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Welcome to TAG Art Gallery's Contemporary Art section.
Contemporary Art:
Includes art of the late 20th and early 21st century.
We are very proud to have pieces selected from the following artists in our collection:
Artists:
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Artist Statement
"Interiors and landscapes encapsulate the comings and goings of daily life. Most of the time, we are either inside or outdoors. The time spent going between these spaces passes in a flash. On the threshold between inside and outside, closed or open, built or torn, there are moments rich in aesthetic interest and ripe with visual metaphor. The focus of my work aims to explore the contrast of light, shadow, shape and colour, and the meaningful potential that emerges from these forgotten moments.
"For me, this transition becomes particularly intriguing in weathered, corroded, destroyed and abandoned architectural complexes, set against natural landscapes. Collapsing structures reveal and open up new interpretations and perspectives on their history and making in the world looming around them. The natural fading surfaces and layering of material under the effect of weather and erosion expose new interiors. Through this ongoing process, time scrapes away surfaces until the underlying structure fades away to nothingness. I am interested in capturing these moments along their path of transition.
"Like the subject itself, my painting technique is a combination of building up and wearing away, as pigment is successively laid on and scraped off to create complex textures and surface. My intention is not only to make something representative of the subject at hand, but to create a painted surface with abstract qualities of its own."
Julia Vandepolder is an emerging artist currectly based out of Alton ON. She recently completed an Honors Bachelor of Arts degreee in Studio Art and Art History at the University of Guelph. In the past year, Vandepolder has been accepted for several juried exhibitions across the province, inluding at the Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant, and the Grimsby Public Art Gallery. Her first solo exhibition was the premiere exhibition of the Telephone Art Gallery in Toronto.
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Mediums:
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oil on panel
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Artist Statement
“My art is primarily investigating the human condition through quiet moments of inner reflection. Figures are enveloped in personal spaces, absorbed in meditative activities. While the subjects look inward, the paintings question the thoughts in the mind of the subject, the subtext of the scene, the potential of the near future.
“When the figures are removed from the view, still life and interior paintings result as portraits just the same. Table settings, a chair in a room, or even a bar of soap and toothbrushes resting in a cup at the sink attempt to capture the personalities and relationships of the people dwelling in those spaces.
“The source of the imagery is photography, though photorealism is not the goal. Executed in oil paint on canvas or board, and using a modified or personalized impasto technique, brushstrokes remain visible. A painterly rendering of the depth and character that is but a moment caught on film (or digitally) is what is attained. Each brushstroke carries energy, thought and care. Preserving those marks adds layers of emotion to the images.”
Julie Himel is a Toronto painter with a Fine Art Diploma from Langara College, a BFA from York University, and a Graduate Diploma from the Toronto School of Art. Her work can be found in private collections internationally, and public collections in Canada and the United States.
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Mediums:
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oils and acrylics on canvas or board
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Artist Statement on "I Wil See You Soon" (series of six works)
"Over the past few years, my fascination with the human figure and story telling has shaped my artistic practice. The series, "I Will See You Soon", focuses on narrative portraitures. These autobiographical works explore how the interplay between physical distance and emotional attachment can influence the development of personal identity. My works are about human relationships and isolation.
"However, I want to leave spaces for viewers to be curious and interpret their own meanings from what they see in my works."
Maliha Rahman, born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, immigrated to Canada in 2002. She has participated in exhibitions at galleries in Toronto, and at the Ontario College of Art and Design University. Maliha is an award-winning graduate of OCADU and Georges Vanier Secondary School, North York ON. She lives and works in Toronto.
The series "I Will See You Soon" on exhibit at TAG Art Gallery: 1. Time's Uncertain Wing 2. Three Simple Words 3. Take Me With You 4. Fraction of the Love 5. Wish I was Leaving 6. Paper Airplanes
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Mediums:
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digital prints on paper, oil on canvas, oil pastel, charcoal
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Artist Statement
"In the general body of my work, I explore the theme of danger and the way it is viewed in modern society. We live in such a safe world, with so many systems surrounding us and protecting us, that we often do not realize how abstract our lives are from any real danger. By using a clean, graphic quality to depict strong imagery, I strive to achieve a tension that mixes the sanitized worldview we present to ourselves with a raw, animalistic feeling of danger we try to suppress.
