Max Klinger (German, 1857-1920) Handlung / The Act, from Ein Handschuh Opus VI / A Glove, Cycle VI, Levy Bequest Purchase, 1992. Collection of McMaster Museum of Art

McMaster Museum of Art presents

Max Klinger, John Massey and Joseph Calleja
the glove, the car and the mirror
May 9 – August 17, 2013

Reception: Saturday, July 20 from 2 – 4 pm

Two suites of works from the collection of the McMaster Museum of Art—Max Klinger’s (German 1857-1920) Ein Handschuh Opus VI (1881) and John Massey’s (Canadian b. 1950) This Land (the photographs)—provide an instructive comparison that bridges more than 125 years of the modern period.

John Massey, Windy Day, 2005, from This Land series of 7 digital prints, edition of 5, © John Massey. Gift of the Artist, 2012. Collection of McMaster Museum of Art

Klinger’s almost film-like sequence, observing the observer at the outset, morphs into an erotic dream through different settings. Produced during the highpoint of the Symbolist period, Klinger’s work also “anticipates” Freud’s psychoanalysis.

Massey’s manipulated photographs continue his inquiry into the idealized spaces of modernity, “The perfect space invoking the perfect viewer.”

Echoing Klinger’s assertion that the graphic artist moulds the given facts of nature according to his own expressive capacity, Massey stated, “The digital marriage of the car interior and the landscape, creates a hyper-image.  Both shots are from the world, but when knit together, they become imagined or commercial.”

Joseph Calleja’s (Canadian b. Malta 1924) Revolving Concave Mirror is being shown for the first time since it was initially exhibited in 1968.  The content of the mirror is a reflection of the environment—the gallery space, the Klinger and Massey works, and the viewer—knitted and moulded together.

Joseph Calleja, Revolving Concave Mirror, 1968.
mirror, motor, wood, formica.
Courtesy of the artist

Works in the exhibition

John Massey (Canadian b. 1950)
This Land (The Photographs) 2005,
with the exception of Daybreak, 2008
digital prints on Epson ultra smooth fine art paper
AP from an edition of 5
Gift of the artist, 2012

Dark Morning
Daybreak
Pink Dawn
Silver Sunset
Storm Clouds
Windy Day
Midday Clouds, Study

Max Klinger (German 1857 – 1920)
Opus VI, Ein Handschuh / A Glove, 1881
fourth edition published 1898
etching and aquatint
Levy Bequest Purchase, 1992

Ort / Place
Handlung / The Act
Wünsche / Desires
Rettung / The Rescue
Triumph
Huldigung / Homage
Ängste / Fears
Ruhe / Tranquility
Entführung / The Abduction
Amor / Cupid

Joseph Calleja (Canadian b. Malta 1924)
Rotating Concave Mirror, 1968
motor, mirror, mixed media
Promised gift of the artist

Image details: Barbara Astman, Lori Newdick, Sasha Yungju Lee,
Suzy Lake, Dyan Marie, and Sara Angelucci

McMaster Museum of Art presents

FLOWERS and PHOTOGRAPHY

Sara Angelucci
Barbara Astman
Suzy Lake
Sasha Yungju Lee
Dyan Marie
Lori Newdick

May 9 – August 17, 2013

Curated by Carla Garnet
Organized in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Peterborough

Reception and Catalogue Launch: Saturday, July 20 from 2 – 4 pm

Flowers and Photography invites viewers to consider why flowers continue to be a favourite subject of women artists. Enlisting the garden subject as one that is reflective of contemporary theories about art, nature and the ordering of knowledge, the show features the art of Sara Angelucci, Barbara Astman, Suzy Lake, Sasha Yungju Lee, Dyan Marie and Lori Newdick.

In Regular 8, photo and video artist Sara Angelucci meticulously constructs a fictional archive of events that take place in park-like gardens using digital means to simulate the look of analog documents – or what we recognize as a snap shot. Senior artist Barbara Astman engages photography with new media to sequentially stage her allegorical black and white photomurals, nearsofar, which show the figure in the garden as emblematic of systems of gender perspectives and representation. Sasha Yungju Lee’s work reflects her experience of displacement and self. Her piece, In the Bosom, is essentially a blown up snap shot of her child, Zoe. This photo shows her daughter with arms opened to embrace the leaves and flowers, not unlike a contemporary vision of the mythological goddess Flora.

