Mingle with high rollers at Toronto’s burgeoning art festival
Mingle with high rollers at Toronto’s burgeoning art festival
By Michael Harris | October 21, 2014
By Michael Harris | 10/21/2014
(Images: courtesy of their galleries)
Over the past decade, the art world’s biggest business has shifted from auction houses and galleries to the glamorous fair circuit, with the jet set traipsing from London to Hong Kong to Miami to Madrid for a parade of glittering parties and high-roller deals. Art Toronto , the city’s own buzzy festival, is quickly rising in the ranks. Last year, it attracted big-name gallerists and collectors from New York, Brussels and Tokyo, moved blue-chip pieces by artists like Jack Bush and Tom Thomson , and brought in $17 million worth of sales. As the fair gears up for its 15th year, here’s a look at the hottest artists, savviest collectors and biggest deals.
Fri. Oct. 24. General admission $18 advance, $20 door. Metro Toronto Convention Centre North, 255 Front St. W., 604-730-2065, arttoronto.ca .
295649 <strong>Kyotaro Hakamata</strong> is a heavyweight in Japan’s contemporary art scene, best known for his bizarre, jubilant acrylic sculptures. <br />
<em>MA2 Gallery, Tokyo.</em> (Image: courtesy of the gallery) Primer: Fair Play Kyotaro Hakamata https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-01-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-01.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/art-toronto-primer/slide/art-toronto-01/ art-toronto-01 0 0
(Image: courtesy of the gallery)
295650 The much-hyped Toronto painter <strong>Stephen Appleby-Barr</strong> creates glowing, luxuriously hued oils, mixing the technique of the old European masters with surreal postmodern twists. <em>Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto.</em> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-02-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-02.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/art-toronto-primer/slide/art-toronto-02/ art-toronto-02 0 0
295651 Each of <strong>Yigal Ozeri’</strong>s Pre-Raphaelite <br />
paintings is based on a photograph, which Ozeri warps, softens and re-colours in Photoshop, then recreates in oils. <em>Zemack Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv.</em> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-03-e1413833202502-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-03.jpg 624 414 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/art-toronto-primer/slide/art-toronto-03/ art-toronto-03 0 0
295652 <strong>Kim Dorland</strong> builds up his works with such thick brush strokes, he sometimes uses screws to anchor gobs of paint to the canvas. The landscapes reimagine Tom Thomson–esque scenes with ghosts and zombies rendered in neon hues. <br />
<em>Angell Gallery, Toronto.</em> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-04-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-04.jpg 624 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/art-toronto-primer/slide/art-toronto-04/ art-toronto-04 0 0
295653 Multidisciplinary artist <strong>Amalie Atkins</strong> creates strange, lovely film vignettes depicting women adrift in minimalist landscapes. <em>DC3 Art Projects, Edmonton.</em> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-05-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/art-toronto-primer/slide/art-toronto-05/ art-toronto-05 0 0
295654 The New York artist <strong>Greg Haberny</strong> produces anarchic pieces that incorporate elements of pop art and collage, repurposing pin-ups, Terry Richardson photos, old paperback novels, ’50s ads and graffiti. <em>Catinca Tabacaru Gallery, New York.</em> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-06-e1413833464375-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-06.jpg 535 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/art-toronto-primer/slide/art-toronto-06/ art-toronto-06 0 0
295655 <strong>John Monteith,</strong> a graduate of Parsons in New York, uses black pigment, wax and drafting paper to build up seemingly simple geometric shapes into graphic, dizzying prints. <em>O’Born Contemporary, Toronto.</em> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-07-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/art-toronto-07.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/art-toronto-primer/slide/art-toronto-07/ art-toronto-07 0 0