"I try to create images that are both calmingly simple and yet greatly unnerving."
Marco Bertuzzo is finishing second year at the Ontario College of Art and Design University. He has exhibited at OCADU and the Delisle Youth Gallery where his submission was chosen to represent the entire collection. He has been the featured live painter at 'Art Battle' events in Toronto, including ArtBattle7, Art Battle X, and Art Battle at the Gladstone. He lives in Maple ON.
Here are the artist's comments on the pieces now on show at TAG Art Gallery:
Accident Prone
"In this piece, I give the figure an expression both of malaise and defiance. This is in contrast to the expressive acrylic-paint happening behind the figure, easily related to blood spatters. The dichotomy between the defiant air of the figure and the chaotic background create an interesting tension where the viewers do not know if the woman is in any danger. This causes confusion about how to react to the strong imagery in the piece. The title adds to the ambiguity. It is from this confusion that the figure begins to dominate both the violent imagery around her and (because of the placement of the piece) the viewers themselves."
Anatomy
"This work stems from my own personal love of the architecture of the human form. However, I find that most illustrations on the subject tend to be abstracted and stylized. In response to this, I wanted to make a more-relatable image, while still treating the subject matter with respect and admiration."
Nothing Personal
"This is the second time I have used the image of a faceless figure with a red tie. To me, this figure has begun to embody the notion of Freud's 'id' -- the components of the brain that relate to all base and animalistic desires.The man without a face is the manifestation of all those morbid thoughts we have, and the sinful delight we would feel from seeing them acted out. Moreover, he is a form of the anti-hero, a chaotic force in the world. We are not sure whether to rally behind him or shun him. In this particular piece, I focused on contrasting the serious situation of being strapped with explosives and the relaxed posture of the figure."
Standard Issue
" 'Standard Issue' speaks to the bizarre relationship we have with firearms. To many North Americans (Canadians in particular), our media is saturated with firearms. And yet, many of us have never seen a rifle, let alone fired or held one. The only way we can relate to firearms and the danger they bring is through popular culture, or video games, or even printed text."
Interference
"In my works, I always aim for tension. 'Interference' came out of a formal experiment with this. Within the piece, I tried to create not only a visual competition for dominance between the human figure and the geometric shape, but also an emotional tautness. I aimed for an expression and pose which are difficult to look at, and, at the same time, hard to ignore. The two forms of tension combine to give the work an unusual vibrancy and life, despite its simplistic rendering."
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Mediums:
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digital prints on paper, collage on paper
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Artist Statement
"When I was 15 years old, my dad gave me an Ansco camera, two rolls of black-and-white film, and a film-processing kit. It was the best gift I had ever received. The first time I saw an image slowly appearing on a blank sheet of paper submerged in a tray of developer was truly 'discovery' moment. I soon came to realize photography is much more than art and science. Photography is pure magic.
"Over the years, my interest in photography has continued to grow, and the advent of digital photography has added an astonishing new dimension that can only be truly appreciated by those who have laboured in the red glow of a darkroom safelight.
"I return to my East Coast roots every summer, and much of my work reflects my maritime experience, and I always take my camera when I travel. My photos range from traditional shots of fishing boats in the fog, fishermen at work, and tourist sites, to more contemporary minimalist and abstract shots.
"The latter are not computer-generated, but represent real objects -- for example, spots of paint on a rusty pipe, the luminous mother-of-pearl glow of a Paua shell, or reflections in rippled water.
"My objective is always to faithfully reproduce what I observe, and, hopefully, tocreate images that project feelings or mood."
Photographer David Ogilvie, born and raised on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, is an Emeritus Professor of Biology at University of Western Ontario. He resides in London ON.
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Mediums:
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prints on canvas, archival prints on canvas
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Artist statement
Simona Stanculescu says the “magic” of the blending of colours on a canvas just seems make the act of painting take on a life of its own. “From a very early age, I was attracted to shapes, drawing compositions and blending colors into creation of light .”
A love of the study of architecture led to her incorporating buildings and structures into many of her paintings.
Yet another of her creative impulses has come from extensive travels in Canada, Europe and the United States. Inspirations from her travels are deepened in her memory over long periods, “enabling intricate compositions of colourful art to come to life.”
As well, “much inspiration has come from admiring great works of impressionists Monet and Renoir, and others.”
