Chambers closed temporarily at AGO

Well, this is a new one on me. The AGO's new Jack Chambers show has been temporarily closed due to conservation issues brought on by the recent rains. The show is in the old Signe Eaton gallery, one of the remaining chunks of John Parkin's original brutalist design. No word as to what the issue is, though I'm told the concern was moisture levels; here's hoping that doesn't mean a gusher on Chambers' sublime "Meadow" above. Surely not ...

Anyway, I'm writing about Chambers at both the AGO and McMichael for the weekend. Hope you enjoy. 

 

 

Though I guess I should mention ...

 

It's been a busy month. I can hardly recall how busy, but some stuff I've done in the order I can recall it: 

A fun piece (for me, anyway) on Ken Nicol, an artist's artist if ever there was one

A close-up look at Tony Scherman

A review of Chagall and the Russian Avant-Garde

A piece on Paul Butler, the AGO's first-ever artist in residence

Uh, Nuit Blanche

A review-ish piece on Micah Lexier's new show

A look at David Hockney's iPad sketches

And a bunch of other stuff, including stuff I didn't do, specifically Art Toronto; I always go, and it was ... fine. I guess. I don't really have much to say about it, year in, year out. There's always the cheeky, self-conscious installation that makes fun of the art biz at the top of the escalators (this year Kent Monkman; last year Jeremy Laing), and the tradeshow beyond. It's as though the hope is to cancel one another out -- an apology for vulgarity, and then the vulgarity, duly apologized for, beyond. Anyway. Not to be so precious. I just wish we'd stop apologizing, partly because it is what it is, and partly because who, other than the insiders themselves, care?

But what took basically most of my October was a huge feature on Tom Thomson and the West Wind at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, and an accompanying review and video (for heaven's sake; and yes, that's my voice. Cringe). 

Anyway, those who know my preferences are well aware of my luke warm-ness to the old G7, but over this intensive exposure, I found some points of communion, particularly in Thomson, whose gifts were remarkable.

Once you strip away the layers of maudlin nationalism, you can start to see these guys as painters engaged with the tectionic shifts in representation that embodied early 20th century modernism, in painting, at least. Thomson was a standout not only for his raw abilities, but his relative lack of schooling; he was an intuitive genius, I think, and I've finally made my peace with him. See if you agree. 

Artscape YOUNGplace, Koffler Centre, and adieu (not necessarily in that order)

In the increasingly rare moments I actually log in over here, there's a little box underneath my login that says "remember me." I feel like it should have a question mark; I blog so little these days, I barely remember myself. 

This is a circumstance I hope to change for my many fans (hi, mom) but the jury's still out. I'll have made a decision on the fate of this badly neglected virtual space by early December, partly because I'm going to be gone for three weeks starting Friday (florentine@post.com, I can almost hear your poison tears hissing on the keyboard now). 

In any case, some news: Artscape announced today that it had received a $2 million gift from The Michael Young Family Foundation for its still-in-progress repurposement of the old Shaw Street School. With it comes naming rights: The property will open in fall 2012, Artscape says, under the name Artscape YOUNGplace. 

About 3 minutes after that announcement, the Koffler Centre for the Arts said it would be one of the newest tenants at YOUNGplace, expanding downtown among the galleries and museums while its new home at Bathurst and Sheppard is being built.