Opening: RMG Fridays, November 4, 7-10pm
Artist Talk: November 6, 1-3pm
Drawing to Music Workshops: November 5, 12, 19 and 26, 1-3pm

In this particular exhibition I propose to explore the ideas that are related between the seen and the unseen.

I love classical music, but I guess you can use whatever genre you prefer. I have been visually impaired for over 23 years of my life. It is hard to explain it to others if they don’t have similar disabilities themselves that they can refer to. As a result of that, I start of by blindfolding myself before I turn on the music. I start making lines on paper with both of my hands; different pencil crayon colour in each hand. I move my hands to the music or the fillings that they make me “feel”. Once the music stops the blindfold comes off, and then I move to next step.

At this stage I start applying colour to the line drawing. The colour is chosen depending on the piece. If it is a more upbeat number, I will chose more vivid colours. If it is more relaxing piece I will choose cooler tones to be added to the piece. The way the colours are applied is dependent on the original drawing underneath. I randomly select sections that I feel need some extra emphasis put on them.

In this residency I am not only proposing doing these drawings, but also framing them. They will all have the same style frame, so the outside will not influence the actual work.

I am hoping that this will inspire people that anything is possible.

 

Artist’s Biography:

Ilija Blanusa is a professional sculptor. He received his undergraduate degree in sculpture/installation from Ontario College of Art in 1991, with honors. He was fortunate enough to receive the scholarship for continuing studies, which made it possible for him to pursue his studies in the USA. He continued with his studies at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where he received his Masters of Fine Art degree in sculpture in 1993.

Blanusa has had over 100 group shows and 6 solo shows in his career. His first show was in 1990 while still attending school. While studying in the USA he was fortunate enough to have ten group exhibits. He has won numerous awards, which includes a best in show from Station Gallery in Whitby, once in 2007 and once again in 2013. He has also won Ontario Arts Council Grants for emerging in 1993 and mid-career in 2009.

His studio practice is based in Oshawa, where he continues to sculpt, paint, draw and work on his photo based works.

Reception: RMG Fridays, October 7, 7-10pm
Artist Talk: October 16, 1-3pm
Workshops: October 23 and 30. 1-3pm

This is an exhibition of textile-based sculpture and wall works informed by contemporary collage and traditional textile practices. The work is constructed using found objects, manufactured articles, and recycled domestic materials.

An exploration of material form, through texture, surface, shape and colour, creates optical effects, layer and depth. The voluptuousness of the materials generates transient figurative qualities that take inspiration from such artists as Eva Hesse, Louise Bourgeois, Cy Twombly and Richard Tuttle, who are intellectually motivated, but materially driven.

The intention of the work is to be juvenile, feral, instinctive, loose, playful and humourous.

 

Artist’s Biography:

Emily Smit-Dicks lives and works in Toronto as an artist and costumer. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2011, majoring in Visual Studies and Philosophy. She recently did illustrations for the book, The Unexpected, published by Swimmer’s Group. Emily has exhibited her work at various institutions such as G Gallery, Birch Contemporary, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Gallery Stratford, Cambridge Galleries, and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Reception: RMG Fridays, October 7, 7-10pm
Artist Talk: October 16, 1-3pm

I am proposing a residency to record and manipulate sound to create an audio installation. I want to isolate sounds and elevate them to noticeability. I am curious what sounds will entice visitors to enter the room. Sounds I will record will be my own voice, visitors’, local community sounds, and ideas that will come to me as I experiment daily. I want to experiment with manipulation and placement of sound.

Leah Landy from MIT will be one of my guides with his two books: Understanding the Art of Sound Organization and Making Music with Sound. I will work in the artist room and play my daily exploration in Gallery A, thus creating a rotation of sonic art; all the while working on a larger sound installation as a final piece. I would like to set Gallery A up with four speakers in the four corners and a bench in the centre for listeners. I would like to allow visitors to document their experience by having an easel with paper for them to read about the daily installation and to comment. I am undecided if I would like to inform the visitor of what the sound is? Can they guess? Should they guess? In the artist’s room, I will have my computer, a microphone, books, and various items to record.

