News

Frederick Hagan, 'Untitled #85,' 1961, watercolour on paper, 17 x 23 inches.

Bau-Xi Toronto is pleased to present a new selection of Frederick Hagan paintings from the artist's estate. These captivating watercolour paintings exemplify the artist's close relationship with the Canadian landscape. Works range from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Hagan’s unique work has for decades responded to and shaped Canadian painting. Born in Toronto and raised in Cabbagetown, Hagan looked to his lived environments as sources for his artistic subjects: the bustling urban life of a growing city, memories of family and childhood experiences, and the idyllic scenery of the Muskoka region, to which he traveled regularly.

Hagan was quickly recognized for his talent, and by age 21 was exhibiting with the Royal Canadian Academy, while taking classes at the Ontario College of Art under the direction of John Alfsen and Frank Carmichael. Soon, he would take on the role of educator himself, a vocation which would come to define Hagan’s career in equal part to his studio practice. Between 1946 and 1983, Hagan taught printmaking at the Ontario College of Art; a talented lithographer in his own right, he influenced an entire generation of artists who would take up the challenge of figurative painting and revive its role as a valuable genre that could comment meaningfully on a contemporary spirit.

READ MORE AND VIEW THE COLLECTION HERE

KATRIN KORFMANN RETROSPECTIVE AT BERLIN ART PROJECTS, GERMANY

Text by Berlin Art Projects:

The exhibition starts with Berlin, with analogue images taken with a plate camera of the city’s firewalls and named after the streets they were shot in. Interested in their status as non-spaces, Korfmann made a study of these so-called “Brandmauern” – structures built for the public good, but invisible to most citizens. Yet this is not a chronological tour through Korfmann’s oeuvre, instead we see a dynamic exchange between works from different years developing, works that were created in two distinct cities. Korfmann’s trademark synthesis of different temporal and spatial dimensions in artistic form, is most pronounced in her ultrachrome prints from the series Count for Nothing. The artist’s photographs mostly take a bird’s eye perspective on busy urban scenes, merging several images taken over a given time span to create bustling, energetic portrayals of contemporary life. Figures are blurred through movement, or stand static reading in the street, birds fly into the frame from different and impossible angles, capturing a sense of simultaneity, of time frozen yet slipping away all too quickly.

An archive of incidental traces and irretrievable memory, Korfmann’s works present a specific length of time – ranging from a few minutes through to an entire day – from multiple perspectives, fixing a vast array of moments through still photography without losing any of their transience and momentum. Her art is indeed more of a journey than a destination, constantly morphing and changing as you contemplate it, condensing disparate spaces and times into succinct statements of artistic intent.

VIEW AVAILABLE ARTWORK BY KATRIN KORFMANN HERE

Visit Foster/White gallery at booth C33

Janna Watson has been named by Artsy as one of the 10 'artists to collect' at the upcoming Seattle Art Fair. Visit Foster/White Gallery's booth to see Watson's new work August 4 - 7, 2016 at CenturyLink Field Event Center, Seattle.

BROWSE JANNA WATSON ARTWORK LOCATED IN SEATTLE

Shaun Downey, In Autumn Light, 12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas.

REAL PAINT

Closing reception: Saturday July 30th, 2-4pm

Bau-Xi Toronto, 340 Dundas St West

Drop in to enjoy these contemporary realism works before they are gone, and meet artists Shaun Downey, William Lazos and Chris Temple.

Janna Watson, No Strict Rhythm, 2016, 48 x 48 inches, acrylic on canvas with resin coating 

1. Where do you draw inspiration for your paintings?

Everyone has a need for escapism. Even if you're someone who doesn't drink or watch movies, or have someone to flirt with or have a religion- I'm sure you dream at night. My abstractions are intentional escapes into non-reality.

2. How do you begin a painting, with colour or composition?  

I begin a painting by choosing a background colour/wash.  From there I move into the composition of colour.  I do this intuitively.  

3. Related to last: which do you feel is most important in painting, colour or composition?  

Both are equally important.  I play with negative space and contrast with both colour and composition to create tension in my pieces. 

