Canadian Art - Reviews

Will Munro: Ecstatic Legacies

2012-01-26T17:00:00Z

Underwear Mannequins Courtesy the Will Munro Estate and Paul Petro (Watson’s) / photo AGYU" />
In 2010, at the age of 35, Toronto artist/DJ/promoter/activist Will Munro succumbed to brain cancer. Here, David Balzer reviews the first big survey of Munro’s work, which makes apparent how talented, prolific and perceptive this creator was.

Painting Canada: Artistry in the UK

2012-01-26T16:59:00Z

Smoke Lake 1915 Courtesy McMichael Canadian Art Collection" />
The Dulwich Picture Gallery’s recent Group of Seven show was one of the UK museum’s biggest hits ever, drawing 41,000 visitors. The attention was deserved, writes Sarah Milroy, as the exhibition offered new insights even to seasoned Canadian-art observers.

David Altmejd: In the Belly of the Beast

2012-01-26T16:58:00Z

L’air / photo Farzad Owrang" />
The Occupy movement has galvanized the way we think about haves and have-nots. But where do artists fit in? As Joseph R. Wolin observes in this review of David Altmejd’s show at the Brant Foundation, context can be as powerful as content in determining the split.

Wilhelm Sasnal: The New Black

2012-01-19T17:15:00Z

Kacper and Anka 2009" />
If Gerhard Richter at Tate Modern was one big painting story in London this fall, Polish painter Wilhelm Sasnal at the Whitechapel Gallery was another. As Richard Rhodes notes in this review, Sasnal’s art has definite staying power.

Out of Nowhere: Winnipeg Wonders

2012-01-12T16:49:00Z

The City’s Light Grows 2011 " />
Curated by artist Sarah Anne Johnson and critic Meeka Walsh, “Out of Nowhere” is New York group show of Winnipeg artists. Hadani Ditmars reviews, finding a fresh perspective on the Canadian aesthetic.

Kananginak Pootoogook: Such a Long Journey

2012-01-05T16:59:00Z

Untitled 2009 Courtesy Marion Scott Gallery | Kardosh Projects" />
From traditional wildlife to shiny Ski-Doos, Kananginak Pootoogook documented contemporary Inuit life from the 1950s right up till his death in 2010. Now, a keenly observed memorial exhibition is on in Vancouver. Robin Laurence reviews.

Gerhard Richter: Nowhere Man

2012-01-05T16:58:00Z

Abstract Painting 1990 © Gerhard Richter" />
This weekend, London's Tate Modern wraps up its career survey of German painter Gerhard Richter, which will soon travel to Berlin and Paris. Here, Richard Rhodes reviews the bold oeuvre that managed to recalibrate painting as conceptual art.

Nicole Collins: Glimpses of Renewal

2012-01-05T16:57:00Z

Resolver 2011 Courtesy the artist and General Hardware Contemporary / photo Jeff Bierk" />
The term “reconstruction” can be associated with Civil War history, plastic surgery and financial crises alike. As Pete Smith reports, the term also gets fresh aesthetic definition in Nicole Collins’ new paintings, currently on view in Toronto.

Francis Picabia: Postmodern Predictor

2011-12-08T17:04:00Z

In his final fall report from New York City, David Balzer reviews a show of Francis Picabia’s late paintings at Michael Werner. As Balzer observes, Picabia’s production in the 1940s seemed to predict the kitsch and remix tendencies of postmodern painting today.

Jesper Just: The Human Touch

2011-12-01T17:15:00Z

This Nameless Spectacle 2011 Video still Courtesy MAC/VAL Vitry-sur-Seine, ANNA LENA Films & Galerie Perrotin Paris © Jesper Just 2011" />
It’s rare to find a talent who can bridge the structural interests of the art world with the hungers of popular audiences. But as Richard Rhodes found on a trip to the Paris suburbs last week, Danish-born film and video artist Jesper Just rises to the challenge.