The Art Lab residency is an excellent opportunity for me to focus and assemble a sound installation. I am very excited to learn, experiment and create via sound.

 

Artist’s Biography:

Born to Czech immigrant parents and raised in Kanata, Ontario, Karolina Baker currently lives in Whitby and holds a degree in Canadian Studies and Political Science from Carleton University.

It was an accidental visit to the Venice Biennial in 2001 that stirred Karolina to make art. To see art on such a large scale was unfamiliar and moved her to study sculpture, time-based media and modern art at York University in Toronto.

She is an interdisciplinary artist who works in various media: installation, printmaking, textiles and video. Karolina is thrilled to uncover patterns and minuscule experiences and elevate them to noticeability. The aim is to present the experience in a large format; making the small experience a large one. Collective experiences, ephemerality and humanness are concepts she investigates. She is motivated by artists Janet Cardiff, Douglas Coupland and Vera Frenkel. Karolina created a conceptual art piece for Gallery A at the RMG to celebrate Oshawa hosting the boxing events of the 2015 PanAm Games. She also created author Nerys Parry’s book trailer, Man and Other Natural Disasters, published by Enfield & Wizenty.

While Canada’s population is becoming increasingly urbanized, our roots are in the land. Long before the making of this nation, however, the First Nations people and Inuit relied upon it to provide for their needs both physically and spiritually; their relationship to the land continues to be far more about stewardship and respect than ownership. European explorers would ultimately of course, change how the land that is now called Canada, would be viewed.

Canada’s land is both vast and diverse, our geographies encompassing mountains, prairies, rivers and lakes (as William Lyon Mackenzie King wrote: “If some countries have too much history, we have too much geography.”). We experience the land in diverse ways, as well: hiking/biking/walking through it; traversing it by train/car/canoe or over it in planes. A more contemporary politician, Elizabeth May, notes; “If you have never taken the train across Canada, you really should put it on your life list… Meanwhile, I get to sit back and watch for moose from the dome car as we roll through the lake-dotted vastness of the boreal forest.”

We have “incorporated” the landscape by creating national and provincial parks, both wilderness and urban and have even made designated lookout points along travel routes so that the most noteworthy view is not missed. We “commune” with it by camping in it while, simultaneously, endanger it through environmentally suspect decisions at both micro and macro levels. Yet the land endures. We are defined by it, frustrated with it, and ultimately awed by it.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery’s database keyword search for “landscape” lists over 700— from its collection of over 4,500—works. These works range in medium from drawings and prints to photographs and painting and span three centuries from 1860 to 2010 and from broad and grand views to intimate “portraits” of the land. Land, Sea & Air is a celebration of all that is the Canadian landscape and it is as diverse as the artists who depict it.

 

 

Deadline for entry: September 1st, 2016

Opening Reception and Awards: Thursday, September 15th, 7pm – 9pm Music beginning at 6:30pm

Mary Gartlan: Co-Chair
Eric Beaton: Co-Chair

Call for Submissions!

Categories: Primarily Subject-Oriented, not Medium-Oriented:

1. People / Figures
2. Landscape / Seascape / Cityscape
3. Wildlife / Animals / Birds
4.  Still Life Subjects / Flowers
5. Abstract: a) Derivative -morphed from reality, or b) Imaginative – no reality whatsoever
6. Sculpture / Three Dimensional

• Accepted Media include: acrylic, fibre, giclée, graphite, mixed media, oil, pastel, pencil, sculptures, three dimensional, watercolour and multi-media panels. (Multiple panels are considered one piece of art.)
• No Photography will be accepted. All Juror’s decisions are Final.
• The Oshawa Art Association Juried Show Committee reserves the right to refuse any work of art which may offend the general public.

