Milk Truck Delivery #6 AUGUST 🥛 🛻

July was an excellent month in terms of discovering art and meeting folks who make, curate, and love art enough to talk about it at length. I’m going to run through a recap of an impromptu trip to Ontario - which took me from Toronto to the woods of Guelph as well as look at a few interesting pieces from late July to mid-August.

Diving in below!

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Whatever the case, or use case that this newsletter might hold, I can only hope that it helps expand your knowledge and love of art.

Toronto → Guelph → Toronto

I received an invitation to check out Paul Nadeau’s MFA graduation show at the Art Gallery of Guelph via email about a month or so ago from the man himself.

As discussed in a previous edition of this newsletter (ENTER LINK) Paul’s work has the ability to act as a sort of porthole into the past while peering into the near future of the state of our relationship with natural resources, heavy industry, isolated communities and how our historical involvement melds and changes along the way.

The prospect of getting to make a last-minute trip to Ontario was too much to say no to so I flew from Victoria to Toronto. My dear friend, Jon put me in touch with his parents (shout out to Sue and Tim for putting me up) and I was welcomed with open arms and the most comfortable bed to crash in for a couple of nights. On the second day there, I connected with La Roi de La Tarte aka Philippe Bourdeau aka Salut Cowboy aka Curator at Centre d’Exposition L’Imagier and we concocted a plan for him to pick me up in Toronto on the way down from Sudbury (quite a drive but Philippe has an engine bigger than any car). Philippe and Paul’s friend, Dunstan Topp had also joined for the ride - a lovely ceramicist and dark wave musician, Dunstan held down the fort in the back seat as we discussed the legality of brass knuckles or “knuckle dusters” as they were known at my high school. We arrived at the University of Guelph and pulled up to the once-a-school-house-now-an-art-gallery. Mr. Nadeau, the man of the hour, arrived in his station wagon with what looked to be 6x6 stretchers strapped to the roof - an indication of the completion of one thing and moving to the next.

We had some celebratory cigars in the parking lot then checked out the show with Paul. Regardless of the setting or scenario, seeing art when there are only a few other people around is a great experience, getting to walk around an exhibition with the artist and their art before the crowd arrives is unbeatable. The building itself was well-lit with high ceilings and multiple floors. Gravel is the New Gold was hosted in a room without windows which housed the works perfectly. As somebody who has never been to Guelph, I was already filled with the enthusiasm of the undying realization that towns off of major highways are the real attractions, the big cities cower in the shadow of intrigue these places cast - in a sense, seeing the exhibition in this space made it feel like I’d stubbed my toe on a well kept secret.

I could ramble all day about my connection to Mr. Nadeau’s art given that we both grew up in B.C. and have an affinity for stumbling upon small towns and exploring what has been left behind or remains to this day - BUT - I’d rather provide some images of the work in all their small-screen glory!

July and August have seen me spend a few days in Toronto in pursuit of knowledge and culture. Six months ago, I don’t think I would have associated my personal growth in the arts with Toronto. Having only ever visited the city in the winter before this year; the greyness and cheek-biting cold that seems to roll up, down, and across the streets in a constant manner turned me off of Canada’s largest city. Much like every other place on this planet, it’s way better in the summer. I had some time during my twenty-five-hour trip last week to check out the AGO and once again, have become even more enamered with the space. A day pass is $30 and an annual pass is $40 which gives you access to the member’s lounge, a beautiful space filled with great Canadian art, comfy couches, delicious coffee, and a reworked menu. Who knew? No-brainer! Regardless of how comfy the lounge is the art is far and away better than sitting in a lounge. Worth the tired feet.

My favourite piece on the day was this Rosalie Favell painting which is a derivative of a digital print she’d done back in 1999. Its dream-like qualities have an uncertainty to them that makes the viewer question its position as a premonition, reality, or perhaps a waking realization of support and a path forward. I provided some text below about the piece that shines some light on Favell’s use of popular culture references in her own search for an understanding of home and identity.

“Drawing inspiration from my family history and Métis (Cree/English) heritage, I use a variety of sources, from family albums to popular culture, to present a complex self-portrait of my experiences as a contemporary Aboriginal woman. In one of my adventures, "I awoke to find my spirit had returned," the desire to go home is always present even as I question where home is. The leap that I make in this work is in making the connection between this history, both personal and cultural, and the characters of Xena, Warrior Princess, Dorothy in the classic story The Wizard of Oz and Louis Riel. Riel is often quoted (including in my work) as saying, "My people will sleep for one hundred years and when they awake, it will be the artist that gives them their spirit back..." Riel as prophet or Wizard of Oz is telling us that everything that we need is right inside of us, that all roads lead to home, that being true to our people is the way to recover our pride, our self-respect.” - Rosalie Favell

I’ve had a couple of projects on the go this month that have pulled my attention from the broader secondary art market which has been a bit of a bonus as I’ve had time to discover some other art and artists I’ve been loving. One artist in particular is Dan Dowd who resides in Maine (not Canada and not a Canadian artist - but art is borderless so let’s roll with it). He uses found objects; coats, tires, blankets, roadside detritus, and objects picked from the dump to construct his pieces. His sculptures take on lifelike shapes with knicks and patina that go hand in hand with the wear and tear of life itself - the aging, shifting and shaping that we all experience. While researching Dowd’s art, I found that he works at Starling’s alma mater, is an avid thrifter/collector with one of the most personalized, practical, and lived-in abodes, and enjoys old vehicles! I’d love to shoot the shit with Dan Dowd someday! The shapes and indents that are present in Dowd’s works have an amazing ability to shape and singe the light that is reflected off of them. In certain areas, oranges become burnt, and reds clash creating a brilliant shade of pink. The different materials that he uses such as the rubber from an innertube or the fabric of a tie have a starkly unique interaction with the world that they are displayed in, allowing objects that were once very much in motion to be still and interpret the world. When observing Dowd’s works, I think of the work of Alberto Burri, an Italian artist who was associated with the art informel movement; there is a certain randomness and spontaneity to both of these artists’ work that appears to be deeply personal but approachable to the viewer - suggesting you find your own shapes and meaning from what the artist has provided.

Although my love for Canadian art is undying and a focus of this newsletter/most of my research - seeing art from places that I’ve spent time and have a special place in my heart for has prompted me to open up my criteria regarding the works I chat about. So, moving forward, this monthly newsletter will feature art from wherever I find it!