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Jon Sasaki @ Jessica Bradley Gallery

January 21, 2013, 11:15 am
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Jon Sasaki - Solo Exhibition
Jessica Bradley Gallery
1450 Dundas St. W.

Exhibition: January 12th, - March 16th, 2013.

Toronto artist Jon Sasaki is known for his original, quirky and fundamentally serious work. Sasaki's 2011 exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario's Young Gallery launched a series of work inspired by Canadian art legend Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven's forays into nature to depict Canada's wilderness. In his recent work the grand themes of nature and the cosmos emerge in the microcosm and the banal. Sasaki's survey exhibition Good Intentions was seen in numerous venues across Canada in 2011-2012.
Here is a look at some of his current works on at Jessica Bradley Gallery. For more information check out his website here.




Jon Sasaki, Microbes Swabbed From a Palette Used by A.J. Casson, 2013. Digital Print.



Jon Sasaki, Microbes Swabbed From a Palette Used by Frederic Varley, 2013. Digital Print
Jon Sasaki, Microbes Swabbed From a Palette Used By Tom Thomson, 2013. Digital Print
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ALSO Collective

January 21, 2013, 10:23 pm
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The opening for our show Workplace Affairs this past Saturday turned out to be a huge success with tons of people coming and going as they stopped in at each of the venues for Junction Kick-off Week along the way!
While I was there, I had the chance to speak with the guys from ALSO Collective, who are currently putting together a video project for the Toronto Design Offsite Festival. 
While doing an interview with them on camera I may have froze in nervousness and probably turned a bit red in the face too, but I really enjoyed some of the questions they had to ask me about the perception of Design in Toronto and Canadian Design at large. 
And although I didn't have immediate answers to a few of their questions, I feel as though it charged some great conversations among new acquaintances and people at the gallery.
I am excited to see the edited video after the festival is finished as well as hear what other people have to say. Here is some more info about ALSO Collective and a look at some of their design work.



ALSO Collective is an emerging multi-disciplinary design studio in Toronto. Founded in April 2012 by designers, Antonio Lennert and Symon Oliver, the studio has received recognition from the local and national design community through multiple awards.
The team is composed of a mix of graphic and industrial designers, printmakers, photographers and videographers. The projects produced by the studio vary from branding and print design to interactive design, video and data visualization.

In spite of its short history, the studio has already established a remarkable clientele that includes Post Media, SickKids Hospital, OCAD University, OCAD U Student Gallery, Sustainable Design Awards, as well as local artist Shannon Gerard. To complete that list, the studio has become a sponsor (and are collaborating with) the Toronto Design Offsite Festival. The ALSO crew will be documenting this year's edition of the festival to produce a promotional video.


A few visual identities designed by ALSO Collective



Symon Oliver and Antonio Lennert, founders of ALSO Collective.





















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The Brothers Dressler: Ash Out of Quarantine

January 21, 2013, 11:18 pm
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Following a recent exhibition in the project window at Harbourfront Centre's York Quay Gallery, the Brothers Dressler's latest project, Ash Out of Quarantine - Tumbling Ash, New Growth is now on view at the Junction's ARTiculations, as a part of Toronto Design Offsite, Junction Kick-off Week.
Here is a link to a recent interview with the Brothers Dressler in Toronto Standard, be sure to check out their upcoming show the Brothers Dressler: 10 Years and Beyond, hosted at their studio @ 225 Sterling Rd. Unit 16 - Jan 23rd - 27th, 2013.
Here is some more info about Ash Out of Quarantine, and some images from the opening which happened at ARTiculations this past saturday...



Ash Out of Quarantine - Tumbling Ash, New Growth
@ ARTiculations, 2928 Dundas St. W.

Saturday Jan. 19th - Feb.17th, 2013
Opening Reception: Sat. Jan. 19th, 6-9pm

Toronto is in the midst of a foreign invasion. Close to a million ash trees will wall over the next five years due to this invader. A stowaway of globalization, the emerald ash borer beetle traveled to North America in a shipping container over a decade ago and has since left a path of destruction across numerous states and provinces. With little that can be done to stem the inevitable elimination of every ash tree, focus must be put on what to do with the carnage. Brothers Dressler are embarking on a journey to bring the potential of ash to the public eye. We are focusing on much of our new work on bringing Ash out of Quarantine. 