4. How much time do you devote to planning the painting versus actually painting it?  

I don't literally take time to plan a specific painting but I feel that being outside of my studio away from my work is just as productive as being in the studio.  Being able to step away from the work and come back with "fresh eyes" is just as important as actually creating.  There are paintings that have taken me 2 months and paintings that have taken me 2 magical hours.  It's all about the moment.  

5. Do you prefer the composition planning stage, or the painting stage?

Working out with the paint is always most satisfying.

6. How does it feel when a completed piece leaves your studio?  

It always feels good because then I have a bit of extra space!  

7. Where do the titles of your paintings come from?  

For abstract work I feel that titling the work is important.  It gives the viewer an extra entrance into an already convoluted image.  I title my pieces after they are finished.  Sometimes the title comes to me instantly and sometimes it takes a few days.  It's cheesy, but I read a lot of poetry and this helps.  Words I've read come back to me in different forms and these become titles.  

8. What would you like people to feel when they look at your work?  

I have a few of my paintings up around my house (mostly because I gave them to my partner).  I don't enjoy looking at my own work as much as I enjoy looking at other people's work.  I feel the mystery is gone with my own art since I know how it was made or it's just always in my face at my studio.  I purchased a drawing recently and it is the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning.  It makes me feel so happy and in awe.  It's really weird and off beat so I guess these are the feelings I would hope people will experience with my work.     

VIEW NEW ARTWORK BY JANNA WATSON HERE 

July 21, 2016 - Toronto

Riko Nakasone (Bau-Xi Vancouver Director) and Alissa Sexton (Bau-Xi Toronto Co-Director) were thrilled to spend this heatwave poolside at one of Toronto artist Barbara Cole's photoshoots today. As an artist who typically shoots underwater subjects, Cole has to use these beautiful summer days to create her artistic visions. 

During the shoot, Cole used multiple models, various costumes (designed by the artist), and 2 pools as she worked toward two parallel show ideas, still in their infancy. Following these photoshoots, Cole works tirelessly in studio evaluating her images, and editing her selections for inclusion in the final exhibitions.

It was amazing to see how Cole is able to crop these moving, floating figures all in-camera to create stunning images. Thank you to Barbara Cole for sharing this incredible process with us over the years.

This image above shows one of Cole's models awaiting her turn to be choreographed in front of the lens-- we are sorry we can't share more!

VIEW ARTWORK BY BARBARA COLE HERE

Bau-Xi Gallery was established by Paul Huang in 1965 in Vancouver, to showcase the many Canadian artists in need of gallery representation on the West Coast. As the oldest commercial gallery in Vancouver, Bau-Xi is a founding member the  South Granville Gallery Association, and a member of the Art Dealers Association of Canada since the early 1970s.

Since its inception, the iconic Vancouver Bau-Xi Gallery has expanded to include Bau-Xi Gallery and Bau-Xi Photo in Toronto, and Foster/White Gallery in Seattle. Over the past 50 years, Bau-Xi Gallery has been recognized as one of Canada’s most highly regarded art galleries, with a reputation founded on adherence to the highest standards in quality of art and service to clients.

Today, the Bau-Xi group of galleries represents emerging and established visual artists across a variety of media and genres and remains committed to excellence in the promotion of exceptional contemporary fine art.

Hanauma Bay I, Edition of 7 in 3 sizes, archival inkjet print face-mounted to plexiglass

Exhibition extended until July 29th at Bau-Xi Vancouver

About the exhibition:

'Simple Days' conveys the nostalgia of Joshua Jensen-Nagle's childhood spent along the shore. Inspired by endless days floating in the water, jumping waves, and surfing with his father, the series evokes for the artist memories of a simpler time, one that captures the essence of pure happiness.

For over a decade, Joshua Jensen-Nagle has been photographing picturesque beachscapes and romantic European vistas. In the past year, the artist has introduced aerial photography into his repertoire, scouting locales in Australia, Rio de Janeiro, Miami and Hawaii with exciting geographic and tidal patterns. Images captured by leaning out of a helicopter reveal an organic arrangement of umbrellas, surf, and swimmers contributing to a seductive, abstract composition. The transportive quality of 'Simple Days' immerses the viewer in the endless joy of a summer spent at the beach. 

VIEW ARTWORK FROM THIS EXHIBITION HERE