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August 2014

Alex Colville at the AGO

Go down to the Art Gallery of Ontario and see the Alex Colville exhibit. If you grew up out east during the 70s you’ll be especially proud of this important Canadian painter. I didn’t know that Colville had been an official war artist during WWII. He not only witnessed the horrors of a concentration camp, but had to express that horrible thing visually. The first room of the exhibit is necessarily brutal and unfamiliar. His mature work is entirely different – illuminated with a hyperrealism that entices you to keep looking. His figures are surrounded with bright light, but cast no… Read More »Alex Colville at the AGO

All the boots of tramping warriors

This July, I met up with seasoned travelling companions Chris and Rosemary in Amsterdam. We have conspired on several international adventures in France, Italy, and the far west coast of North America, but this summer we had a quest to learn all we could about the events of 1914. We spent a few days decompressing in Ghent: a cyclists’ heaven. Cars, pedestrians and bikes all share the road with decorum and respect. There are bike racks in front of every public building, and cycling along the canals is a peaceful way to explore. We gaped at the treasured Ghent Altarpiece,… Read More »All the boots of tramping warriors