Tumbling Ash is a first step to promote the use of this material and its properties. A cascade of branching limbs tumble down the wall cradling budding fruit of hand-blown gloves softly lit with LEDs. Using our branches system comprised of steam bent wood components with nodal connections as a starting point this piece is meant to evoke thought about material use and an awareness of resource life cycles. Mixed with the ash parts are some elm from a Toronto tree lost to Dutch Elm disease and walnut sap wood which is usually discarded in the milling process. This modular system of assembled parts can continually evolve and expand as will our awareness of the materials and resources that surround us and their limited nature.













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Tonight: OCAD U - Design With Dialogue

January 22, 2013, 11:39 am
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January 22nd, 2013. 6-9pm
OCAD U, 100 McCaul st. Rm 187
Admission: Free, RSVP

What design practices facilitate the creation of culture?

How do we learn and teach from design process itself?

How have we learned to improvise or hack design practices so that we personalize design thinking with our own experience?

How might we build on eachother's practices to make something new happen?

Design with Dialogue presents a special workshop for the Toronto Design Offsite for participants to experience culture building through design process. We will have an open space exchange of learning and generative framing through design participation. If you are a designer or participatory culture artist, we invite you to attend and share in this workshop a method or practice for small group envisioning, scenario or model making, or group sketching type practice.

TorontoDesignOffsite_Logo_outlineCulture building is the re-creation of artistic and social evolutionary practices that enable continuous learning across generations. The workshop asks people to share their own design processes in small groups to co-create cultural artifacts, such as a learning experience, an interior, a song, a plan, or a website or publication. Our goal is the participatory process itself, and learning from one another ways of revealing collective wisdom and aliveness in co-creation.
Design with Dialogue (DwD) is a Toronto-based open community of practice. This special workshop is a collaboration between Gelareh Saadatpajouh and Markus Doerr with Peter Jones from DwD. DwD gathers monthly to convene workshops to discover how to lead organizational and community change and drive meaningful action in our organizations, our communities our projects and ourselves. We learn and play together through participatory design, strategic dialogue, creative arts and emerging facilitation methods.
This is a special free (sponsored) event. To confirm your attendance, please register via Eventbrite or email gelareh@todesignoffsite.com

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Tonight: PechaKucha Vol.20

January 22, 2013, 12:31 pm
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PechaKucha Vol.20
@ the Gladstone Hotel, Melody Bar
Tues. Jan. 22nd, 2013. Doors Open at 8pm
Admission $5

It appears that tickets are Sold Out on the Eventbrite page for tonight's PechaKucha, at the Gladstone Hotel, however, I think it is definitely worth it if you still wanna try to score some tickets at the door. Here is some more info on tonight's speakers and the PechaKucha series.

Originally founded in Tokyo in 2003, Pechakucha Nights are informal and fun gatherings where creative people get together to share their ideas, works, thoughts, holiday snaps and just about anything really - in the PechaKucha 20 images x 20 seconds format.
PechaKucha Toronto is the official chapter of the PechaKucha Organization, a volunteer-run organization with regular events spanning 600 cities around the world.
Come join us at the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar tonight, to celebrate the 20th edition of our PechaKucha Night Toronto!
The number 20 is a special number for the PechaKucha family, and the age of 20 is also a turning point for Japanese people. In Japanese culture, 20 is the age when they legally become an adult, also known as 'Coming of Age'.
To celebrate, PechaKucha Toronto's 'Coming of Age', we want to make this a very special evening. There will be giveaway's, snacks and even cupcakes.
All advance ticket holders will be welcome an hour early (7pm) to enjoy some snacks, mingle and meet people before the evening begins.