[button link=”http://rmg.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Juried-Show-brochure.pdf” new=”true”]Download the Submission Form[/button]

 

Regulations:

• All paintings must be suitable framed with the appropriate hardware using “D” rings (no saw hooks or screw eyes), taut wire of sufficient gauge for the weight of the artwork, and placed not more than 1/3 from the top of the frame. Those without the proper hardware will be ineligible for entry.
• All paintings must be thoroughly dry, and suitably finished/sealed based on the medium. Gallery style canvases, or wooden panels (minimum 1.5 inches thick), are acceptable without a frame, if all visible edges are painted or finished.
• Only original works may be submitted. Any copies of art by other visual artists, whether paintings or photographs; or classroom work which has been demonstrated on by instructors, will not be allowed. All submitted pieces must have been created within 12 months of the beginning of the Juried Art Exhibition.
• Proper identification labels must be placed securely at the back of each work of art, or on the base of each sculpture.
• Accepted art shall remain throughout the entire duration of the O.A.A. Juried Show; even when sold. All art in the Juried show will be for sale. Pieces may no longer be entered as Not for Sale.
• Entry changes and substitutions will not be accepted. Limit of two entries per artist. The entry fee is non-refundable. Entrants must members of the Oshawa
• Art Association or reside within the Durham Region of Ontario.
• A maximum canvas size of 5 feet by 5 feet, and a maximum weight of 60lbs.
• All sculpture pieces must be self-standing/self-supporting.
• If a piece is heavy, please make contact with the O.A.A. Co-Chairs for arrangements.
• How to properly hang a piece of artwork for the Juried Exhibition:
  • D Rings (no saw hooks or screw eyes)
  • Taut wire with sufficient gauge
  • Placed 1/3 from the top of the frame
  • A volunteer will be at the door checking for proper hardware. No repairs will be made on sight by the O.A.A. Artists may leave and come back by the drop-off deadline (7:45pm) to complete any repairs if needed. No exceptions.

Dates:

• Deadline: September 1, 2016 (postmarked or hand delivered)
• Delivery of Art: Deliveries will be accepted at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery on Thursday, September 8th, 2016 from 4 pm to 7:45 pm.
• Notice of Acceptance: All Artists with accepted pieces of artwork will be notified by phone on Saturday, September 10th from 5 pm to 9 pm.
• Pick-up of Declined Artwork: Sunday, September 11th, from 12 noon to 3:45 pm.
• Pick-up of Exhibited Artwork: Sunday, October 2nd, 2016 from 4 pm to 5:45 pm.
• Please Note: The artist is responsible for transporting artwork to and from the exhibition. Art shall be delivered in person by the artist or designate. The Gallery will not accept them from a delivery service. Please make alternate arrangements if unable to pick-up your artwork. The artist is responsible for providing adequate insurance protection. All art shall be picked-up on the dates and at the times listed.

For more information contact:
Mary Gartlan (905-576-7693)
Eric Beaton [email protected]

 

Jay Dart has created fictional worlds known as Yawnder and Elsewheres in order to explain his creative process. The main character, referred to by Dart as his alter ego, Jiggs, is on a journey to discover an original idea. Each of his illustrations contributes to the evolving narrative about the mystical nature of inspiration, the search for innovative creation, and the dissemination of ideas.

Dart also uses allegories to toy with current challenges (and opportunities) facing contemporary artists and creators: new technologies such as cloud computing, social networking, and the global community of the internet. As an artist, Dart sees the experience of inspiration as a private process with the internal ingestion of external influences taking place, and new ideas taking shape. The world Dart has created allows him to communicate his own challenges and exploits as a visual artist, as well as connect with the universal experiences of all creators.

As the subjects of his work wander through the horizonless expanse of the blank page, they encounter a whimsical wilderness complete with allegorical characters and elements such as Magical Mystery Beards, Foredad Clouds, and Geist Trees. The term geist, defined as the spirit of an individual, is used to describe the colourful swatches that appear throughout his drawings, representing the spirit of an individual’s ideas.

