October 28 - November 28 Textile Agenda

 Dorothy Caldwell  In Place: new landscapes

September 29 - October 30, 2011

 David Kaye Gallery
1092 Queen Street West
(entrance on Dovercourt)
Toronto, Ontario M6J 1H9

It is that time of year again in Toronto. The Fall season is up and running. there is a few days left to do yourself a favour and go and see Dorothy Caldwell's recent work at David Kaye Gallery before hitting the TIAF.

 The Toronto International Art Fair (TIAF) October 28th through 31 will have a number of textiles to view as always and finding them is easier if you are looking for them. Have faith even if the current art market like every thing else is feeling the "Current Economic Pinch" there are a number of art dealers who represent and stand behind a number of amazing textile based makers and artist whose careers are built on their use of textiles.

Here an eager young "Sales Clerk" welcomes you to "Everything Must Go" wearing an apron by An Te Lui "Distribution of the Unsaleable" 2010, workers apron in embroidered denim, one of three models, each in a limited edition of 37.

Last years special project Everything Must Go was in intriguing and entertaining commentary on the fine arts market place curated by fashion designer Jeremy Laing. Of this years four special projects The Art Game by Kent Monkman curated by Steven Loft promises to entertain even if you don't know his work. If you do and wonder what textiles have to do with his work I would argue that his use of costume in performance, photography, painting to play with stereotypes and debunk the status-quo wouldn't work half as well if every body was naked and leave it at that.

Over the past 5 years I have looked forward to seeing certain galleries  such as Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery London/New York www.r-h-g.co.uk  who have introduced the Toronto public to the paper college work of  Peter Clark, the subtlety shocking crocheted work of artist designer Kate Jenkins. Donya Coward who does elaborate embellished textile piece work and Australian artist David Bromley a painter who embroiders portions of his work.

Inside the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery Booth at the TIAF Oct 4-6 2008

Peter Clark Sunny Side, Mixed Media, 2007, 135 x 82 cm (53.1 x 32.3 ins)

While closer to home Art Mûr from Montreal, who in 2009 brokered the sale of Cal Lane's Oil Drum piece to the  Art Gallery of Ontario and in 2010 introduced Toronto to the taxidermy work of  French contemporary Surrealist artist Sarah Garzoni will be at this years event.

Tufted Pig and Topodermie 2003 digitally printed garments Images are close up details of human flesh, nipples, hair, moles and scares. this photo was taken at the gallery in Montreal during Sarah Garzoni : Corps étranger January 8 - February 26, 2011 (read about this show in febuary 2010 blog post http://fibrequarterly.blogspot.com/2011/02/montreal-1102-2011-sarah-garzoni-corps.html
 [don't look for a French to English translation of Topodermie it is Topography and Taxidermy squished together ]

Cal Lane Plasma Cut  Steel Oil Drums, 2008 photographed at the 2009 TIAF 

 Cal Lane , whose work has been seen in Toronto several times, I first encounter her in the group show Frey the co- curated exhibition at the Koffler Centre and Textile Museum of Canada  which I reviewed for the British  magazine Selvedge [issue no.14]  You can read about her recent site specific lace inspired out door steel sculpture "1,000 Gallon Oil Drum " created for "Lace in Translation" exhibition at the Design Center at Philadelphia University in the recent issue  fiberARTS magazine Nov/Dec 2009.

that is just a quick look at the TIAF the opening night party is in less then 18 hours away.
to see photographs of what was happening at last years TIAF check out my facebook album
TIAF October 28, 2010

bunnies by Yshia Wallace Image fro Gladstone website 

upArt Contemporary Art Fair

Thurs Oct 27 to Sun Oct 30, 2011
Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen Street West, Toronto

OTTAWA

"Tapestries" 
Thoma Ewen, Krystyna Sadej, (from Canada)
Ewa Bartosz Mazus, from Poland
Thomas Cronenberg (American living in Germany

October 28 to November 30 2011
City of Ottawa, the Centrepointe Theatre Gallery, 
101 Centrepointe Drive
Ottawa, On

The City of Ottawa will host an artist talk "Textile Art in Europe Today"
by Thomas Cronenberg from Germany on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 7pm. (Room 1A in the Ben Franklin Place complex, 101 Centrepointe Drive)

CAMBRIDGE 

Lyn Carter, Model for Columna. Photo: Peter Legris.

