Interview with Art Lab artist in Residence, John Di Leonardo

John Di Leonardo is our Art Lab artist in residence from June12 until September 3, 2018. During his residency in the Art Lab, John Di Leonardo will be researching the nude theme within Canada’s artistic history, and also will be drawing to create a body of work that explores questions of the nude image as a contentious landscape whose tradition of object of desire and shame informs our social constructs, values and identity.

1. Please tell us a little about yourself.

I am a Brooklin based artist/poet. I received my Hon. BFA from McMaster University with a specialist in figure drawing and painting. I have been a visual arts educator until retirement in 2010. Since retirement I have been a full time artist and loving it!

2. Please tell us more about your exhibition in Gallery A.

While at The RMG I will be working with graphite/pencil medium and the human figure.

My installation at the RMG will explore questions of the nude image as a contentious theme in the history of Canadian art, how its tradition as object of desire and shame informs the trajectory of our social constructs, values and identity.

3. Why did you apply to exhibit in Gallery A?

The RMG has a wonderful library and archival collection. I will continue my archival research from artist’s files, catalogues, newspaper clippings to glean our attitudes about the nude as a theme in Canadian art, specifically in the early part of the 20th century when Canadian identity and modernism in art and culture were being shaped.

Also, I am currently working on a large format triptych series and need a space in which to work. My current studio space is a little claustrophobic!

Lastly, I was interested in working in the Gallery A residency because I wanted to interact with the public and engage them in conversations about themes in Canadian art and how they might shape our sense of identity.

4. What inspires you? Is there a particular artist’s work that has influenced your practice?

The figure has always been a central element in my studio practice for the past three decades, whether working in a realistic, abstract or conceptual vein.

I have always been attracted to artists who reveal a sense of rhythm and energy, or what the Chinese call the CHI a word meaning aliveness, life force inherent in all things. You see this in Botticelli, the German Expressionists, and of course many Chinese painting masters.

5. Why Drawing?

I truly enjoy sketching and drawing. After having worked on mixed media/conceptual series for about eight years, I felt the need to go back to the basic pleasures of art, the physicality of mark-making and the challenges of drawing the human figure.

Drawing helps me to get to the core of a thing, it’s an act of meditation, it is an artist’s most direct and spontaneous form of expression revealing better than any other visual art form the artist’s true personality.

Mirror/Mirror # I : After the Garden, Graphite, 4’ X 9’, 2018

6. What do you hope visitors will feel when they visit your exhibition?

I hope that the exhibition will engage viewers in dialogue and reflective contemplation about our uncomfortable relationship with the nude in art, as they view their own reflection as an integral part of the installation. I hope questions will be explored as why the nude as a theme never took hold in Canada while celebrated in Europe.

Though the nude has never had the capacity of the landscape to become an icon of Canadian identity, it is a very important theme in the evolution of Canadian modernism and a reflection of a changing society in the inter-war years.

That being said, I hope viewers will also simply enjoy the formal and aesthetic qualities the works offer. I would like to end with a quote by Francis Bacon;

“ The greatest art always returns to the vulnerability of the human situation”

Linda Jansma: Curator Extraordinaire

by Joan Murray

A curator`s task differs from person to person. For some, it means gathering a collection. For others, interpreting what is already there. For all, it means study of a chosen field, say trains if you are the curator of a railway museum. Then you dedicate yourself to preserving the physical legacy, history and experience of rail transportation within a chosen area.

At the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the chosen field was more amorphous because it was Canadian Art, but only within a specific time frame, say the 1880s till today, and favoring a specific place, Oshawa and the region of Durham. Of course, choosing such a region meant choosing the influences on the art of that region, which could be quite wide and ranged from the Group of Seven and Painters Eleven, the main group founded in Oshawa, to artists of interest, though usually Canadian, everywhere.

A curator at the Gallery had, therefore, wide parameters. They also had limitations. As is usual in a regional gallery, these meant a meagre purchase budget. They also meant persuading the Purchase Committee of the wisdom of your choices.

Linda Jansma was at the Gallery twenty-eight years during which she battled against the boundaries, fighting to maintain professional standards and saving up her modest resources so that the collection was conserved and preserved properly.

She was not alone in her task, but she was essential, first as Registrar, then as Curator.