Here is a list of presenters for the evening:

Bi-Ying Miao / Matt Compeau - HotPop Factory
Connor Dickie - Bio Entrepreneur
Erin Lewis - Wearable Technology Artist
George Kourounis - Stormchaser
Jake Hirsch-Allen - IP / Startup Lawyer
Jay Wall / Sean Martindale - Designer / Artist
Kyle Baptista - Designer
Melanie Egan / Paul McClure - International Jewelery Design Festival
Raymundo Pavan Gutierrez / Dana Seguin - BADD - Architects and Design Strategists
Sinead Cormack - Performer and Creator

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Trade School Toronto: TO DO 2013 Edition

January 22, 2013, 12:54 pm
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A while back I posted about the awesome barter-based workshop and education program Trade School Toronto! I am excited to see that they have kept the momentum going and are now taking part of TO DO 2013, by hosting a series of courses and workshops for barter during the festival!
Each of the workshops on offer will be hosted by the generous Centre for Social Innovation and Gravenfeather Studio. Here is a bit more information about Trade School Toronto and a list of classes currently about to start:















Trade School Toronto is an alternative learning project that runs on a barter system. Pay for a class with a barter item (like food, supplies or help) that your teacher requests! The Trade School model started in New York in 2010, and since then Trade Schools have been popping up all around the world. In the fall of 2012, a group of local artists and community organizers banded together to organize Trade School Toronto.
In its first season, TSTO successfully ran 30 workshops over the course of five days in Fall 2012. Now, it is continuing its mission of promoting access to education via alternative modes of currency by facilitating multiple design-focused workshops throughout TO DO, exchanging practical knowledge for practical items.
Challenging traditional notions of expertise as tied to formal education, TSTO opens up the educational floodgates to the many Torontonians who gained their expertise through independent learning and hard work. Celebrating practical wisdom, mutual respect, and the social nature of exchange, TSTO is open to all – anyone can be a TSTO teacher, just as anyone can be a TSTO student.
Current workshops include:
Monday, Jan 21, 2013; CSI Spadina, 215 Spadina 4th Floor, Think Tank
Visual Learning 101– 6:00pm to 8:00pm
The Design of Human Interaction– 8:00pm to 10:00pm
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2013; Graven Feather, 906 Queen Street West
Dating by Design: The Basics – 10:00am to 12:00pm
Learn How to Wire Crochet – 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Duct Tape Creations– 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Learn How to Crochet– 4:00pm to 6:00pm
The Evolution of Media: A Guided Discussion– 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Design a Festival– 8:00pm to 10:00pm
Thursday, Jan 24, 2013; CSI Spadina, 215 Spadina 4th Floor
Learn the African Net Weave with Seed Beads– 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Collaborative Consumption: Design your life to be more collaborative– 8:00pm to 10:00pm
Friday, Jan 25, 2013; Graven Feather, 906 Queen Street West
Human-Centered Design: A Primer– 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Designing Transformative Problem Statements– 8:00pm to 10:00pm
Check the TSTO website for more details about specific workshops, and how you can get involved. All workshops are being generously hosted at Graven Feather on Queen Street West near Trinity Bellwoods and The Centre for Social Innovation.

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Tonight - Toronto Design Offsite Opening Party!

January 23, 2013, 2:56 pm
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Toronto Design Offsite, Festival Opening Party
@ Lightform, 267 Niagra St.

Wed, Jan. 23rd. 8pm-12am

Come join us tonight to help celebrate the opening of the much anticipated Toronto Design Offsite Festival, at Lightform's Toronto showroom. See what the festival is all about, meet local designers and craftspeople, and check out some amazing installations by local ceramic artist, Grace Eun-Mi Lee, installation artist Xiaojing Yan, and multimedia artist and photographer Gwen Lim-Brydson!
Here is a sneak peek of some of their work, Please come have a drink, meet interesting people and listen to tunes spun by DJ Joe Blow. Hope to see you there!

Above, image of work by Grace Eun Mi Lee, below images by Xiaojing Yan.



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Lots Of Openings Tonight!!!

