Bibliography

 

Tomorrow is the last day to see the MKG127 summer group exhibition Bibliography, which features novels, math books, textbooks, phone books, matchbooks and more, by Dean Baldwin Lew, Alan Belcher, Adam David Brown, Bill Burns, Michael Dumontier, Dave Dyment, Liza Eurich, Sara Graham, Instant Coffee, Laura Kikauka, Kristiina Lahde, Jason Lujan, Gwen MacGregor, John Marriott, Luke Parnell, Roula Partheniou, Geoffrey Pugen, Jayce Salloum, Monica Tap, Joy Walker, and Laurel Woodcock.

Press release: 

"The format of the book has proved remarkably resilient in the face of breakthroughs in other technologies. Its early demise has been predicted continually – with the advent of cinema, television, the personal computer and the e-book reader. Even the phonograph was once cause for alarm, as evidenced in Octave Uzanne’s short story from 1894, The End of Books:

“If by books you are to be understood as referring to our innumerable collections of paper, printed, sewed, and bound in a cover announcing the title of the work, I own to you frankly that I do not believe (and the progress of electricity and modern mechanism forbids me to believe) that Gutenberg’s invention can do otherwise than sooner or later fall into desuetude as a means of current interpretation of our mental products.”

Bibliophiles needn’t have worried. While the death knell rang throughout the last century-plus, the codex held steady. Today physical books still outsell their electronic counterparts four-to-one. Sixty-eight percent of readers between the age of 18 and 29 prefer printed volumes, suggesting the trend is not drifting downward.

This exhibition celebrates the multi-faceted form of the book with a wide array of treatments, from foregrounding text, typography, the page, the title, or the cover, to using the form of the book as context for content."

For more information, visit the MKG127 website, here. 

Bibliography

 

My relationship with gallerist Michael Klein can be traced back to our shared love of books and records. We met when he would come to Art Metropole on Friday nights, for Cocktails. He had worked there a decade or so before me, and left to raise his two children. 

Once they were old enough, he decided to open his own commercial gallery, and invited Roula and I to join the roster. At the time (reductively) I made records and she made books. The three of us are also in Bookclub together, a group of ten artists, authors, publishers and curators who collect artists’ publications (the others members are Micah Lexier, Bill Clarke, Paul Van Kooy, Wendy Gomoll, Derek Sullivan, Sarah Robayo Sheridan, and Dereck McCormack). 

In 2018, MKG127 hosted a show called Record Shop, in which artists such as Sonny Assu, Deanna Bowen, Geoffrey Pugen, Marla Hlady, Christof Migone, Eleanor King, Jacob Whibley, Michael Dumontier, Suzie Smith, Instant Coffee, Jeffrey & Humphrey and Laura Kikauka presented work made with “record shop materials”, such as posters and playlists, and the vinyl record itself (it’s “material and sentiment”). 

Five years later, the gallery follows up with an exhibition about books. Titled, Bibliography, the show explores various formal and conceptual investigations into the form of the folio, the codex, etc. It opens today at 2pm. 

My contribution is the size-as photo above, titled Nothing To Infinity. 

For more information, see the press release below or visit the gallery website, here. 

July 8 – August 19

Opening Saturday, July 8, 2-5 PM

MKG127 is excited to present Bibliography, a group exhibition including new and existing works by gallery artists including:

Dean Baldwin Lew, Alan Belcher, Adam David Brown, Bill Burns, Michael Dumontier, Dave Dyment, Liza Eurich, Sara Graham, Instant Coffee, Laura Kikauka, Kristiina Lahde, Jason Lujan, Gwen MacGregor, John Marriott, Luke Parnell, Roula Partheniou, Geoffrey Pugen, Jayce Salloum, Monica Tap, Joy Walker, and Laurel Woodcock.

The format of the book has proved remarkably resilient in the face of breakthroughs in other technologies. Its early demise has been predicted continually – with the advent of cinema, television, the personal computer and the e-book reader. Even the phonograph was once cause for alarm, as evidenced in Octave Uzanne’s short story from 1894, The End of Books:

“If by books you are to be understood as referring to our innumerable collections of paper, printed, sewed, and bound in a cover announcing the title of the work, I own to you frankly that I do not believe (and the progress of electricity and modern mechanism forbids me to believe) that Gutenberg’s invention can do otherwise than sooner or later fall into desuetude as a means of current interpretation of our mental products.”