Jiggs, the main character, finds a source of geists in the lights in the sky over Yawnder. These lights are a source of inspiration not only for Jiggs, but for all those who wander over Yawnder. When he procures a geist, by building himself a very tall ladder in order to fish them out of the sky, Jiggs proclaims his first invention: the Magical Mystery Beard. Soon enough, other wanderers happen upon this source of inspiration and he finds out his invention was not so inventive after all, forcing him to dig deeper to create something unique.

Greetings from Yawnder! will bring Dart’s world to life. Each illustration will recount a different layer to the story, inviting the viewer to help Jiggs on his journey. There will be installations of geist trees, jars with Magical Mystery Beards, and twig libraries, bringing Yawnder beyond the pages and into the gallery space. Visitors will be asked to participate in the creation and dissemination of ideas. With activitiy stations throughout the gallery space, this participatory exhibition will have the visitor contributing to both the story and the creative process.

In 2014, the RMG was given the rare opportunity of choosing paintings for its permanent collection from a large body of work by the estate of abstract painter, York Wilson. Works by Wilson had been collected by the RMG from as early as the first gift of Monument by Alexandra Luke in 1967, and includes paintings, collages, prints and drawings. The offer was an occasion to “fill in the gaps.” We now have a collection of fifteen works by Wilson that range in date from 1955 to 1980.

This exhibition is a celebration of those works and York Wilson as an artist in the foreground of the development of abstraction in Canada in the 20th century.

Wilson was born in Toronto in 1907 and was educated as a commercial artist at Central Technical School. He worked alongside Group of Seven members Franklin Carmichael and A.J. Casson at Sampson-Matthews Ltd. and was later influenced by Charles Comfort and Will Ogilvie in his first efforts at painting when working with them at Brigdens engraving house. After 1949 he left his commercial career to pursue art full time adopting a nomadic way of life that took him and his wife to Europe, the Middle and Far East, as well as a long-term stay in Mexico. They would return to Toronto in 1982 until Wilson’s death in 1984. He continues to be known for his work as a muralist, examples of which can still be seen at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and the Imperial Plaza condominium.

Communications theorist Marshall McLuhan wrote of Wilson: “York Wilson is a key figure in relating us to both the old visual world of realism and to the new resonating world of touch and echo and pattern” and that “there is a rich story of experiment and discovery and dialogue that emerged in an art that is calm, serious, and splendid.”

The selection of work from the RMG collection ranges from early forays into abstract expressionism, geometric abstraction and experiments with pattern and collage. The unifying strength of Wilson’s oeuvre is his superb facility with both design and colour and an inherent energy throughout his practice. While Wilson’s contribution is less-well known today, this exhibition is confirmation of the importance of his work to Canadian art history.

 

“I remember shopping here as a child. I remember the cheesy commercials and the corny Christmas jingles. And now I’ll never forget the song she sang and the dance we danced on this day.” – jerm IX

Peterborough-based artist jerm IX , describes himself as a street artist, lyricist, poet, photographer and urban explorer. The photographs featured in this exhibition were originally posted on his blog series entitled Abandonment Issues—where he documents his urban explorations through photography and poetry. Urban explorers is a term used to describe an online community who explores abandoned buildings and inaccessible areas. On urbanexplorers.net, the movement is described as: “The pure enjoyment of exploring places that most people won’t go. The experience of maneuvering mazes and obstacles of days gone by. The adrenaline rush of the unexpected.” As both an urban explorer and street/graffiti artist, jerm IX treads carefully in the middle. These two identities are not compatible or related, as urban explorers are not interested in tagging their locations. He says he feels a personal connection with the locations he chooses—a part of their history—and writes about the experience of the place as almost a living, breathing entity. His blog postings don’t just consist of photographs documenting his experiences, but also written word about his interaction with the place.