January 25, 2013, 8:11 am
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I only have a few minutes to write this blog post before I am off to work for the opening at Harbourfront Centre's newly renovated and incredible space, York Quay Gallery. I will be working at the opening part way into tonight, after which I am planning on shooting up to Dundas West to hit up a couple more openings before they finish for the evening! I urge you to come down and check out the amazing new space at Harbourfront, as well as take in the seven new exhibitions opening. It's a sure bet to see some great work!
Also on the itinerary for tonight is Not Forkchops at Loop Gallery, and Shiny, Pretty Things at Cooper Cole Gallery. Well, looks like that's all for now! Hopefully I can find the time to photograph each of the openings and post back here shortly! Have a great friday, and GO SEE SHOWS!!!!!






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IDS & Studio North

January 26, 2013, 7:21 pm
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Do West Design

January 29, 2013, 2:26 pm
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In the madness that happened this past weekend, I forgot to mention that I have a couple of my Lace Flags hanging outside of ML Lumber as a part of Do West Design!!!
Walking around on Saturday, I managed to see most of the work down the north side of Dundas before my fingers froze and I stopped in at MADE to check out the opening of Look i like. While I was there I managed to score a freshly ironed grilled cheese sandwich and some warm apple cider, before going on my way to check out some more shows.
Here are some pictures from my wanderings down Dundas. If you would like to check out my flags they are still up at 856 Dundas st w. (on the corner of Manning) while I wait for the weather to get a little nicer before taking them down.  For more information on Do West Design and the participating artists, please check out their webpage here.




























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Not Forkchops @ Loop Gallery

January 30, 2013, 10:39 am
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Shiny Pretty Things @ Cooper Cole

January 30, 2013, 12:50 pm
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Jeff Goodman Designs @ Ontario Crafts Council

January 31, 2013, 2:36 pm
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Jeff Goodman Designs @ Ontario Crafts Council
990 Queen St. West

January 10th - February 24th, 2013


Craftsperson, designer, maker, mentor, friend, husband, father, brother, son - Jeff Goodman (1961-2012) was all of these. This exhibition focuses on one aspect of Jeff, his interest in incorporating handcrafted items into contemporary design. Some of these works were commissioned by architects and designers for specific locations; others became signature pieces of the Jeff Goodman Studio.

Following his studies at Sheridan College and the University of Illinois, Jeff returned to Sheridan to serve on the faculty from 1987-89.
He was an Artist-in-Residence at Harbourfront Centre's Craft Studios from 1986-89, and after his residency acted as an advisor from 1991-94 and from 2004-08. In addition, he served on the boards of the Glass Art Association of Canada, and the Ontario Crafts Council. Jeff was also generous, mentoring and/or employing many glass artists early in their careers.
In 1983, Jeff established the Jeff Goodman Studio. Over the years, it moved and expanded from a small location on Dupont street to one on Hanna Avenue. The studio is currently located on Cranfield Road in the north-eastern part of Toronto, and continues to produce works in glass.

In much the same way as Jeff worked, this exhibition was conceived and produced as a team effort. Jeff never failed to pay tribute to the highly skilled and dedicated people who brought their considerable attributes to his work and studio practice. In this spirit, we would like to acknowledge the following individuals who made this exhibitions possible.

Sunil Bhandari, Bhandari & Plater inc.
Melanie Egan, Harbourfront Centre
Alan C. Elder, Canadian Museum of Civilization
Janna Hiemstra, Ontario Crafts Council
Sylvia Lee, Jeff Goodman Studio

















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In Limbo @ Academy of Lions

January 31, 2013, 3:11 pm
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This past Saturday, I managed to make it out to see In Limbo, an exhibition of furniture designs featuring work from the soon to be graduating class of the Furniture Design Program at Sheridan College.
I always get excited about these kinds of shows and enjoy being surprised by the quality and innovation in the work.
Here is a statement from the exhibition along with some quick snaps I took before it got too busy. Be sure to look for their upcoming graduate exhibition, along with the rest of the Sheridan Crafts and Design grads coming sometime in the spring!