Bibliophiles needn’t have worried. While the death knell rang throughout the last century-plus, the codex held steady. Today physical books still outsell their electronic counterparts four-to-one. Sixty-eight percent of readers between the age of 18 and 29 prefer printed volumes, suggesting the trend is not drifting downward.

This exhibition celebrates the multi-faceted form of the book with a wide array of treatments, from foregrounding text, typography, the page, the title, or the cover, to using the form of the book as context for content.

Laurel Woodcock | done

Laurel Woodcock
done
Toronto, Canada: Self-published, 2008
10 × 10 × 1"
Edition of 10 [+ 1 AP]

Red adhesive vinyl on laser cut Plexiglas.

Laurel Woodcock

Above is the program for the Laurel Woodcock memorial last weekend, including Playlist for Laurel Woodock, which borrows the format of Woodcock's Untitled (playlist for Bas Jan Ader), which I published years ago when I was at Mercer Union. The songs are chosen by several of her friends, including those who organized the event: Sandra Reichico, Paulette Philips, Monica Tap, Lois Andison, Neil Brochu, Liz Knox and many others. 

Laurel Woodcock | Wish You Were Here

[Laurel Woodcock]
Wish You Were Here
Toronto, Canada: Nothing Else Press, 2017
6.3 x 1.6 cm.
Edition of 100

An enamel pin based on a 2003 work by Laurel Woodcock, distributed at her memorial, which took place yesterday. Laurel was, at various times, our colleague, professor, employer and friend.

Laurel Woodcock, RIP

"Laurel Woodcock

October 22, 1960 - January 7, 2017

It is with considerable sadness that the School of Fine Art and Music announces the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Professor Laurel Woodcock. A noted conceptual artist and highly respected educator, Laurel died on January 7, 2017 at Toronto General Hospital after receiving extraordinary care.

Born in Ottawa, Laurel grew up in Montreal, studying Fine Art at Concordia University and later completed her Master of Fine Art at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. As a conceptual artist, Laurel achieved a national reputation working in text and installation, exhibiting in important venues such as The Power Plant, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, The Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver and Artist’s Space in New York City. Her work was represented by Michael Klein’s MKG127 gallery in Toronto.

Laurel loved teaching. She joined the faculty in SOFAM Guelph in 2000 and immediately set about developing the Extended Practices program in Studio Art, an area that continues to embody, both in curriculum and attitude, Laurel’s characteristic love of interdisciplinarity and dialogue. As a professor, Laurel was instrumental in teaching and mentoring a new generation of important Canadian artists. Her gifts as an instructor, coupled with her generosity of spirit and exacting standards, made Laurel a much admired and beloved professor. And she loved her students right back. Her keen sense of humour, intellectual curiosity and supportive nature will be sorely missed by all.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.  Condolences may be left at http://www.aftercare.org/"

- Donald Bruce, Dean, College of Arts, University of Guelph

Juliane Foronda posted this picture to Instagram the other day, of the shelf at MKG127. The shelf features two artist books by Bill Burns, a DVD by Geoffrey Pugen, monographs about Laurel Woodcock, Sky Glabush, Monica Tap and David Harper, editions by myself, Roula Partheniou, Laurel Woodcock, Dean Drever, Michael Dumontier, Laura Kikauka, and a collaborative artist book by Roula Partheniou & Joy Walker.

EDITION Chicago

Pictures from the MKG127 booth from the inaugural EDITION Chicago art fair a few weeks back.

Semicolon Hyphen Bracket

An excellent summer group show opens at MKG127 this Saturday, featuring some of my favorites. Semicolon Hyphen Bracket, curated by Michael Klein, Elle Kurancid and Jennifer Simaitis, includes work by Ceal Floyer, Kay Rosen, Kristiina Lahde, Roula Partheniou, Joy Walker, Laurel Woodcock, Liza Eurich and many others.

Works include Kay Rosen's Sheep in Wolf's Clothing as a wall text, Ceal Floyer's Secret and Roula Partheniou's shelf installation (above) and gallery sign.

The opening reception is Saturday July 6th, from  2-5 PM, 1445 Dundas Street West, Toronto (stop by Art Metropole's sale also, see below).

For more information, visit the gallery site, here.

The Artist Poster Show

The Artist Poster Show opened a few Fridays ago (February 8th) at the Burnaby Art Gallery in British Columbia, and continues until April 7th.