In this case, jerm IX explores the vacant building that was once home to the supermarket chain Knob Hill Farms, which operated at the Front Street and First Avenue Oshawa location from 1983-2001. The original sections of the building date back to 1872, when it was the Ontario Malleable Iron Company, an iron foundry that was in operation until 1977. The foundry was established by brothers John and William Cowan, and employed anywhere from 350-800 people a year. Not only does jerm IX explore the modern additions built for Knob Hill, but the interior of the original iron foundry. The exhibition begins with a selection of Thomas Bouckley Collection images to give historical context to jerm IX ’s photographs, but the focus is on a rare glimpse of the interior of this large, vacant, structure. jerm IX ’s romantic interaction and the resulting photographs are an homage to the history this building holds for the community.

Internationally renowned artist and author Douglas Coupland was approached in the spring of 2010 to produce a sculpture for the exterior of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. His personal relationship with Arthur Erickson, the architect of the 1987 gallery expansion, and his ongoing interest in mid-century modernism, made the proposal particularly appealing to Coupland.

The RMG supplied Coupland with images and history of the RMG, particularly related to its mandate to collect and exhibit the work of Ontario’s first abstract painting collective, Painters Eleven (1953-1960).

Coupland explains the ideas behind his sculpture, Group Portrait, 1957, and its contemporary recontexualization of P11:

For The Robert McLaughlin Gallery I propose a work that reflects the Gallery’s curatorial mandate to transmit forward to future generations the work and ideas of its collection, specifically the work of Painters Eleven. To do this I’ve taken the seminal portrait of the group, Peter Croydon’s 1957 group portrait, and have used it as a framework on which to place abstract forms that represent each member. These forms and their colours are derived from a key piece of each of the eleven members’ works in the Gallery’s collection.  The forms are circular containing concentric rings which are then placed above a painted white metal framework so that in symphony, all eleven forms become “transmitters.”

The approximately 27′ x 11′ (8.1 x 3.3m) relief sculpture entitled Group Portrait 1957 was permanently installed on the north/west facade of the RMG in September 2011.

The paintings in this exhibition by the Painters Eleven reference to the specific works that Coupland referred to when creating Group Portrait, 1957.

Watch Douglas Coupland’s lecture at the RMG on September 24, 2011.

During her residency, Sally Thurlow will be working on a series of sculptures and paintings exploring subconscious themes on major change, dislocation, and relocation which have personal meaning and may also relate to the universal, continuing, and recurring theme that refugees are always on the move. However, this project is only just getting underway, so it is open to huge change…

In an earlier Reclamation sculptural series she stated “Memory is embedded, the process of ageing ennobles. From being tossed away or lost, then washed up, then recovered and restored to dignity and purpose, these driftwood forms represent a deeply human longing for reclamation. Like us, they are simply travellers through time, looking for meaning. How have we come here? How do we react to our environment?” Her attention now is more toward envisioning forms that speak of intense emotional states – making visible the invisible, allowing for new possibilities. She has moved from placing her figures to blend into the environment to making them stand out. Consequently, Thurlow started working with paints, stains, and manufactured additions to her figures. Here she will be working on the second sculpture of a trio.

As a member of the IRIS Group, Thurlow’s residency in the ArtLab is completed in conjunction with the Gallery A exhibition IRIS at 20.

Artist Biography:

Sally Thurlow is a multidisciplinary artist based in Greater Toronto. For some years she has been exploring the dynamic range of figurative forms using driftwood, within a wide range of other media. The questioning of our cultural and environmental practices is a constant focus of her work. She holds a BA in Fine Arts from the University of Toronto, with courses in Cultural and Environmental Studies at Trent University and significant earlier studies at OCA. She has given numerous artist talks and workshops at educational institutions and public galleries.

Her work has been shown internationally and she has been the recipient of various Ontario Arts Council awards. She is a member of the IRIS Group and the Red Head Gallery artists’ collectives. Her work is held in private collections across Canada, and at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario. For more information please visit www.sallythurlow.com