“Curator” comes from the Latin word curare, to care for. The curator cares for the collection, and that includes enhancing it, whether by gift or the magic of scholarship. Jansma expanded the understanding of the collection by organizing a major retrospective of Rody Kenny Courtice, a wonderful early modernist and friend of an artist important to us, Isabel McLaughlin. She added to our knowledge of another artist, Jock Macdonald, a member of Painters Eleven, by discovering a treasure trove of his early work in Glasgow. She interpreted it in the catalogue of a major show on the artist in 2014 at the Vancouver Art Gallery and was awarded the prize for best curatorial writing that year as a result. She also interpreted the work of several artists today who are of great interest, such as Ed Pien (known for his drawing-based installations), the challenging artist Nell Tenhaaf, and the collaborationists Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins, organizing exhibitions of their work. She was on what is called the lead in her selection of these artists, or in the forefront of the realm of curators.

As for purchases – she loved the fact that she was involved in commissioning public sculpture by Mary Anne Barkhouse, Reinhard Reitzenstein, Doug Coupland and Noel Harding, as well as recent purchases of work by Sarindar Dhaliwal and Tazeen Qayyum.

She was as well as a champion of the important and interesting figures in Canadian art today, a person of inexhaustible energy.

Her work called on her enthusiasm and– and her intelligence. So often, if you went in her office, she was effervescent, and you were revived.

Long ago, in 1989, when she was hired, I knew Jansma could weather all difficulties when I heard that she had chosen as cover of our wedding invite, a drawing by Ray Mead that I`d curated into an exhibition. Her choice reflected her faith in art. From the moment I heard about it, I believed that she would be a great choice for a staff member.

In wonderment, these many years later, I realize I was right.

-Joan Murray

Looking back in honour of Durham Region Pride!

In 1972, Paul Bennett (Director, 1969 – 1972) was “asked” by the Board of Directors to resign because of his sexuality.

This is a part of the Gallery’s history we are not proud of. What we are proud of is how far we’ve come: that we have exhibitions that boldly address queer issues; that we can work closely with our queer community in developing relevant and required programming; that we support queer creatives and make space for their vibrancy.

This week is Pride in Durham Region. This week (and everyday) it’s important to live as proudly as you can, and support others as they do. We invite everyone to celebrate with us at RMG Fridays: Pride with live music from I. M. Brown & The Transcendents and film screenings, openings for new exhibitions, and much more.

Leila Timmins joins the RMG as Curator and Manager, Exhibitions and Collections

The Robert McLaughlin is excited to announce that Leila Timmins will be joining the Gallery as Manager and Curator, Exhibitions and Collections. In this new role, she will be replacing Linda Jansma who is retiring after 28 years at the gallery.

Previously Curator of Exhibitions and Public Programming at Gallery 44 in Toronto, Leila is dedicated to working with community to contribute to important conversations happening around and through art.

At Gallery 44, Timmins produced over 60 exhibitions and public programs with over 100 artists from across the country and abroad while working tirelessly to build the gallery’s audience and increase online engagement.

Accessibility is also an important part of Leila’s curatorial practice. Her work with Workman Arts, CAMH, Tangled Art + Disability, and numerous other groups and collectives has contributed to conversations around reducing barriers and increasing access.

“I am thrilled and honoured to be joining the team at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery. I’ve long admired the way the RMG centres relationship-building at the core of its operation, working closely alongside artists and community. I look forward to continuing the important work the gallery has done to build greater accessibility, equality and inclusiveness into all aspects of its programming.” says Timmins

“We’re very excited to have Leila at the RMG and working in Durham Region. She was selected from a pool of candidates nationally and abroad because her passion for community building is determined, which is demonstrated in her impressive list of experiences and accomplishments. Get ready, Durham.” says Donna Raetsen-Kemp, CEO, of the new arrival.

Her writing has been published in notable publications including FUSE Magazine and C Magazine, and was awarded the Emerging Cultural Leader Award by Artist-Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario (ARCCO) in 2017.

Leila starts at the RMG on June 11.

An event everyone is welcome at – RMG Fridays: Pride

Recently, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery made the decision to step away from Pride Durham in organizing RMG Fridays: Pride.

The RMG is committed to building and maintaining safe and accessible space so that the arts can be shared and enjoyed with the entire community. We also works closely with members of our communities, representative organizations, and groups when developing programming and exhibitions to ensure we are meeting the needs of our community.

