visual art
AGW exhibit explores the complex and shifting notions of national boundaries Stephen Hargreaves MANAGING EDITOR Before anything else Windsor is a border town. Whether the bridge connects us or the river divides us, the position of Windsor as a border town is paramount to the city’s identity. The Art Gallery of Windsor is acutely aware of its position from the gallery’s home at the shore of the Detroit River in the immediate shadow of Motown’s sky-scraping iconic landscape. Dialogue within their walls and on either side of the Windsor-Detroit border has culminated in Border Cultures a three-part group exhibition series...
Stephen Hargreaves MANAGING EDITOR here is a mysterious man in Windsor who travels exclusively on two wheels, self-propelled sculptures of metal, rubber and wire. He is known by many names; the Highlander and Frankenbike, to name but two. Though, not unlike the enchanter in Monty Python’s Holy Grail, he calls himself Tim. I caught up Tim Laskey on a test run of his latest creation, “The Eagle,” an 11-foot-long chopper style bicycle that uses, among other things, the frame of a weight-bench and the rear wheel from a drag racer. The same creation is set to headline the upcoming For...
From the alley to the gallery with D3N!@L Stephen Hargreaves MANAGING EDITOR n 1992, Morrissey sang, “We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful.” It’s a sentiment so pertinent in Windsor that it’s more than, as Mozza warbled, “Really laughable.” It’s down right hilarious. It’s seemingly written, that at the mere mention of The Tea Party, Neverending White Lights, Ritchie Hawtin, even Michou, peers scoff and take the official hipster avenue of complaining about how, “they were better before they were ‘cool.’” Dan Bombardier is not only on the boat chartered for success and local disdain, he has covered it...
LeBel’s annual spring art show shows off graduating BFA students Sarah Hurst LANCE WRITER s per tradition, this year’s graduating BFA class at the LeBel School of Visual Art is putting on a final exhibit that showcases the work produced in their senior year. Titled Twelve°, the exhibit will open April 2 and will run until April 5 with a reception held at the LeBel Building in the SOVA Gallery. Twelve° features work from Brandon Lemire, Miriam Brathwaite, Marcy Boles, Kevin Echlin, Sara Curley, Diane Dosen, Dongni Li, Veronica Murawski, Ann Roth, Jessica Terpstra, and co-organizers Stephen Surlin and Hiba...
A book and retrospective exhibit attempt to encompass one of art’s broadest careers Josh Kolm ARTS EDITOR ain Baxter&, University of Windsor visual arts professor emeritus and one of Canada’s premier working artists, seems to be getting the recognition he deserves lately. Paired with his ongoing retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Iain Baxter&: Works 1958-2011 attempts to take on the lofty goal of providing a comprehensive biographical and critical book that covers every angle of one of modern art’s most multi-faceted figures. Starting off with the obvious (what that ampersand means), editor David Moos brings together work from...
Trophy Case Gallery a rare shot at public exhibition for fresh students Josh Kolm ARTS EDITOR new micro-gallery within the halls of LeBel School of Visual Arts hopes to remedy the dilemma students face when entering the professional world, where their lack of experience means few galleries are willing to give them a chance. “I was thinking of ways to engage with the students who have not shown yet,” said SoVA Director and Trophy Case Gallery administrator Michael Ngo. “It’s surprising how many students don’t show their work until their fourth year or the BFA show.” Trophy Case is geared...
SB Contemporary Art fills the need for an independent commercial art space in Windsor Josh Kolm ARTS EDITOR or those who believe one has to starve to be an artist, SB Contemporary Art stands in defiance. Owned and operated by the eponymous Sarah Beveridge, the gallery has spent the better part of the last year establishing itself as a sufficient space that shows art can pay the bills in Windsor. Beveridge herself graduated from the University of Windsor’s fine arts program in 1997 and eventually landed in Barrie. While working as an intructor at Georgian College, she opened Sarah Beveridge...
Victor Romao’s art addresses the dark roots of rural Canadian living Josh Kolm ARTS EDITOR alm, bat-headed men are bizarre, but ultimately less threatening than the mentalities ingrained in tense farm boys in the eerily stirring work in Victor Romao’s lasted exhibit. Romao, a native of rural southwestern Ontario, received his BFA and MFA from the University of Windsor and currently resides in the city. His exhibit, “Southwestern Gothic,” comes to Windsor following a three-month exhibition at Museum London. Romao’s hand-carved wooden sculptures will be on display, but “Southwestern Gothic” is primarily composed of drawings, whose anonymous, definitely on-edge and...
Art Gallery of Windsor’s 2011 Biennial showcases the most groundbreaking work for miles Josh Kolm ARTS EDITOR ince the beginning of October, the Art Gallery of Windsor has played host to some of the most original works of art from Windsor and beyond in their 2011 Biennial showcase. Opening with a tour from curator and University of Windsor’s School of Visual Arts professor emeritus Iain Baxter&, one of the biggest events the AGW holds will close with another tour on Dec. 8. “There is a lot of electrifying work being done not only in Windsor, but the areas nearby,” Baxter&...
“Borders” examines the value placed in structure Josh Kolm ARTS EDITOR ose Luis Torres challenges perceptions of the architecture in our everyday lives with a new exhibit at Artcite. “Borders” is an expansive but contained look at how the most pervasive and meaningful structure in our lives keeps changing, even if we are right in the middle of it. Born in Argentina but living in Canada since 2003, Torres works primarily in sculpture, mainly using wooden materials found in scrap yards and other places filled with discarded “junk.” Typically using the wood to create location-specific structures and frames, Torres’ exhibits...
