First Edition: In the Comfort of Art
March Newsletter
It has been a crazy few weeks - I hope everyone is staying calm, healthy, and sane while cooped up indoors.
It is increasingly clear that no one knows what these next few weeks or months will bring and I am sure there will be a myriad of changes good and bad. So for right now, I am aiming my focus on the comforting rather than the ominous, and for me that means art. Art has done an incredible job, throughout history, of documenting humanity, recording joys and the sorrows, and serving as a reminder that this too will pass.
For this month’s newsletter, I am going to share a number of my favourite artists in the hopes, if anything, of providing a little digital distraction and bringing a little color to your day.
Hilary Pecis
American, b. 1979
First Spotted: Rachel Uffner’s upstairs exhibition space, “Hilary Pecis: On View;” I could not get enough of the art book cameos in her paintings.
Kept Me Coming Back: Modernizing the classic still life genre, Hilary Pecis focuses on scenes from everyday life, creating intimate, detail-dense scenes. Still lifes have been painted since the beginning of time, with the most famous of all hailing from 17th century Netherlands. Diverging from traditions of exotic flowers and luxurious buffets, Hilary’s paintings bring us an incredibly fresh perspective - her canvases are instead dotted with personality and evidence of contemporary life, from cans of Modelo to books from the David Hockney Retrospective.
Paintings from $5,000+ USD
Julia Dault
Canadian, b. 1977
First Spotted: at The Power Plant; I fell in love with the color and whimsy of her work.
Kept Me Coming Back: Her sculptures of Formica, Plexiglas and Everlast boxing wraps are carefully placed against walls and can unravel at any moment. While simple in concept and form, these present a modern interpretation of minimalist sculpture. Her paintings also reference the art historical movement of abstraction as they are filled with simple washes of color, geometric shapes and enlarged brushstrokes. In both mediums this sense of movement is paramount - at one moment they are there, the next they may not be.
Prints $5,000+ CAD; Paintings $9,000+ CAD
Toyin Ojih Odutola
Nigerian, b. 1985
First Spotted: Jack Shainman Gallery’s “Of Context and Without;” did a triple-take to fully absorb the mastery of her technical skills.
Kept Me Coming Back: These insanely impressive drawings have so much depth and texture, it is hard to believe they are done by hand. Initially working predominately in black and white pen and focusing on a figure’s skin, Toyin highlights individuality by creating intricate topographic linework from which portraits emerged. More recently, she has been experimenting with color, and signature texture-work continues to shine. I am increasingly drawn to modern portraiture, and Toyin has without a doubt mastered the genre.
Katherine Bradford
American, b. 1942
First Spotted: a few months before CANADA’s exhibition, “Fear of Waves;” the works transported me and became instantly memorable.
Kept Me Coming Back: Humorous and relatable, her images of little bathers are my favorite subject matter as pink people punctuate colour-washed blue backdrops. While self-taught, her references to art history are quite sophisticated, with the color-washed backdrops as an ode to abstract expressionist techniques of the likes of Helen Frankenthaler and Mark Rothko.
Paintings from $6,000+ USD
Interior view of Joe and Kristen Cole’s Dallas home featuring artwork by Katherine Bradford. Photo by Katy Shayne. Courtesy of Joe and Kristen Cole.
Jessica Eaton
Canadian, b. 1977
First Spotted: Bradley Ertaskiran’s booth at Art Toronto; I am a sucker for art that references art history - her ode to Albers had me hooked.
Kept Me Coming Back: While appearing simple at first, these images are a composite of a labour-intensive process involving sculpture, photography and digital rendering. This series, in particular, is a favorite as it pays homage to master colourist - Josef Albers while taking on the minimalist sculptural forms of Sol Lewitt. On top of that, she is a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow!
Photographs from $2,500+
Art for Social Distancing
Before I go, if you are looking for a great read — I am currently loving 100 Years, 100 Artworks: A History of Contemporary Art, which just happens to be written by my favorite professor, Agnes Berecz. Serving as a surprisingly enlightening coffee table book populated with beautiful images, it offers succinct and intelligent descriptions of the most important artworks of the past 100 years.
Also, a silver lining of quarantine is that Art Basel’s Hong Kong edition, which had to be cancelled, is available online through viewing rooms. On Friday, I will be trying my hand at a virtual tour (via Instagram) so please do not hesitate to reach out if you’d like to join!