At a recent meeting held by Pride Durham, members of our queer and racialized communities came forward to express their concerns and explain their requirements for safe space, including their stance on uniformed police walking in the parade. Pride Durham made a decision to move forward with plans that oppose those needs. Doing so holds the potential to compromise safe space and excludes those voices from the upcoming celebration. This does not align with the RMG’s values.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery believes Pride is a celebration of resistance and resilience, differences and the vibrancy that come with being queer. Though intimately linked at times, Pride is about finding yourself not your profession. We invite the entire community to come together, whether in celebration or support, as the people they were born as.

We also understand that the uniform may be viewed as a symbol of years of oppression and the enforcement of laws that oppress many queer and racialized peoples. While the police are invited to participate in plain clothes, the presence of uniforms may be a barrier to access for many.

We hope to work with Pride Durham in the future, in ways that are safe, respectful, and healing for the community.

To learn more about the upcoming RMG Fridays: Pride event click here.

Q&A with Sonya Jones, Curator of Collections

Sonya Jones, previously Associate Curator, is now taking on a new role at the Gallery as Curator of Collections. In this new role, Sonya will lead the management, care and exhibition of the RMG’s collections, including the Permanent Collection, Thomas Bouckley Collection, and library and archives.

What is it that you love about working with the collections?

I love sharing the collection with the community, whether that’s through exhibitions, tours or our online database. I also love collecting and sharing stories about each work – it gives you a whole different perspective and appreciation. While curating is definitely the highlight of my job, I absolutely love collections management. I’m lucky I get to do both. Also, it never gets old walking into the vault!

In your opinion, what makes our collections special?

While we have a huge variety of artwork, historical, contemporary, mediums, styles etc, the part of the collection that sets it apart from other permanent collections is the large number of Painters Eleven we have, over 1,000 works. We have visitors come specifically to see Painters Eleven, for example just this week we had someone come all the way from Halifax just to see works by Painters Eleven.

In your new role, what do you look to do with the collection exhibitions?

I’m looking forward to connecting with our community through the collection and finding new ways for public engagement.

Do you have a favorite piece in the Permanent Collection? In The Thomas Bouckley Collection? Why?

Joseph Sydney Hallam (Canadian, 1899 – 1953); Rainy Weekend; 1946; oil on masonite; Gift of Paul Hallam, 2002

It’s so hard to choose just one! There are too many amazing works to choose from. I tend to have weekly favourites. One that I recently came across that left an impression was Joseph Sydney Hallam’s Rainy Weekend. This resonated with me because I saw it right after the most recent ice storm, which was a weekend where my family was stuck indoors. Despite grumbling at first, we soon took full advantage of spending quality time together. Like in Rainy Weekend, there’s a comfort and feeling of home just being together even if you are just in the same room doing your own thing. The weather forced us all to slow down, be present and be together. So that was that week’s favourite!

For the Bouckley Collection, I’ve always been drawn to the candid images, the ones that capture a moment rather than posed. For example, one of people walking down King Street during road construction. The majority of the photographs in the collection were taken for documentation purposes, so the candid photographs are extra rare and special.

Light of the (Sugar) Moon

By Stephanie Pollard

March’s RMG Fridays buzzed with the ‘I can’t wait for Spring!’ energy that follows long
weeks of cold and 4:30 p.m. sunsets, the kind that anticipates what new beginnings await.
Guests came in to enjoy performances by musicians Melanie Herbert and Morgan Steele, as
well as a new exhibition that celebrated the new perspectives that come from remixes.

Curated by Pete Smith, Can I Kick It? looks at what would happen if visual art got remixed in the
same way music often does, and how artists allow other artists to re-interpret original material.
Artists were invited to create a piece, who then chose a colleague to remix their work. The
result? A culmination of paintings that combined showcasing signature styles, without interfering
with the work’s initial meaning.

Upstairs, guests learned that the Sugar Moon marks the Anishinaabe new year, and the time
when the sap from maple trees begins to run. Like many new years, the Sugar Moon also
celebrates new opportunities.

The Bawaajigewin Aboriginal Community Circle board member Peggy Forbes hopes this year
will give Indigenous residents in Durham Region a place to connect to their heritage, while
introducing it to the wider public.

“We’re really hoping that (Bawaajigewin Aboriginal Community Circle) will become a friendship
centre, which is kind of like a community centre that runs daily programs right from pre-natal to
senior levels for Durham’s Indigenous community,” Forbes said. As for new beginnings, Forbes
envisioned an ally-ship that understands we’re all in this together.

