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'The Intimates' On display at Bau-Xi Gallery Toronto, December 3-18, 2016

The Intimates (window sill), 54 x 40 in. oil on canvas, 2016

We recently sat down with artist Darlene Cole for a conversation about her upcoming exhibition, 'The Intimates'.

How do you approach creating a new series?

 a) A new playlist!

 b) I find that working on a small scale in the beginning gets me to the gritty raw bits of what I want to say and feel... I immediately know if it has the push and pull that I want.

 c) I draw from what is around me, human to human, relationships, pathways, landscapes, visits to antique shops in Old Ontario, my artist retreat, etc.

For 'The Intimates' I bought a new Moleskine sketchbook and some yummy chalk that feels like I'm on a boat when I work with it. It is a green/grey blue...like a wild lake colour. I've been drawing (rather habitual) while standing at an old table that came from a historical building in Belleville, Ontario. The table is painted in an 'as found' glossy blue/grey colour that I can see the shadow of my hand in as I draw. Although I'm a bit of a nighthawk, I draw only during the day under natural light. It is an intimate experience with the music, daylight, the soft chalk on cream paper on the old table.

How do you know when you've chosen the perfect 'theme' for the show?

I keep bits of green masking tape on my walls in the studio...words or phrases that often have dual meanings. I might hear words in songs as I'm working, or often they just come to me at odd times...unloading the dishwasher or drying my hair. My work is truly on my mind all the time...like fine webbing that joins one thought to another as I move from space to space. The title for the show has to feel right in my space as I walk around this old house. It has to feel right with the ceiling height, the light filtering in...it is like part of the plot somehow or a hint of the setting...it has to 'fit' into my world...and make your cheeks blush a bit when you think of it.

What element of your work do you visualize first?

The feeling...the atmosphere of the painting.

How long will you work on paintings for 'The Intimates'? 

I never know the answer to this question...but with 'The Intimates', the small scale paintings may continue perhaps for a museum show... 

Which elements of your familiar imagery will turn up in this show?

The white rabbit, the dress, the boat, the fawn, the horse, the curtain, roses and peonies...

Do you have any surprises for us?

Palm trees, perhaps a violin, some leopard print and a honey container from WWII...

CLICK TO VIEW ARTWORK BY DARLENE COLE

SEA-Tac Delta Sky lounge welcomes an exciting new installation by sculptor Paul Vexler

A fluid dance of bentwood and laminate hangs suspended from Delta's newly renovated Sky Lounge at Seattle's Sea-Tac airport. Created by sculptor Paul Vexler, the commission work cleverly speaks to the flight patterns, excitement and the optimism of travel. 

View more work by Paul Vexler

VISIT OUR CURATOR'S SELECTION PAGE TO VIEW NEW ARTWORK FOR ART TORONTO

October 28 - 31, 2016 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Join us: Friday October 29, 5-8pm for a special preview of Joshua Jensen-Nagle's forthcoming exhibition. Artists in attendance, artist talk at 6pm.

Our large booth at Art Toronto 2016 will feature a bold selection of new work by gallery artists. Previews are available in the month of October. 

Purchase tickets here

ABOUT NEW ARTWORK FOR ART TORONTO

IMAGE DETAILS: Cori Creed, 'Waste Land,' 60 X 180 inches, oil, spray paint and wood on board 

CORI CREED AND TRACEY TARLING PARTICIPATE IN THE ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED EXHIBITION, 'REVERSING THE TIDE' RUNNING SEPTEMBER 20 TO OCTOBER 16 AT THE FERRY BUILDING GALLERY

The ongoing threat to our precious oceans and waterways is the subject of the latest group exhibition at the Ferry Building Gallery. Bringing together environmentally charged works by Cori Creed, Tracey Tarling, Esther Rausenberg and Richard Tetrault, 'Reversing the Tide' endeavors to illuminate the destruction effacing Canadian waters. 

