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March, 2006
ArtSpeak at the Toronto Art Expo
Lynn Conner
The fourth annual Toronto Art Expo was held last weekend
at the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street with over two hundred artists
from across Canada displaying their work. The Grand opening, held on
Thursday March the 16th, was attended by thousands of art patrons who,
all in all, seemed somewhat limited in their artistic sensibilities.
Most seemed to gravitate to the usual banal landscapes and flower imagery
that has become so commonplace in our ever expanding Canadian artworld.
There were however several artists whom seemed to use this exhibiting
opportunity to display a rare individualism that was more than refreshing
when walking up and down what seemed to be endless aisles of congruous
paintings.
After walking past the first twenty or so booths, I came across an
artist from Vancouver by the name of James Picard, his dazzling watercolour
portrait paintings stopped me in my tracks. James Picard's paintings seemed
to have a classical meets modern feel with an energy reminiscent of Gustav
Klimt or Egon Schiele. The large portraits were demanding in their presence
and ranged from light hearted, as in the "Man with Martini"
a dapper gentleman
in a blue tuxedo with a martini in hand who made one feel that the golden
days of Gatzby aren't that long ago, to the more intensive "Man with
Sunglasses"
who peers out upon the viewer not allowing us to see him behind his deep
blue
shades but seemingly penetrating us with an all too knowing look.
I found out that Picard grew up in Toronto and studied art at the Ontario
College
of Art as well as apprenticing with the likes of Harold Town and William
Ronald,
two members of the controversial Painters Eleven group that came out of
Toronto
in the 1950's and who challenged the art establishment with their abstract
expressionist paintings. Along with Picard's watercolours were several
acrylic on
canvas and a multitude of ink drawings on paper all executed with masterly
quality.
After proceeding further through the exhibit I came across the works of
Sheila
Trinkaus and Tomolennon Kayoko, also figure painters whose mystical quality
pulled the viewer into the dream-like world that both artists create so
vividly.
A young artist, whose influence was quite Haring-like, also grabbed my
attention
with his religious theme and quick gestural line. Large crucifix drawings
with a
child like sensibility were not a crowd favourite, but like Picard, got
one thinking a
little outside the box.
The large nude paintings of Montreal artist Carole Beauvais were also
quite riviting
with their strong colour and well balanced composition they pulled you
in and
left you with a quiet awareness and reflection.
I left the Expo with a rather subdued sensation and though my eyes were
tired of
scanning booths looking for originality, I took solice in knowing that
there are at
least a few Canadian artists still pushing the envelope and challenging
our visual
perceptions.