“Bawaajigewin is an Anishinaabe word that loosely means Seeing our dreams come to life.
What I’m hoping for is that everyone – Indigenous and non-Indigenous- can come together to
understand some of the issues that have been going on with our shared history – it’s not just
mine, it’s ours,” she said.

The Central Lake Ontario Conservation also made an appearance, offering guests a chance to
plan a trip to the Sugar Bush lantern festival (April 6, 7 – 9 p.m.), while the owners of the Food +
Art Cafe (also lovingly known as FART) had a table with homemade scones, and a location that
offers sip ’n’ paint (or sculpt!) nights. Owners Alison and Noel Galvan plan to share the fruits of a
combined dream, and Durham seemed like the natural place to start.

“When we decided we were ready to open the cafe, we found this perfect location right at
downtown Whitby, and we were like ‘Let’s go for it!’. We call it our happy place and we want
everyone to come in and be filled with yummy happiness, then conquer the day,” Alison said.

Join us again on April 6 for RMG Fridays, Spirit of Song, at 7 p.m.

Reagan Kennedy responds to Edward Curtis

This is an excerpt from Reagan’s full response, which can be seen off of the lobby at the gallery.

[…]

It is important to consider that at the time of Curtis’ career Indigenous populations throughout the continent had already suffered the severe effects of colonialism. It is because of this that many believe there is some validity to Curtis’ claim to be photographing a peoples who were “vanishing”. However, this language has also served to promote ideas that Indigenous people do not exist, and often prevents non-Indigenous peoples from really seeing us. Curtis was also known for his techniques of editing his images, often removing signs of modern technologies from his Indigenous subjects to promote ideas of primitivism. Additionally, he was known for stealing sacred items from communities which he would then travel with and place on his subjects in other territories.

Outside of these controversial and problematic components of his work, many of us are still drawn to these images. I am drawn to Picking Blueberries because of these complexities, and because the image appears more candid than some of Curtis’ more obviously staged works. I feel a sense of calmness and humanity when I look at this photograph. Due to the effects of colonisation and colonial policies, many of us feel disconnected and deterritorialized from our communities and traditional ways of knowing. These ways of knowing, such as the berry harvest taking place in this image, reflect ways of knowing that strengthened and maintained our relationship to the land, to our families and communities. Some of us learned and still carry these ways of knowing, some of us are mourning the loss of these practices and are trying to learn.

By reflecting upon Picking Blueberries from the RMG Permanent Collection I hope visitors take the opportunity to revisit how we have been seen and unseen, but also how we have been disconnected and how we can reconnect.

-Reagan Kennedy

National Philanthropy Day: AWCCU Financial

Philanthropy is you and me, doing what we can, where we are and with what we have. National Philanthropy Day® celebrates the charitable work that EVERYONE does to make a difference in their communities —what you do from the heart makes a difference!

National Philanthropy Day is recognized on Nov. 15, but we celebrate what you do throughout the year. You make a difference every day!

Meg Cox from AWCCU chats with the crowd about the imprtance of community building events.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a place where emerging talents explore and develop their skills, where children build confidence, explore their imagination and where families can create together. We’re able to do this better than ever before with the support of AWCCU Financial.

AWCCU Financial generously provides funding for RMG Fridays. Enjoyed by over 3,100 people last year, their support has had immeasurable impact not only to those members who have been given the opportunity to share, explore and engage in the arts, but also to the local businesses and organizations who display their purpose.

“It’s about bringing people together and making things happen in Oshawa, Durham. It just gets bigger from there”. Meghyn Cox, AWCCU Financial

We are proud to say we are a partner with AWCCU Financial.

National Philanthropy Day: Ontario Power Generation

Philanthropy is the love of humankind, and National Philanthropy Day® celebrates the charitable work that EVERYONE does to make a difference in their communities. Whether you donate or volunteer (or both!), young or old, no matter how much you give or what causes you support—what you do from the heart makes a difference!

National Philanthropy Day is recognized on Nov. 15, but we celebrate what you do throughout the year. You make a difference every day!

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery would like to acknowledge the annual support received from the Ontario Power Generation (OPG).

The OPG Corporate Citizenship Program has supported the RMG in our pursuit to provide informal learning of abstract art, encourage collaboration, increase understanding of art fundamentals, and enhance the learning and quality experience between adult and child. OPG Second Sunday’s have been enjoyed by over 5,000 families because of this partnership.

When we bring together the passion and commitment of our partners, we push the boundaries of what is possible. We are proud to say we are a partner with OPG.