Exploring Canadian Art

This weekend I went to Toronto to visit with friends and family. On Saturday I went to an art exhibit commemorating the work of the late Gerald Ferguson, a well-known conceptual artist who had been based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The show and tribute was outstanding. We heard from students who had studied art with Ferguson at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. He was most noted for his idea of the "dematerialization of the art object." The paintings on display were a series of images of tire chain tracks, some in spirals, some in zig zags, in enamel on canvas. The black of the enamel was suggestive of tire grease and the works were stunning. The tributes were touching and it was clear that this man made a deep impression on the landscape of Canadian art and on his students. Over the next few months, I intend to make a further exploration of the Canadian art scene, something about which I know very little. The show was in a shared space and the gallery was next door to a place called the "musiceum" which was filled with instruments of all sorts and exploring the displays proved to be an adventure of its own -- and a place with great potential for gifts for people who "have everything". Today work obligations crowd my agenda leaving no room for the further exploration of Canadian art, but plenty of room for exploring documentary materials on indigenous peoples of Canada -- I will fill you in on that subject tomorrow.

Still welcoming suggestions as well!
D