The 49th Annual Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition

July 9, 10, & 11, 2010

Nathan Phillips Square

I will be located at booth number 57 in the White section (the opposite side of the square from last year).

For more information visit the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition website.

To visit their site: www.washisummit.com

Whispers, 2010, graphite and gold leaf on washi

My recent drawing, Whispers, has been chosen to be included in The Japanese Paper Place’s, Drawing on Washi: the presence of the void.

Washi is the Japanese word for the traditional papers made from the long inner fibres of three plants, wa meaning Japanese and shi meaning paper. – Japanese Paper Place

The exhibition will feature 20 drawings on beautiful Washi paper and will be on exhibition from June 4th to June 30th, 2010 at the Japanese Paper Place. This exhibition takes place in connection with the Washi Summit taking place in Toronto in June.

Below is an image of the work installed.

Installation image of Gesture at the Kennedy Gallery, North Bay

Gesture, 2006 (detail)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to exhibit my drawing Gesture, in the Art of Resistance at the WKP Kennedy Gallery in North Bay.

[The Art of Resistance] explores art as a means for activism and political resistance in the Gallery II Main Space. Thursday, March 4 to Wednesday, March 10, at the WKP Kennedy Gallery, 150 Main St. E. Co-sponsored with the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, Near North Mobile Media Lab, WKP Kennedy Gallery, the Cultural Affairs Committee at Nipissing University and the Canada Research Chair in Environmental History.

Artists featured in this juried exhibition are:

Ingrid Bajewsky, Eric Boyer, Amanda Burk, Alex Maeve Campbell, Keith Campbell, Christine Charette, Neil Klassen, Kelly O’Neill, Magalie Han Hung Pew, Tony Taylor. WKP Kennedy Gallery

Gesture is a drawing I originally produced for an exhibition in Miami in 2006, entitled Brave New World at Diaspora Vibe Gallery, contemplating the impact of 9/11 five years after the fact. As the impacts of 9/11 and the “War on Terror” have evolved, so too have the reading and interpretation of the work.

Ultimately, Gesture is about communication and how gestures carry meaning. The meaning however, in this particular communication is unclear and open-ended. In this work, I wanted to conjure the feeling of sitting across from someone who is speaking to you. I was thinking about conversations and interrogations taking place across a table where inevitable misunderstandings occur.

This work does not pass judgment, it does not condemn, it does not glorify, but it does allow for pause and reflection. In contrast to powerful and bold statements, I believe that a quieter means and approach can have the greatest impact on personal and social change.

Drawing 2010 is a juried show that attracts emerging and established artists from across the Province of Ontario. The jurors for this 11th juried exhibition were Todd Tremeer, artist/educator and a recipient of the Joseph Plaskett Award (2007); Robert Malinowski, artist and 1st Prize Winner, DRAWING 2009; and Gillian Reddyhoff, Curator of the Government of Ontario’s Art Collection. John B. Aird Gallery

The work that was chosen for the show is Cognisance. I am always impressed by the caliber of the work in this exhibition. If you happen to be in Toronto, it is worth a look.

Cognisance, 2009 - charcoal, acrylic and silver leaf on paper

The exhibition runs February 2 – 26, 2010

John B. Aird Gallery
900 Bay Street (Macdonald Block)
Toronto, ON
Monday to Friday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Proximity, 2009

Proximity is one of my new works and is currently on exhibition in the Drawing 2009 show at John B. Aird Gallery until February 27th, 2009.

The DRAWING 2009 show presents 33 original works in a variety of styles, techniques and media.  Some works incorporate found objects, some are digitized and still others use traditional techniques.

As one of a few galleries in Canada to showcase drawing as an art form unto itself, the Aird attracts emerging and established artists who are really committed to the discipline. This year, 115 artists submitted more than 170 works for consideration. From these, three jurors selected the 33 works in the exhibition.

John B. Aird Gallery, Drawing 2009, Catalogue

Aleks Bartosik, Judith Geher, Robert Malinowski, Jenny Wing Yee Tong, and Lois Schklar are a few of my favorite artists in the exhibition.

This exhibition is a very strong show and a great representation of contemporary drawing in Ontario.

The drawing accepted is a new work on panel from my Emergence series.  New images will follow soon.

The exhibition can be viewed at the John B. Aird Gallery, 900 Bay Street (near Wellesley in the Macdonald Block, an Ontario government building) from February 3rd to February 27th.  Gallery hours are 10 am to 6 pm from Monday through Friday.

If you have an interest in contemporary drawing, this is a great show to see.