- Addendum to ‘Staying Critical in the Digital Age’
When I expressed frustration last week with VoCA’s early report from the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s digital criticism panel, I closed with a vague hope that fellow art critic and blogger Leah Sandals would be able to provide a more thorough picture of what, at first glance, seemed like utterly dismal goings-on between seemingly ill-equipped panelists.
As […]
- The best thing since stale bread
Not that I have anything against stale bread - on the contrary, David Rocco has imparted wonderful recipes that involve the use of stale Tuscan bread. But I’m already digressing on the first sentence.
David Rocco’s scrumptious panzanella
I had no pressing interest in driving into Toronto for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s panel discussion this past Tuesday […]
- Adrian Searle on the Artist/Writer Duality
In taking the time to digest Adrian Searle’s thoughts at Art Toronto (along with the rest of that overblown weekend), I’ve come away with remarkably very little, at least insofar as the advice given at his keynote address was sensible beyond contention. The value of building a conversation that extends beyond the press release and […]
- Can the Arts Save Hamilton?
It proved a funny question with which to frame Thursday night’s panel discussion at the Art Gallery of Hamilton: why ask if the arts can ’save’ Hamilton when it became readily apparent that everyone in the room already took the affirmative for granted? The more accurate shape of the debate - and there was debate […]
- Allyson Mitchell Talks Sasquatches
Having already seen Allyson Mitchell say a few choice words at the opening of her Ladies Sasquatch exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art back in January, I knew her Artist Talk would be an event well worth witnessing - she’s easily one of the most open, droll and downright hilarious artists I’ve heard speak […]
- Elizabeth Chitty Tonight at Hamilton Artists Inc.
It’s a good week for artist’s talks in Hamilton. I expect to be back shortly with an account of last night’s wildly entertaining talk with Allyson Mitchell on her Ladies Sasquatch at the McMaster Museum of Art, but in the meantime allow me to offer a quick heads-up for Elizabeth Chitty’s talk tonight at Hamilton […]
- Richard Fung: Landscapes at McMaster Museum of Art
I’ve been making a habit of attending Thursday afternoon critiques for McMaster University’s Studio Art program, and managed to bonus up this week with the opening of Richard Fung’s Landscapes at the McMaster Museum of Art, as well as an Artist’s Talk earlier in the afternoon on the background of Fung’s practice leading into his […]
- James Elkins, Empathy and Ends of Criticism
As I mentioned some five posts back, I’m well overdue in commenting on James Elkins’ talk at the University of Western Ontario in late January. His lecture ‘On Empathy and Related Concepts in Art Theory’ discussed an interesting working attempt of his to tackle a resurgence in theories of beauty and the imagination, and […]
- David Altmejd and Andrea Rosen @ UWO
Treacherous driving aside, I managed to make the journey into London and the University of Western Ontario to see David Altmejd and Andrea Rosen give a joint slide talk/dialogue as part of the Visual Arts Department’s 40th anniversary do-dah. This seems to be an emerging trend at Western, as I was just there last […]
- Dion, dinosaurs and other findings in Toronto
The main purpose of my late-ish Friday trek into Toronto was to attend Mark Dion’s lecture at the ROM, but I did manage to arrive in the city early enough to squeeze in a belated visit to the Power Plant for their current roster of exhibitions, Stephen Shearer’s being the clear and deserved focal point […]
