Visual Arts
AFTER DARK | LIGHT, REALITY, AND HETEROTOPIA
“I was most influenced by Rembrandt. He paints light and realistic things, but he also paints the reality inside of himself in an imaginative way.”
SHOWCASING THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE WITHIN THE TATTOO INDUSTRY
"One of the most special parts of tattooing is that the art can outlive the maker but very rarely is preserved beyond the life of the canvas."
TORONTO ARTIST WITH A UNIQUE TAKE ON PORTRAITURE
“People often say my version of the Queen as a corgi is quite flattering.”
AT TORONTO’S POWER PLANT
“Cahn leaves the audience’s feelings to the audience, as what we see may not be what we feel.”
MoCA’S ON CONTEMPORARY ART
With a selection of new media, mixed with skewed traditional techniques, the exhibit delivers a spectrum of contemporary visual art in the city.
A CONVERSATION WITH GORDON SHADRACH
“I am well aware of the fact that you can't have a neutral face Black person in a painting because people will often describe them as defiant or angry. You start to realize how much racism there is within this system of interaction.”
SEPARATING TALL TALES FROM TRUTH IN
THE CASE OF VAN GOGH’S ILL-FATED EAR
Fans of van Gogh will know of Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear; but do they all agree on which ear was
afflicted, the method of removal, who received it, and just how much flesh was torn asunder?
ON HEALING THROUGH SELF-PORTRAITURE
smART Magazine spoke with Quinn Rockliff, a feminist artist who’s work focuses on nude portraiture, about reclaiming her body after trauma through repetitive self-portraiture, and how she helps others do the same.
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF AN INDIGENOUS ARTIST
It was really sad to see that he wasn’t able to overcome his struggles, but he left behind some of the most genuine and original works of art I’ve seen, in all my years in the art world. I think that his work should stand as a testament of his resistance to the forces that tried to erase his spirit and as a record of the existence of that spirit in the world during his lifetime.”
ARTIST AND COMMUNITY LEADER IN CHARLOTTE
“I always try to celebrate anything good happening for the community; so when I go for a mural and someone else gets it, that's good. I'm happy because that means that somebody is spending money on murals. [...] there's enough sunshine for all of us.”
ON BLACK MAGIC AND BLACK MAGICIANS
“The truth is that magic is an experience, and my personal belief is that it’s the experience of astonishment and wonder and that doesn’t only relate to just magicians, it can be to anyone. Anyone who can give you an experience of wonder...that’s magic.”
ON NEW YORK VS. TORONTO
“In New York City I’m influenced by the artistic dialogues and conversations I have with artists, as well as by the work I see in museums and in commercial galleries in the Chelsea and Soho Gallery districts.”-Kristy Gordon
IN FOCUS VIDEO INTERVIEW
"We survived this long, because we do adapt. Everything is an opportunity to learn and to change."
RALPH REMINGTON - CULTURAL DIRECTOR
“My personal mantra is to try to give space and voice to marginalized and disenfranchised people, to provide a platform for them. To me, in this new role with SFAC, if we centre the BIPOC community then we are centring America, and ostensibly the globe as well.”
MONETTA WHITE - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“In San Francisco, our artists and art institutions are expected to stand up and speak out towards injustice. San Francisco artists are simultaneously activists and contribute to the Bay Area’s extensive and progressive history of equity for all.”
MARIA JENSON - CREATIVE & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“For some art it may not be as obvious, but the aim of an artists or activist is to create art that is a form of political and social currency, actively addressing cultural power structures rather than representing them or simply describing them.”
MICHELLE MANSOUR - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“I think the convergence of the pandemic and more awareness of social justice has been really incredible in showcasing how artists are so great at being interpreters for really intense content and the ability of sharing that through their own lens.”
BARRY THREW - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“I don’t believe artists working with technology are necessarily taken “less seriously”, but I do think their work often resists categorization, and demands a lot of time, attention, and prior context from the viewer”
PETE DOOLITTLE - SAN FRANCISCO ARTIST
“The candle's lit, but it’s flickering—the wind's got it a little bit. But I think the flame, as it always does, is gonna hold on. And if it goes out, someone's going to come and light it again, because it's San Francisco. And then it'll be time for the next round.”
CYNTHIA NOBLE - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
"We’re unique in terms of the singularity of scale, and the outdoor location in the heart of the city. It is a city of neighbourhoods, where we can all convene together, an opportunity to be a place of convergence."
KATE LORENZ - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
"Our space is quite large so when looking for new work by
Chicago- based artists, we are looking for artists who can take on very bold projects. Essentially we want to provide a platform to offer a pivotal moment for artists to allow them to do something they’ve never been able to do before."
PIA KLEBER - CENTRE FOR COMPARITIVE LITERATURE
"I think that the Canadian government, the provincial and city – all governments – should understand how important art is. It’s vital for people at the moment when we are so isolated. I think they should support artists as much as they can."
JUDITH JOHN - VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING
"I think we are all about connecting people, to history and each other. That is the role of a museum: you can walk through the halls of the ROM and see civilizations that have peaked and crumbled, but the remnants help you understand a kind of continuum."
OLGA NOBATOVA - 3D VR ARTIST, SCULPTOR
“As soon as we will have a universal augmented reality app for viewing art, this kind of AR exhibition will be everywhere. And I see how new VR and AR tools are being used for public art, like my animation for this piece was made in virtual reality.”