.”
(Source: consignor.ca)
“ATTESTING RESISTANCE is a curatorial project leading to an on-line exhibition with an open call for submissions. We are seeking works by visual artists/creative minds (not exclusively Aboriginal people) that respond to Aboriginal resistance. These works likely embody the spirit of protest and embrace the solidarity against abusive and unfair government/cultural action and media interpretation. This particular curatorial conversation evolved from decades of unjust treatment of Aboriginal communities, whose resistance has been documented and represented with imbalance by mainstream news media and propaganda. This exhibition is dedicated to supporting the alternative perspectives and narratives, which may help locate and/or re-discover some of the strategies of resistance employed by Indigenous peoples (throughout history) that might otherwise go unnoticed if not documented or articulated through these symbolic artworks.”
Unknown Haudenosaunee (Mohawk) artist
Ball-Headed Club, 18th century
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I saw a similar club in the National Gallery of Canada once and they look like they’d really hurt to get whacked with.
(Source: images.rom.on.ca)
http://www.westfest.ca/
I had completely forgotten that Westfest was this weekend. Cara Tierney, an amazing up and coming Canadian artist, will be performing there. The festival is entirely free too.
Gabor Szilasi
Sitting Room, Mrs. Lucien Lambert, Albanel, Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, 1977
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“Traces of man interest me very much, whether it’s architecture or interiors or just a street or sign. There has to be a connection between nature and man in my photographs”
(Source: gallery.ca)