A pioneer in feminist performance for the camera, Suzy Lake took up photography in order to explore the politics of gender, the body and identity. Lake’s triptych, Peonies and the Lido, holds a mirror to the self as it tempts (and resists) the obsession with youthfulness. Her video, Dance to Life, avails flowers to re-enact the closing stages of a marriage as so much surplus emotion. Dyan Marie’s relational art practice includes photo-based work, as well as performance and publishing initiatives that reflect on contemporary cultural experience. Her Murmurs and Messages series comprises digitally developed images of flowers, in which those vines and plants are seeded with single word poems. Lori Newdick is known for her beautiful and seductive images that capture the space between herself and her subject. Her 2010-2012 Untitled Flowers series captures something akin to surrealism’s deconstructive formlessness.

Guest Blog by Rachel Tirone, volunteer, graduating McMaster student, and 2013 Slow Art Day host at the McMaster Museum of Art (MMA).

Saturday’s Slow Art Day event at the MMA was a huge success! Slow Art Day is a volunteer run event, designed to break down the barriers between art and the public by showing participants that anyone can appreciate art – you don’t have to be an expert!

The Museum was one of more than 250 venues.

This being the first Slow Art Day at McMaster, I was thrilled by the level of interest. Registration was full!

Our participants began the day with a short introduction to the day’s activities before they got started on their slow looking – 5 works of art, 10 minutes each.

As this year’s host, I tried to choose a variety of works that conveyed the diversity of the three exhibits that were on at the Museum. The list included works by K. Nicol and Henri Le Sidaner, as well as three works from the McMaster Studio Art graduating exhibition. We were lucky enough to have artist Kaylyn Roloson with us to discuss her work, “It’s a great day for maple trees and evergreens…” (pictured above left), a metal wall-sculpture indicative of Roloson’s cottage-country nostalgia, her love of colour, and the physicality of her welding practice.

After viewing, participants gathered in the Education Gallery for a catered lunch and some interesting discussion around the chosen works. A gallery or museum setting can often be intimidating, and as such the MMA and the discussion portion of the event work to create a casual and open environment for learning. I was impressed by the all of the attendees’ willingness to participate in the discussion, as well as the confidence with which they shared their insights into the works.

Almost all of the participants commented on how much their Slow Art Day experience opened their eyes, both to works they were familiar with and ones that they would have otherwise walked right by.

A big thank you to the McMaster Museum of Art for the opportunity to host Slow Art Day this year – it proved to be a learning experience for myself as well as all those who participated, and I hope that the event will continue to grow and be a success in future years.

See you for Slow Art Day 2014!

McMaster Museum of Art (MMA) has lent five major paintings to the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) for a special exhibition celebrating the WAG’s Centennial this year. 100 Masters: Only in Canada will run at the WAG from May 11 to August 18. The works of art on loan are (shown above – click on each image for full details)  The Man of Sorrows and Mater Dolorosa, 1503, by Albrecht Bouts; Voiliers au Mouillage sur la Seine, à Argenteuil, 1883, by Gustave Caillebotte; Waterloo Bridge, Effet de Soleil, 1903, by Claude Monet; and Robert, 9^th Baron Petre, Demonstrating the Use of an écorché Figure to His Son, Robert Edward, c. 1775-1776, by George Romney.

The WAG is celebrating its 100^th anniversary as Canada’s oldest civic art gallery by mounting the largest exhibition in its history. It will feature works by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Picasso, Warhol and more—all borrowed from 28 galleries across Canada plus the Walker Art Centre and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

“We are honoured to be part of WAG’s centenary celebration and delighted to have, not one, but five works from McMaster’s collection selected for this landmark exhibition,” says MMA Director/Chief Curator Carol Podedworny. “McMaster’s loaned paintings span the breadth of our European collections, 1500–1900.  We like to think of our collection as one of the best in the country and this “best of” project highlights it as a rich source of research, loan and exhibition prospects.”

