Sunday, October 28, 2012

Art Toronto 2012

 Bill and I were glad we went to ART TORONTO 2012 yesterday. Like last year it looked great in the Convention Centre -- the perfect site for this show.
We were drawn right in by Nicholas Metivier's booth. We wondered if he would have any of the new Joanne Todd's we'd read about. 
 He didn't, but he did have this lovely Robert Polidori photograph. He's one of my favourite photographers -- Canadian photography's best kept secret.
 I'd never seen work by Howard Lonn before. Untitled, 2012. This is wonderful.
We were also pleased to discover the work of Se-Yeol Oh at  Pierre-François Ouellette Art Contemporain.
Detail from Oh's Untitled, 2008. I like the suggestion of landscape.
 Bill loved Miss America by Kent Monkman. So over-the-top. Monkman's work always puts me in mind of Paul Cadmus.
We made lots of discoveries at this art fair. Here's another artist we hadn't known -- Canadian Jennifer Lefort.
We bought her book: After Berlin
Lots of interesting collage at this fair -- I love these two recent works by Jacob Whibley.
 Pumpkin, 1991, by Yayoi Kusama.
 Bill and I loved these paintings by Manuel Ocampo
 Here are three more Ocampos -- Galerie Zimmermann Kratochwill (Austria/Philippines). These would be great book covers for H. P. Lovecraft.
Two small panels by Michael Dumontier & Neil Farber. 
 Another Dumontier & Farber. So playful!
 I love this folded, painted paper by Stéphane La Rue. At Art Mûr, Montreal. I have a yen to fold paper lately.
 There was a special show of new works by Tom Wesselman.
Scott Everingham, Old Growth New Carpet, 2012. A touch of Yves Tanguay.
From the Things Exist series, Micah Lexier, 2011. Fun with cardboard.
Exciting new colour work by Geoffrey James. I love the one on the top especially: Warehouse, Bernal Heights, San Francisco, 2011. Look at how abstract it gets on the right. And I know the store front below on Dundas at Bathurst in Toronto with that wonderful old barbershop sign above the door.
We introduced ourselves to Erin Stump who has recently opened a gallery on Queen Street West. 
She found me kneeling in front of this wonderful collage. It's by Maggie Groat. We bought Groat's artist's book, Studies for possible futures, 2011. 
 I love these pigment prints on folded paper by Nestor Kruger -- how evocative!
 Bill loved how the hat on the lady in red seemed to join the sculpture behind her.
We loved these pieces by Aganetha Dyck
Rear view of An Inconvenient Proposal, Aganetha Dyck, 2007 (Beework, Honeycomb on Porcelain Figurine).
 Felted Crochet (Gold), 2012, Aganetha Dyck
John enjoys some exploding violins by Arman at the Galerie de Bellefeuille booth. 
How unusual to see a Greg Curnoe portrait -- Self-Portrait #2
 David Hockney etchings of his dachshunds.
 Hockney
 Jim Holyoak drawing on site for Galerie Donald Browne. Fun!
 Our friend, Paul Petro, had good news -- the Art Gallery of Ontario bought that large Stephen Andrews oil in the background for their collection -- Nocturne, 2012.
Also at Petro these ceramics by Amy Bowles -- from In the Gargoyle's Head. Love those brains on the right!
 An interesting Francesco Clemente
The Smith Restaurant near the VIP lounge. 
Bill always says that the visitors are as interesting as the art.
ART TORONTO continues tomorrow.

Friday, October 26, 2012

In the MOMA sculpture garden

A visit to the Museum of Modern Art is always an intense experience. John and I like to stop by the Sculpture Garden before leaving the building.
Small, tranquil
and perfectly situated

Mario Batali's Eataly

Acting on a tip from our friend, Nancy, John and I visited Mario Batali's Eataly for lunch. It's across the street from the Flatiron Building at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street.
It's a huge New York style emporium of all things Italian as well as a collection of eateries. This is the vegetarian restaurant.
Nancy mentioned that she'd enjoyed the seafood.
John and I had panini sandwiches. We were most impressed by the delicious espresso and the four Italian gents next to us gossiping in Italiano.