Lyn Carter: Columna
November 05 - January 08, 2012
Cambridge Galleries Queen’s Square
1 North Square, Cambridge, ON N1S 2K6

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 5 at 2:30 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, December 10, 2:30 pm

Toronto

Amanda McCavour
Lot #25
Friendship Chair
Polyester/cotton blend bias tape, polyester/cotton fabric

 Thursday November 3 at 6:30 pm at the Gladstone Hotel the Textile Museum of Canada presents  reDesign 2011 a gala evening and silent auction in support of the Textile Museum of Canada



Amanda McCavour, Lot #25,

Using friendship bracelet making and how I used to use this as a way to pass the time as a starting point, I chose to re-design the Textile Museum’s waiting room chair with variations of friendship bracelet patterns using larger bias tape instead of the traditional embroidery floss. Utilizing half hitch knots and braiding to cover the upholstered surfaces of the chair, I hope this piece would reference the repetitive act of making these bracelets and the sentiment of giving these bracelets to someone else.

 If you like this you can view more of the Chairs that have been re-designed a who's who of Canadian design craft and arts on line at the TMC website   re-design 2011

Swag, 2010  by Barbara Sutherland 

Hard Twist 6 – Obsession, Annual Juried Show Of Textile-Based Art
Opening Reception: Fri Nov 25, 2011 6pm-9pm
Exhibition Dates: Nov 25, 2011 – Jan 29, 2012 12pm-5pm Daily

2011 JURORS:
Mary Sue Rankin – Director, Edward Day Gallery
Judith Tinkl, Artist, retired Associate Professor OCAD, Past President OCC
Angela Iarocci – Artist/Designer and Educator
Helena Frei and Chris Mitchell – Hard Twist Curators

to see some images from last years Hard Twist see my facbook album 

One of A Kind Christmas 2010, Hard Twist, at the Gladstone, Holiday Sales,

Montreal 11/02/ 2011, Sarah Garzoni: Corps étranger, at Art Mûr.

Sarah Garzoni. Narcissus, Tribute to Isadora and Charles D. 2010, Sewing machine, taxidermy, casting and Feathers, 321 X 16.5 X 24 n

Sarah Garzoni : Corps étranger

January 8 - February 26, 2011
Art Mûr
5826 St _Hubert St
Montreal, Qc,

Sarah Garzoni, Breaching, 2010, corset, plate, cire dents de requin, [corset, flat, wax shark teeth] 38.5 X 21 x 17 cm

Corps étranger: "Animism rested as a primitive impulse within early anthropological assumption, removing and debasing any sense of spirituality from the carcass. The hunted, abused, utilized existence of a living being was lessened through a theoretical trope that could render it useful. Of course, these beasts of burden could be nothing to us, they lack the very essence of being: a soul."  

from essay by Michael Rattray

I came across the work of French artist Sarah Garzoni last fall at the Toronto International Art Fair at Art Mûr's booth while checking to see what Cal Lane pieces they had brought. [see facebook album TIAF October 28 2010 ] Since it has become a habit to drop by their gallery when ever I am in Montreal because of its close proximity to the MCCT [Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles] I was quite happy to run into Corps étranger.

The opportunity to see more and a variety of Garzoni's work was much appreciated. The difference between an image on a website and the real object is always better. Along with the sculptural taxidermy  pieces there was a selection of her garments constructed with digitally printed textiles.  

The imagery on these 2003 garments are close up details of human flesh, nipples, hair, moles and scares. The series of limited edition clothing is entitled Topodermie [ don't look for a French to English translation it is Topography and Taxidermy squished together ] There is an interesting connection between all this flesh printed or stuffed.

Nipple Dress

Explaining her process for the Topodermie work on her website describes the process of taking close up pictures of flesh, isolating the elements she wants then using those images she using basic patterning rules and lays out a number of recognizable designs that replicate "Animal prints" stripes four corner repeats etc. Then digitally prints the cloth which is then made into clothing. As clothing is what we use to hide/ cover the skin this clothing which uses skin as its pattern is ironic to say the least.

Sarah Garzoni : Corps étranger

January 8 - February 26, 2011
Art Mûr
5826 St _Hubert St
Montreal, Qc,


visit her website for more about her work http://www.sarahgarzoni.com/

Art Mûr http://artmur.com/

_________________________________________________