I’m a Fan of……Art Galleries

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a fan of……https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2023/03/20/a-ride-to-the-park-fan-of-198/

I love to browse through art galleries for a variety of reasons. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon or even just an hour or less. It informs me on what is happening in the world, the values of other cultures and the diversity of art itself. I don’t always love everything I see but I can appreciate what the artist went through to make their art. The one comment I despise from other people who think that a piece of art is unworthy to hang in a gallery is….”I could do that”. The problem is that they didn’t do that and never will.

The big art gallery in Toronto is the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) and I love going there but I also enjoy going to smaller galleries like the Dignam Gallery at WAAC, the Assembly Hall Gallery and all the smaller and larger galleries we visited on our trips in Europe.

The galleries below are: The Louvre in Paris – first two photos. The Musée de Beaux-Arts in Tours, France – photos 3, 4 and 5. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tours, France – photos 6,7 and 8. The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in London, England – photos 9, 10 and 11. The Barbican Art Gallery in London, England – photos 12, 13 and 14. The Tate Modern in London, England – photos 15m 16 and 17. The Dignam Art Gallery at WAAC in Toronto – photos 18, 19, 20 and 21 and Neilson Park Creative Centre in Etobicoke – photos 22, 23 and 24 . The Assembly Hall Gallery in Toronto – photos 25, 26 and 27.

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I’m a Fan of…..Denyse Thomasos

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a fan of….. https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2023/01/23/mallards-fan-of-192/

Denyse Thomasos was a Trinidadian-Canadian painter known for her abstract-style wall murals that conveyed themes of slavery, confinement and the story of African and Asian Diaspora. Sadly she died tragically in 2012. The first time I saw her work was at the McMichael Collection of Canadian Art, an art museum in Kleinburg, Ontario. I instantly liked her work and looked forward to seeing her show at the AGO.

The show is title: Denyse Thomasos, just beyond. It brings together more than 70 paintings and works on paper that she produced spanning the last 15 years of her short life. The first thing I noticed at this showing was the size of her canvases. They were large and some of them went from the floor to the ceiling.

*This is a life size photo of Denyse working on one of her huge pieces that greets you as you enter the show*

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Bend

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting the Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/01/21/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-bend/

Bending implies that you or something is flexible, either physically or mentally. When a person bends mentally they are able to see both sides of an opinion or argument and can ‘bend’ or change their own way of thinking. Bending physically is easier to demonstrate in photographs.

A8-B1-E32-E-D2-CC-41-F8-ADE7-167-B430-F3770 — *A bend in the path*

29-F6-F208-3166-474-C-9-D59-9591-F64-B7-A67 — *Bending over to pick up a stool*

9830-A104-B343-4811-900-A-B5-E98-C223768 — *Bending over to get in the picture*

19-CA6-A4-F-85-B1-489-C-90-E7-7419-F8051901 — *Bends in the wooden stairway at the AGO*

C5-DABF70-5-E91-430-B-826-D-7-AB5-B402-A7-A7 — *Bending beams at the AGO*

7-CDEE983-F107-4-AEB-BB1-C-116-D02-BB5682 — *Gargoyles bending over at the castle in France*

496-B6-FBD-0-FB5-4-E9-F-B577-F7-A45-FACD516 — *Bending in for a kiss*

45-E0-FD67-1-BC9-4927-BB67-166-EC0-FA4-A72 — *Bend and stretch*

5-A726-C29-8654-437-F-AD61-B108-F9-AE5-E4-C — *Bending her body coming down the bend in the slide*

5-DED7577-726-F-4508-A7-C4-5908-AE5-D3-C49 — *Bending over to bowl*

Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge – Week 3 of 2023

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Xingfu Mama for hosting Pull Up a Seat https://xingfumama.blog/2023/01/20/pull-up-a-seat-photo-challenge-2023-week-3/

A great way to explore the finer details of such a large painting.

The painting is by Denyse Thomasos at the AGO where the entire 5th floor is dedicated to her huge collection of art that she made in her short life. The show is called Just Beyond and runs till February.

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Bored

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W. and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/01/18/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-bored/

How does one convey bored in a photograph? Is it someone napping in the middle of the day, a grim look on a child’s face or the sad look in an animal’s eyes?

It’s hard to see what someone is feeling in a photo unless you use your imagination.

DF11224-F-4146-4-D42-BB79-686397151-EA9 — *Help, I want to be anywhere but here……*

86527295-75-B5-4-A86-817-A-05997-C58562-F — *I’m so bored I’m going cross-eyed*

29-C864-E5-4-C58-4-C58-B3-DD-A0-C1271-EFAB3 — *No Papa, I don’t want to look at anymore paintings…..*

05-FF0910-C7-FD-4-F8-C-8-D34-B20-F7063-B151 — *Waiting for his turn at the feeder….hurry up before I fall asleep*

410770-B2-BD03-4-BEA-8-F46-725-C57-C7819-F — *Why are all these people looking at me?*

50081351-7-E24-493-E-9848-FFB8-D800-BDBC — *It’s hard to tell with Olive from the look on her face*

4-D4-C3-D4-C-F876-4-E15-9-E5-C-7-E5815-FD082-A — *I know you’d rather be roaming free in the park*

D83-C6355-AEEF-40-BE-877-D-A4-E05973-F309 — *Probably more tired than bored*

Sculpture Saturday – A New Sculpture in Front of the AGO

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…well it’s new to me

From the AGO newsletter – Toronto June 20, 2022 – The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has installed its first-ever public art commission, a new sculpture by acclaimed contemporary artist Brian Jungen. Renowned for his artworks made of repurposed consumer goods, Couch Monster: Sadzěʔ yaaghęhch’ill (2022) is Jungen’s first large-scale work in bronze. A poetic tribute to the plight of creatures in captivity, Jungen modeled second-hand leather furniture into the figure of a performing elephant, measuring five and a half meters long, and 4 meters tall.

Thanks to Marsha for hosting Photographing Public Art.https://alwayswrite.blog/2023/01/14/weekend-coffee-share-and-arizona-dreams/

Midweek Monochrome Challenge – Lines and Angles

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Bren from Brashley Photography for hosting the Midweek Monochrome Challenge https://brashley.photography/2023/01/11/mid-week-monochrome-118-viola/

Looking up while entering the AGO (art gallery) and then looking up as we exited the gallery at the corner of Dundas and McCaul.

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Visiting the AGO

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…Leonard Cohen and art on a plate

On Sunday, my daughter, daughter-in-law and I went to the AGO. It was was wonderful to be back and visit the featured Leonard Cohen exhibition and many other parts of the art gallery. It was also nice to be able to go to the Espresso Bar in the Galleria Italia, sit down and enjoy a delicious cappuccino and share two beautifully presented tarts.

The Leonard Cohen show was very busy but it was interesting to see the different stages of his life, his family and the progression of his poetry and music career. I became a fan as he got older and loved his gravelly voice and iconic hat that he wore when performing.