Saturday 29 October 2011

Things Exist

Things exist.  We do not have to create them; we only have to grasp their relations. - Stéphane Mallarmé 1891

Micah Lexier's latest show at Birch Libralato Gallery is a celebration of found objects, or more precisely, a collection of fragments of found cardboard boxes cleverly put together.  Even the title of the show itself, Things Exist, is a found object.  Mallarmé's quote could not have summarized Lexier's show in better words.

Lexier at Birch Libralato, Toronto 2011:





Thursday 27 October 2011

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Weißenhofsiedlung

Weißenhofsiedlung in Stuttgart is the site for an architectural exhibition in 1927.  Big names in the architectural world at that time, including Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, Peter Behrens, J.J.P. Oud and others, were invited to build on the site.  Fans of modern architecture should visit this holy land at least once in their life time.

One of two houses designed by Le Corbusier at Weißenhofsiedlung:

Monday 24 October 2011

Insel Hombroich

Very close to Langen Foundation, Museum Insel Hombroich is near Neuss just outside Düsseldorf.  Fusing art, architecture and nature on over 62 acres of meadowland, Insel Hombroich is both a park and a museum.  Here, the museum collection is exhibited in a very unusual natural setting.  Sculptor Erwin Heerich has been responsible for the design of the very sculptural architecture on this site back in 1982.



Sunday 23 October 2011

Saturday 22 October 2011

Friday 21 October 2011

Youds turns on your electric

I almost missed Robert Youds' latest show Turn On Your Electric at Diaz Contemporary.  It was its last day of showing when I went to see it last weekend.  Youds' works show his interest in colour and light.  I can see hints of futurism/vorticism and minimalism.

Youds at Diaz, Toronto 2011:




Thursday 20 October 2011

Dorion's geometric abstraction

At his Diaz Contemporary exhibition just closed last week, Pierre Dorion used photographs of architecture as the starting point.  By removing detail after detail until the threshold of representation is reached, Dorion's paintings can be viewed as works of monochromatic geometric abstraction.

Dorion at Diaz, Toronto 2011:


Wednesday 19 October 2011

Wermers' (non)functional elegance

Nicole Wermers' architecturally inspired sculptural and photographic works are deceptively simple and elegant.  Her dreamlike works blur the distinction between functional design and autonomous art.

Wermers at Kunsverein Düsseldorf, 2011:



Tuesday 18 October 2011

Monday 17 October 2011

Early Harms

Bradley Harms's early works are my favourite.  His works from 2005 and 2006 are still refreshingly brilliant.

Harms at Angell Gallery, Toronto 2007:

Sunday 16 October 2011

Harms' secret messages

Bradley Harms' current show at Angell Gallery reveals some new directions he is taking.  For the first time, he is incorporating texts, though concealed, in his paintings.

Harms at Angell, Toronto 2011:




Total Confusion Fabulous

Bradley Harms has been one of my most favourite Canadian artists since I first saw his works more than four years ago.  I went to see his latest solo exhibition Total Confusion Fabulous at Angell Gallery on Saturday.  Harms' latest works continue to be exciting and adventurous.

Harms at Angell, Toronto 2011:






Friday 14 October 2011

Funksignal

... the track I keep listening to recently whenever I'm driving, from Atom™'s 2009 album Liedgut, great video:


Video from 's youtube channel

Thursday 13 October 2011

When Things Collide

Derrick Piens' plywood sculpture and drawing When Things Collide previously at Peak Gallery, Toronto 2011:



Piens' new show is opening at Peak tomorrow.

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Mansur's imaginary architecture

Toronto artist Kal Mansur's imaginary architecture is a completely sealed space with no entrance/exit, or an uninhabited empty space with apparent enclosures and voids, or a sculptural skyscraper with no windows or openings.  They are not designed to be built but to be contemplated upon.

Mansur at (now closed) Median Contemporary, Toronto 2010:


Tuesday 11 October 2011

Gold, Silver & Lead

Jed Lind's Gold, Silver & Lead currently showing at Toronto Sculpture Garden is a totem of seven replica 1979 Honda Civics reminiscent of Constantin Brâncuşi's The Endless Column.  Just like Brancusi's legendary piece, Lind's monument suggests both infinity and temporality.