Simona has had several solo exhibitions at Lumina Gallery in New York City, and Caville Galllery in Palm Beach, Fla. She has participated in numerous group public exhibitions and art expos. Her work had beeen collected in Canada ,USA and Europe.
Several dignitaries have collected Simona's oil paintings, one of them being the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who also enjoyed painiting.
Simona is an artist in Toronto.
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Mediums:
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oil on canvas
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Ian Amell is originally from Winnipeg and currently resides in Toronto. He is an active member of the visual arts community in Toronto, serving on boards of numerous organizations.
His series on exhibit at TAG Art Gallery explores how trees evince and reflect the moods of public spaces. Locations in France and Quebec, particularly in Montreal, were the artist's inspirations for these works.
Recently, Ian began producing "digital works", taking photo images and transforming them with computer manipulation, hand-drawing and other techniques. The "new" images are printed in large format on archival paper with pigment ink.
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Mediums:
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acrylic or oil on canvas
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Prudence Smith is described as a watercolour artist who makes paradoxical use of a fluid medium by creating hard-edged works of saturated pigment. The artist says of her creative process: "Watercolour seduces my spirit as its pigment saturates the paper. Colour, design and a touch of whimsy all play a part in my work. I invite you to delight in the interaction of fundamental shapes weaving their unique rhythm."
Becoming a grandmother prompted Prudence to create the series of whimsical creatures now on display at TAG Art Gallery. Overall, her work reflects a fascination with floral arrangements and other still-life objects, evoking the richly intense mosaic quality of stained glass.
The artist describes the achievement of her unique style as a 20-year journey "along a path of self-discovery".
Prudence earned a BA at the University of Toronto. She then obtained a Diploma in Child Study, subsequently joining the Child Life department at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. She has taken a number of watercolour courses.
She has exhibited works at galleries in Coldwater, Huntsville, Gravenhurst, Spring Bay (Manitoulin Island) and Orillia. Her warm and lively paintings grace various private and corporate collections.
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Mediums:
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watercolour on paper
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Sean Yelland's technique has been described as captivating the viewer with contrast. Recurrent themes include anxiety, isolation and passing time. Yet, he has a singular gift for the depiction of light, a classic symbol of hope. Yelland prefers not to explain his artwork, feeling that one must react to it intuitively ... and grasp the concept that what is absent often gives a painting its essence.
Sean's most recent successful show was at Ingram Gallery in Toronto. He lives in Toronto where he attended the Ontario College of Art & Design.
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Mediums:
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oil on canvas
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Out of the Ontario College of Art & Design, the artist (working in the Group of Seven tradition) is a plein air painter, meaning he paints directly from nature. Nickle works on wooden panels outdoors and on larger canvases in his studio. He considers himself to be influenced equally by the historic landscapes of artists such as Turner, Constable and the early Impressionists.
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Mediums:
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oil on board
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Leonard was well-known in Canada for his moody, grey scenes most of which were rendered to canvas on the spot ('plein', of which "Wakefield Falls" is typical) rather than in the studio. A prolific artist, his quickness in painting was a great asset. There are 113 of his works at the Canadian War Museum.
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Mediums:
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watercolour
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From one commentary on the artist: "Andrew's work is largely inspired by mass media and its effects, coupled with corporate and political propaganda tactics of the last fifty years. All is based in some way on themes of society’s obsession with control, power and greed, and aims to portray a dystopic world order where misinformation prevails.
"The works document a war, both physical and propagandistic, in Bell’s constructed reality. Combining bold text with images of his characters in iconic poses, Bell appropriates techniques used in posters from the World War II and Cold War eras. In doing so, Bell comments on modern marketing and the appetite for power."
Andrew currently resides in Toronto.
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Mediums:
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photo-transfer on plaster
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Kate currently resides in Toronto and Orillia. She studied under the great Native Canadian painter Arthur Shilling for three years, until his death in 1986. Kate is first and foremost a regional painter. Continually finding new revelations in similar subjects, Grigg states, "I am compelled to paint the same things over and over; the same streets...my emotion takes me down those streets again and again."
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Mediums:
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oil on canvas
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Sorry, there is currently no information available.
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Mediums:
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acrylic on canvas
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Sorry, there is currently no information available.
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Sorry, there is currently no information available.
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Sorry, there is currently no information available.
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