The show, drawn primarily from the gallery's permanent collection, features exhibition posters by artists such as Rodney Graham, Guerrilla Girls, Laurel Woodcock, Bruce Nauman, Michael Drebert and Ian Wallace (pictured above), as well as Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Gilbert & George, Lawrence Weiner, N.E.Thing Co.,  Gordon Matta-Clark and many others. The exhibition includes a new commissioned series of twelve posters by Sonny Assu and a contemporary selection of artist posters from Vancouver artist-run centres like Artspeak, Or Gallery and Western Front.



Ian Wallace
At Work
Or Gallery
1983

Rodney Graham
Vexation Island
Canada XLVII Biennale di Venezia
1997

Michael Drebert
Available Light
Artspeak
2008
Offset print on paper

Guerrilla Girls
Guerrilla Girls Identities Exposed!
c. 1990
lithograph on paper

Bruce Naumann
Body Pressure
1974
Offset print on paper

Laurel Woodcock
Playlist for Bas Jan Ader
Mercer Union
2008
Foil-stamped poster


Visit here for more information.

Laurel Woodcock | untitled (quotation)

Laurel Woodcock
untitled (quotation) 
Toronto, Canada: Self-published, 2005
6" × 3"(each)
aluminum, powder coating, magnets.
Edition of 10 (of each colour)

Intended to be hung slightly above eye level, approximately 37” apart. Produced in the available colours of highlighter felt tip pens.

Laurel Woodock Book launch

(Laurel Woodcock)
Laurel Woodcock
Waterloo, Canada: University of Waterloo Art Gallery, 2012
108 pp., 26 x 20.8 x 1.3 cm., hardcover


The latest monograph survey of the Toronto artist's work launches this Saturday (October 6th) from 3 to 5 PM. The book focuses, primarily, on Woodcock's investigation into text and language, featuring neon works, video, performance, installation, public advertising, editions & multiples, and much more. The title includes texts by artist & writer Jen Hutton, artist & University of Waterloo Art Gallery Director Ivan Jurakic, former AGO Curator & recently announced Chief Curator at the AGGV Michelle Jacques, and myself. It is designed by Lauren Wickware.


The launch is being held at MKG127's new location, 1445 Dundas Street West (a block from Art Metropole's new location, if you wanted to make your afternoon all about book buying).

For more information, visit the artist's site, here.

Art Sale to benefit Derek McCormack

Earlier this year Toronto writer (and fixture of the local arts community) Derek McCormack was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. I want to paraphrase the late Christopher Hitchens' joke about looking down on people with 'lesser cancers' but I don't have the literary dexterity to move from talking about someone I care a lot about, to making a crass joke, however hilarious (and in keeping with Derek's dark sense of humour).

To assist Derek financially through the terrible ordeal, Micah Lexier, Jason McBride and a number of other people have brought together a great group of artists for an online fundraising sale that begins Sunday April 1st, at noon, but previews now, at

www.artforderek.com.

The artists included are Micah Adams, Will Alsop, David Altmejd, Shary Boyle, Kim Dorland, myself, Vincent Fecteau, Robert Fones, Geoffrey James, Linda Jones, Tom Koken, Micah Lexier & Derek McCormack, Ken Nicol, Paul P., Roula Partheniou, Paul + Wendy Projects (including works by Michael Dumontier + Neil Farber, Daniel Eatock, Micah Lexier), Ian Phillips, Jon Sasaki, Hugh Scott-Douglas, Seth, Derek Sullivan, Scott Treleaven, Flavio Trevisan Joy Walker, Margaux Williamson, and Laurel Woodcock.

There are a few editions included (making this post not entirely off-topic) and works by many artists who have been or will be discussed here in future entries. There are some very strong pieces included, making it a great opportunity to buy a work and support an excellent cause. 100% of the sale price goes directly to Derek.

Additionally, Superframe (who have framed everything I've made and everything I own for the last five+ years) have an incredible deal where they are offering to frame the unframed pieces at a 25% discount, AND then contribute all after-cost profits directly to Derek as well.



My small contribution is a new work called Found Portrait of Joe Dallesandro, which consists of the two album covers that the Warhol superstar appeared on: the Smiths' 1984 debut (which used a still from the Warhol film Flesh) and Warhol's famous zipper cover for the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers, combined as a single portrait.

A few samples of some of the other forty works offered are pictured below (Micah Lexier, Laurel Woodcock, Joy Walker, Roula Partheniou, David Altmejd):