Jan 25th, 2010

Adam Makarenko @ Bau-Xi Photo — Toronto

“Last of the Frontier Lands” ended Jan 24 

I admire the craft in Adam Makarenko’s work, the staging is impressive, but I wonder if there is more to it all than the ability to mimic.   >>

Jan 21st, 2010

Jon Sasaki @ Jessica Bradley ART + PROJECTS — Toronto

“Unabashed Optimism” til Feb 6

Jon Sasaki is a bit like Jackie Chan, he not only acts in his work, but he also performs his own stunts.   >>

Jan 19th, 2010

Larry Eisenstein @ Loop Gallery — Toronto

“PHOSLOGICA” til Jan 24

When I first saw Larry Eisenstein’s drawings, a couple of months ago at Index G, I thought they were the work of a young artist. Not because of any lack of skill or accomplishment, there are rules about what time an artist finds his voice,   >>

Jan 19th, 2010

Jason de Haan @ Clint Roenisch Gallery — Toronto

“Like Dust” til Feb 24

This one is for all the skeptics.  This show challenges you not to believe. A cornucopia in defense of the intangible.    >>

Jan 15th, 2010

Arthur Renwick @ Leo Kamen Gallery — Toronto

“Masks: Artists and Curators” ended Jan 9

Their eyes stare right at you. They pull strange faces.  To say these are portraits are intense and intimidating is an understatement.     >>

Jan 5th, 2010

Phoebe Greenberg @ hirshhorn — Washington DC

“Next Floor” til April 4

Phoebe Greenberg and/or the hirshhorn, got my junk up in a knot in a couple of different ways with this “exhibit”.

I’m not  disgruntled because Next Floor won best Short Film at Cannes in 2008 (amoung numerous other awards).  It is a well done, profound and compelling short film.  But my first beef is that it is a film and film has its own numerous venues for display.

And it’s not the film’s content either.  Portraying a bunch of privileged people gorging on all imaginable animals while the floor continuously falls out beneath them is an apt critique of our western ways, if not a very obvious one.   >>

Dec 29th, 2009

Gordon Anderson @ Christopher Cutts Gallery

“1989-2009″ til Jan 6th

My companion was unusually vocal about her dislike of this show.  In her eyes, it was a big exercise in making things big for the sake of making things big and she loathed the glitter routine of his most recent work.  I wasn’t too sold on it either.  I had that blank feeling that formalist work usually gives me.  But by reflex, I found myself defending the work…   >>

Dec 15th, 2009

Fernand Leduc @ olga korper gallery

til Jan 23

Fernand Leduc’s work requires a lot of patience and a large leap of faith.  They look like mere colour field paintings of American sixties artists Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko except Leduc’s paintings feature boring colours.  Most of them are either black or flesh toned, arguably the colours of high fashion or the ultimate in unimaginative.  I think my eyes probably rolled back into my head when I stepped into the gallery.   >>

Dec 15th, 2009

Sandra Smirle @ Board of Directors

“Been and Gone: 100 Random Temporal Observations” til Dec. 20

Sandra Smirle has a fascination with maps.  Much of her work over the past few years concerns maps. 

Maps are a visual representation of an area, but it is also by nature an abstraction of that area.  Maps looks nothing like the reality of an actual place and take on different formats depending on the maps intended use.  In the case of “Been and Gone”, each map is a more sophisticated way of saying “I was here.”   >>

Dec 11th, 2009

Brad Woodfin @ Jacana Contemporary Art Gallery — Vancouver

“The Holy Goats” til Dec. 13

Brad Woodfin has made portraits of goats.  At first glance, the only differences between them are their unique horns.  But after further investigation, there is one thing that separates each work from the other.  If you look closely, you can see the subtle differences in the character of the goats.  Is it ever subtle and perhaps true and most might miss it.   >>

Dec 9th, 2009

Erin McSavaney @ Equinox Gallery — Vancouver

“New Paintings” til Dec. 12

Erin McSavaney’s paintings of empty loading docks make me feel lonely.     >>

Dec 8th, 2009

Brian Boulton @ Winsor Gallery — Vancouver

Ended Nov. 29

Using a pencil, Brian Boulton can render his subject in terms so real and vivid that they are like exceptionally sharp photographs. Can you not practically see the guy’s skin move in the drawing above?  Bolton unquestionably has a way with graphite, but it is how he has chosen to wield this talent that has me all worked up.   >>

Dec 8th, 2009

Stephen Appleby-Barr @ Narwhal Art Projects

“The Invisible College” ended Nov. 29

What makes a good portrait?  Most would agree that a portrait needs to reveal character and be a good likeness of the subject.  But what makes it good? Isn’t it the artist’s ability to interpret his subject and tell us more than we see in their likeness the essence of a good portrait?     >>

Dec 7th, 2009

Kristine Moran @ Clark and Faria

“Hidden In The Shore Maze” til Jan. 10

A week after Kristine Moran’s show opened, Clark and Faria is sold out.  Perhaps, as the gallerist suggested, it has something to do with her not having a show in Toronto since 2005.  Maybe it’s because her painting is attractive – both edgy and lovely at the same time.   >>