“The wonderful tradition of museums sending their best works to commemorate the opening or anniversary of a sister institution is longstanding,” says Stephen Borys, WAG Director & CEO, curator of the exhibition, who spent two years crisscrossing the country to secure the 100 loans for the show. “The works that have been chosen are among the most treasured pieces in the collections of these galleries. Many of them are rarely lent by their respective galleries but exceptions have been made to help the WAG celebrate this important milestone.”

Packing McMaster’s treasures for the journey west.

Screen capture of K. Nicol’s Blog: http://every3point65.blogspot.ca/

For those who’ve seen his work and want more…

Every 3.65 days exactly, artist K. Nicol updates his blog.
100 posts in 1 year.
100 keen and often humorous observations about art and daily life that you don’t want to miss.
http://every3point65.blogspot.ca/

K. Nicol is one of two contemporary artists (along with Hyang Cho) represented in Predisposed – an exhibition drawing gasps, chuckles, and awe from visitors amidst the ticking of 100 different clocks.  Described as a “must-see gem of a show”, Predisposed continues until August 3.

“Ken Nicol’s work is part savant and part madness; using everyday objects to the extreme he creates work that boggles the imagination.” (Todd Falkowsky via The Canadian Design Resource).

Here are a few of the interesting verso views of art in McMaster’s collection:

Back of 17th century oil painting by Adrien Brouwer (Flemish, 1605-1638)

Back of oil on panel painting c. 1913 by A.Y.Jackson (Canadian, 1882-1974)

Playing card image on the back of oil painting by Josef Herman (English, born Poland, 1911 – 2000)

Back of 1934 painting “Trees on Pine Island, Georgian Bay” by Naomi Jackson Groves (Canadian, 1910-2001). The artist was a conscientious record keeper. Part of this text says: “Likely done at same time and place as AY’s [her uncle, A.Y. Jackson]. AY, Betty Maw (Brett) and I camped here for about ten days…These trees burned down by vandals later according to AYJ.”

The back of this 1969 Harold Town (Canadian, 1924-1990) painting has the artist’s signature three times as well as his hand print

Many labels from the back of an oil by Claude Monet. For the most part, labels are very helpful and can help us trace a painting’s provenance. Although, sometimes labels on the same artwork have quite different titles…more puzzles to solve.

Congratulations to all the students for an outstanding exhibition and publication and thank you to the McMaster School of the Arts and exhibition sponsor Upper James Toyota for making it possible.

For those who missed the events, have a look at the pics below. And check out the great review in last weekend’s Hamilton Spectator.  Bookmarkers continues just one more week, closing April 27.  Don’t miss your chance to see (and hear) art by some of the best emerging artists in the area.

*summa = a comprehensive work, covering, synthesizing, or summarizing a field or subject.

McMaster Museum of Art presents

BOOKMARKERS: summa 2013
McMaster’s Graduating Art Student Exhibition
APRIL 11 – 27, 2013

Reception and Awards: Saturday April 13, 2 – 4 pm
Artist Talks: Wednesday April 17 at 12:30 – 1:30 pm

McMaster Museum of Art presents the annual exhibition showcasing the art and accomplishments of students graduating from McMaster University’s Studio Art Program. This year’s class of 19 students presents work exploring a variety of themes in a wide range of media including painting, sculpture, printmaking, and digital.

Visit April 11 and 12 to cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award!

McMaster University School of the Arts offers a small, high quality art program and has just initiated a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Its students contribute to the vibrancy of Hamilton’s art community through course work, placements, exhibitions, volunteering and work experiences.

