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Andre Petterson's mixed media on panel works combine elements of photography, painting and drawing. Taking inspiration from his frequent travels abroad, current contemporary art practices, and art history, the artist offers insight into his studio practice and the different techniques involved in developing Transition from concept to fine art: 

"How I develop a concept for a new series varies from year to year and show to show. My exhibitions are always conceived as a series where a development of each work happens, keeping in mind how it will contribute to the bigger themes the show is tackling. At times I get inspired by the smallest thing: the image of a typewriter, which recalls thoughts of the past and how I relate to the technology today. There is potential to find a new subject anywhere:  it could be the way piece of cloth dances on a clothes line in the wind or a horse standing on its hind legs, seemingly frozen in time. 

I’ve been fascinated throughout my career by images and their relationships with other images. It’s not always easy to determine how an image will inspire a body of work or how to approach a new subject that fascinates me. Transition, the title of my latest exhibition, is emblematic of the latter. The title appropriately expresses what I see as a shift or change happening in Buenos Aires and other cities I've visited recently where a large population of people live with economic, environmental, and political uncertainty. There is an overwhelming feeling that young people need to find a voice and a way to make ends meet as they begin their adult lives. The suit jacket is a symbol of authority, prowess and professionalism that is indicative of the challenges facing youth. It stands in stark contrast to the radical graffiti effacing so many buildings in these cities. By merging the two subjects and the inherent symbolism associated with each in a way that is meaningful, I came upon a new direction. 

I began development on the series by acquiring a variety of suit jacket from second hand stores and photographing each in their pure, unaltered state. I then paint directly onto the jacket and photographed it again. This process is repeated many times until I feel that I now have an image to work with. I hang things from the jacket: ribbons, string, bits of cloth, wire, etc. These things represent a kind of stash of possessions that someone who may hold dear for various reasons. The items represent memories of the past and their original function now changed and celebrated by the new owner.

Once the photos have been applied to the panel surface, I paint over it using a variety of tools and techniques to unify all elements into a complete, finished composition."

VIEW AVAILABLE ARTWORK BY ANDRE PETTERSON HERE

Andre Petterson, Seven Up, 36.5 x 84.5 inches, mixed media on panel. Click for more information.

Andre Petterson explores the contentious symbolism of the suit jacket in his latest body of work, 'Transition.'

ARTIST RECEPTION: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2-4 PM

The widespread, politically-charged graffiti decorating stately Neoclassical buildings in Buenos Aires is impossible to ignore. It is a visual contradiction which exposes the rift between the conservative elite and radical working class. Aesthetically, the bold colours of spray paint and the gestural, script-like application reshape its planar architectural forms into a highly personal expression. For the artist, the vandalized buildings of the Argentine capital reflect, "a need for a generation of people to be heard by way of a visual vocabulary which speaks out against the values of the establishment."

In 'Transition', Petterson utilizes the suit jacket - a Western symbol of masculine authority, formality, and professional prowess - as a vehicle to capture this notion. Physical suit jackets, painted in bold colour with a gestural, Sumi-e technique indicative of the artist's earlier work, become politicized sites revealing contradictory ideas of success and oppression in contemporary society. If the suit is a metaphor for the establishment, then the artist uses the garment as a canvas to liberate its socio-political identification.

Applying paint to the jacket prior to photographing it adds a new layer of dimension to Petterson's work, blurring the boundary between photography and painting that has come to be synonymous with his practice. 

CLICK TO VIEW ARTWORK FROM THIS SERIES

Artwork details: Robert Marchessault, 'Pini di Sardenga,' oil on panel, 44 X 44 in., $11,000.

On display now at Bau-Xi Toronto: this tranquil painting by Marchessault, who has dedicated his practice to exploring the endless variations of the tree form for decades. But these trees are not simply painted versions of real spaces. Indeed, the most striking and poetic aspect of Marchessault’s work is in the fact that his trees are imagined, hybrid species, painted from the artist’s memory.

Marchessault's tree figures begin as swift, gestural lines of paint, with branches and foliage growing out of this initial abstraction as organically as nature itself, what the artist describes as “the way energy flows up and through a tree.” Together, these explorations lend a distinct, contemporary freshness to Marchessault’s recent work, and demonstrate the artist’s willingness to investigate the limits of his subject matter while maintaining what he describes as the ability of the tree to evoke “universal yet intensely personal” responses in the viewer.

'Pini di Sardenga' is certainly a romantic example of this vision. One cannot help but envision these two trees as a pair, each full of life and supporting the other with grace and stoicism.

VIEW ROBERT MARCHESSAULT FULL COLLECTION HERE

Sept 10 - 22, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION: SATURDAY SEPT 10, 2-4PM
ARTIST IN ATTENDANCE

The industrial history of coastal British Columbia is the focus of Anthony Redpath's latest photographic series. Framing worn-down or vacant industrial buildings with the intention of capturing only a section of the landscape, Redpath positions his lens at an unnerving distance to disorient the viewer by distilling the subject into a series of different planes. Cropping the image close in post production,  RE·FINED verges towards abstraction by removing the directional horizon line in each composition. Enhanced by the complex textures of ribbing, vaulting and rustication in the sugar refinery, pulp mills, and oil refinery that comprise the series, Redpath's attention to detail reveals the effects of time on his subjects as complex, beautiful and indicative of a shift in emphasis within the industrial sectors of coastal British Columbia.  

Following the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, Andreas Gursky and Candida Hofer, Redpath's lens entices the viewer to go beyond the documentary style and examine closely the surface sensuality and rich palette of a decaying landscape. As critic Sky Gooden has observed, "where the Bechers stood back from their industrial subjects, Redpath rushes in."

VIEW THE COLLECTION ONLINE

Kathryn Macnaughton, The Spirit (left) & The Memory (right), acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48 inches each. Available for viewing at Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto.

CLICK TO VIEW MORE ARTWORK BY KATHRYN MACNAUGHTON

Unconventional installations are often some of the most dynamic, and we love this one on display now at our Toronto painting gallery.  ‘Emblem (we lose ourselves at night)’ by Darlene Cole alongside Tom Burrows’ ‘Soumagnei’ makes for a perfect pairing: Cole’s composition—fragile and melancholic—adds narrative voice to Burrows’ panel. Burrows’ strong colour field and luminous quality complements Cole’s delicate brushstrokes and dark ruby oil accents. Together, these pieces create a lively aesthetic conversation and bring out the best in the other.

Pairing different artist, sizes, media, adds complexity to your installations and lets work in your collection tell a story. Contact the gallery for more information on how to curate your space, or visit us to see more examples in person.

CLICK TO VIEW MORE BY DARLENE COLE

CLICK TO VIEW MORE BY TOM BURROWS

Framing can enhance the aesthetic presentation of a piece of fine art. At Bau-Xi Gallery, we are happy to assist our clients by offering quality fine art framing in a wide variety of styles to meet individual needs. Gallery associates have the expertise to advise and recommend presentation options to ensure that each piece of art is displayed beautifully.

The artwork shown above is a stunning pair of photographs by David Burdeny, from his Saltern Study series. Burdeny's photographs are characterized by unusually long exposures that result in detailed images and soft colour studies. These pieces are framed in white behind non-reflective plexiglass, in frames that measure 0.75 inches wide and 2 inches deep.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE BY DAVID BURDENY