'Waste Land,' a triptych by Creed, brings attention to conscious and unconscious destruction of the environment by humans.

"The act of deliberate destruction upon an item of perceived value (like a painting) seems repugnant, while the thoughtless, daily choices that collectively erode the health of our oceans are individually viewed as acceptable. On a literal level, “Waste Land” describes the conversion of our coast to a wasteland. The cliche of torched earth, the “growths” of charred driftwood adhered to the canvas. This small sacrifice made in the hopes that the viewer will find the effect jarring enough to question their relationship to the personal possessions that they invest considerable effort into keeping pristine as opposed to the natural assets that deserve more care and attention than they receive."

IMAGE DETAILS (LEFT TO RIGHT): Detail of charred wood used in Cori Creed's 'Waste Land'; Detail of tar used in Tracey Tarling's 'Reversing the Tide'

'Reversing the Tide,' a large scale mixed media and tar on board work by Tarling, seeks to question the responsibility that we have to water and it's necessity to life.

"All life moves through the perpetual cycle of water to air, land to sea and then back again. We pull it from the depths of the earth and walk great distances to draw it to us. All people create rituals and celebration around it. We continue to fight wars over it. Water is the thread that binds and sustains us all. Can we learn to become better stewards of this precious resource?

Look out for new works by both artists featured in our upcoming November exhibition, 'Through Forest, Sea and Sky' opening November 5 at Bau-Xi Vancouver. 

IMAGE DETAILS: Tracey Tarling, 'Reversing the Tide,' 72 X 96 inches, mixed media/tar on wood

'Reversing the Tide' runs September 20 to October 16 at The Ferry Building Gallery

View work by Tracey Tarling

View work by Cori Creed

Ferry Building Gallery webpage

Much loved painter Kenneth Lochhead (1926-2006) is a fixture in Canadian art history, not least for his essential contribution to Canadian abstraction as a member of the celebrated Regina Five group during the 1960s. The later years of the artist’s career saw a creative turn to representation, when he explored the ways in which paint strokes could create “ideas, impressions, dynamics, and movements” on the canvas. During the 1990s, one of the artist’s preferred subjects was of course the body in motion, and Lochhead naturally chose the team he loved as his muse: the Toronto Blue Jays.

As the Jays prepare for an important wildcard match this evening, Bau-Xi Toronto is happy to showcase Lochhead's Blue Jays. Infused with the spirit of the game, Lochhead’s panels are also studies in form, colour, and texture that remind us of the artist’s well-deserved place in the Canadian canon.

Along with founding and facilitating the Emma Lakes artist workshops in Regina, Lochhead taught in Winnipeg and Toronto, eventually moving to Ottawa in the early 1970s. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1971, and the Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts in 2006.

VIEW LOCHHEAD'S AVAILABLE ARTWORK HERE

Photo of Bobbie Burgers in her studio by Kyrani Kanavaros

Plan to visit our booth at Art Toronto to view new paintings by Bobbie Burgers. The preview gala begins Thursday October 27th, and the fair continues until October 31.

VISIT BOBBIE BURGERS' COLLECTION TO CHECK FOR NEW WORKS LATER THIS MONTH

We love this pair of artworks by David Alexander and Andre Petterson, currently on display in our main gallery in Toronto. Petterson's "Hidden Chapters" draws compellingly on the artist's fascination with the typewriter motif, here multiplied to monumental effect. The mixed media on panel piece mirrors the graphic line work of David Alexander's "Pushing Through Greens"-- a complex canvas made up of reflected reeds and delicate, watery surfaces. 

Artwork details from left: Alexander, "Pushing Through Greens," acrylic on canvas, 46 X 52 inches. |  Andre Petterson, "Hidden Chapters," mixed media on panel, 72 X 48 inches.

VIEW DAVID ALEXANDER COLLECTION HERE

VIEW ANDRE PETTERSON COLLECTION HERE