This exhibition is generously supported by Upper James Toyota

Graduating students  are pictured above. From top left: Anthony Butler, Devan Marinaccio, Gabriela Palomo, Rachel Tirone, Angela Marino, John Stirling, Emily Benedict, Paige Woodhouse, Shona Fitz-Gerald Laing, Emily Terejko. Bottom, from left: Chelsea Braley, Cheyenne Federiconi, Katrina Camilleri, Natalie Jachyra, Nicole Shuk Yin Chiu, Kaylyn Roloson, Simone Sciascetti, Brittany Reed, Katie Leaf.  Photo: Chelsea Braley

McMaster Museum of Art
Alvin A. Lee Building
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 4L6
Admission is Free
Museum hours: Tue/Wed/Fri 11am-5pm, Thu 11-7, Sat 12-5

museum@mcmaster.ca
www.mcmaster.ca/museum

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Rachel Tirone, McMaster University Student, organizing Slow Art Day
at the McMaster Museum of Art, April 27

A guest blog post from McMaster University Applied Humanities student Rachel Tirone, who will be hosting the McMaster Museum of Art’s first Slow Art Day event on Saturday April 27^th .
____________________________

The average time that a museum or gallery visitor looks at a piece of art is just 17 seconds.

Slow Art Day is a volunteer-run movement designed to change the way we look at and talk about art.  I came across Slow Art Day while doing research on arts education for my applied humanities at the McMaster Museum of Art this term, and felt that it hit on all the points of the Museum’s mission/vision, as well as its dedication to museum education.

Beginning with 16 venues in 2009, the movement has grown to include over 220 museums and galleries worldwide for this year’s event. The intention is to look at 5 artworks chosen by the event’s host, spending 10 minutes looking at each, and then to meet and discuss the works over lunch.

For more information on Slow Art Day, please visit their website.

Slow Art Day will be held at the McMaster Museum of Art on Saturday April 27^th.
Art viewing: 12 – 1 pm
Catered lunch and discussion:  1  – 3 pm

Sign up now before spaces fill up!
Registration, admission, and lunch are FREE.
Registration closes April 13^th.  
To register, please visit the Eventbrite page.

Feel free to contact me with any questions:  tironerl@mcmaster.ca

I’m looking forward to seeing some of you there!

- Rachel Tirone

Hyang Cho, K. Nicol and Joseph Beuys
PREDISPOSED (…to thinking through the eye of mutual convenience)

March 28 – August 3, 2013

Reception and Artist Talks: Thursday April 4, 6 – 8 pm

The work of Hyang Cho and K. Nicol offers a view into contemporary art practices in Canada. This exhibition looks at their recent works in the context of conceptual, “post conceptual” and systemic practices. An international perspective is provided by the inclusion of a 1968 “unique” multiple work by Joseph Beuys (German 1921-1986), an artist most-often associated with the Fluxus movement.

Although coming from very different cultural backgrounds, the studio practices of Cho and Nicol are characterized by notional and self-reflexive organizing and ordering systems that draw cues from the everyday, examining and selecting readymade elements, and raiding philosophy. They express time implicitly and explicitly through a disciplined performative dimension. The outcomes may be described as “obsessive”—or, as conveyed in the exhibition subtitle, “predisposed to …”—but they also share an idea with Beuys, to “function as carriers for complex ideas [as much] as their capacity to release a communicative impulse between artists and viewer.”1

If the formative period of conceptual and radical art in the mid-to-late 1960s was an anti-authoritarian attitude and a “dematerialization” of art as object, how does this relate to a climate of retinal consumption today, and social media that encourages unfiltered and promiscuous chatter about anything or nothing—yet done “because you can.”

The exhibition, therefore, poses questions rather than (at best) slippery and problematic definitions.

Hyang Cho was born in South Korea. She first studied at Sogang University in Seoul; received her MFA from the University of Guelph, and is based in Guelph. Hyang Cho works courtesy of the artist and Georgia Scherman Projects.

K. Nicol grew up in Ancaster Ontario. He studied at Sheridan College and the Ontario College of Art and Design, and is based in Toronto. K. Nicol works courtesy of the artist, MKG127, and Micah Lexier.

This is the first exhibition for both in a public museum; a catalogue will be available during the course of the exhibition.

1. Benjamin Dodenhoff from Joseph Beuys: Parallel Processes