In Limbo
Curated by and featuring much of the work from the graduating furniture class of 2013, In Limbo represents an upcoming stage in each student’s life as they finish their studies and move towards starting a career.The Sheridan College Furniture class has worked over the past three years experimenting with materials and processes to develop a richer understanding of design and craft. This show will highlight their commitment to the program and present work that they can be proud of and share with the community. 
In Limbo showcases their earned skills in design and craftsmanship as well as providing an opportunity to transition from student life to working life.








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Opening: Of the Female Persu'asian

February 5, 2013, 2:00 pm
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Of the Female Persu'asian
At The Guild Shop, 118 Cumberland St.

Exhibition: February 7th - March 10th, 2013
Opening Reception: Thursday, Feb. 7th, 5-7pm

As contemporary Asian art continues to rise in prominence, some of the most compelling work is being produced by women in many areas of craft. Whether working from a modern perspective on historical techniques, or addressing the overwhelming influence of one's cultural heritage in day to day Western life, Of the Female Persu'asian demonstrates the depth of female talent that exists within these practices. Women's work indeed.

Featuring the work of:Jin Won Han, Annyen Lam, Seung Hee Lee, Vivian Lee, Shuyu Lu, Mengnan Qu and Chiho Tokita











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New Work - In the Studio

February 11, 2013, 8:49 pm
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The Artist Project 2013

February 28, 2013, 2:24 pm
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This past Sunday, I took a much needed break away from the studio and stopped by to check out this year's installment of The Artist Project, on at the Better Living Centre.
As soon as I arrived, I found myself power walking through the dazed crowd to get a look at some of the fresh new works on offer.
I always enjoy going to these types of shows, seeing the work of my friends, meeting some new faces and getting inspired by new artists in the untapped emerging artist section.

A couple of booths that really stood out to me include the work of Anouk Desloges who pierces plexiglass, using it as a surface to create beautiful line-based embroideries, as well as the work of Katie Kehoe who uses drawing and repeating of the word 'And' to build up a series of patterns and textures on both paper and canvas.
I was also really pleased to see that Steven Tippin has continued to make his stunning photograms, which involve directly applying his glass works on photo paper and exposing them to capture the depth and dimension of the works as light refracts through each piece. Below is a selection of images I took from the show, I hope you enjoy!


Anouk Desloges
Embroidery on Plexiglass




Katie Kehoe  - Untapped Emerging Artist section






Xiaojing Yan - Installation Zone



Untapped Emerging Artist section




Nick Chase glass






Wing Yee Tong - Installation zone



Steven Tippin Glass
 

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Opening: Winnie Truong, A Slow Immersion

February 28, 2013, 3:25 pm
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Winnie Truong - A Slow Immersion
@ ESP Gallery, 1086 Queen St. West

February 28th - March 31st
Opening Reception: TONIGHT - Thursday, Feb. 28th 7-10pm

Erin Stump Projects is pleased to present the latest drawing series by Winnie Truong, A Slow Immersion. Truong continues to explore the artist's ongoing relationship with hair beyond beauty and accoutrement and into a direction of a object and environs. Through delicate, labor-intensive drawing, Truong's anomalous subjects examine the possibility of hair as a veil and as an object of comfort, while also remaining a self-consuming and self-inspiring muse. Whether they are comforted or encumbered, swarmed or swaddled, Truong's subjects are visual narratives of the artist's tangible relationship with mark making and the increasingly immersive nature of line and labour in her own practice.
A Slow Immersion examines monumental drawing as a product and physical feat that engrosses both the drawn subject and the viewer in an immense thicket of line and colour.

Winnie Truong lives and works in Toronto, where she received her BFA from the Ontario College of Art and Design in the drawing and painting program. Truong is the recipient of numerous awards, including the W.O. Forsythe award, the 401 Richmond Career Launcher prize and the BMO 1st! Art Award for Ontario, which she exhibited at MOCCA. Winnie has exhibited both locally and internationally in galleries across Toronto, LA, Copenhagen and New York where she was featured in the VOLTA, NY Art Fair. Her work can also be found in the collection of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary art in Overland Park, Kansas.








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Artist: Hannah Waldron

March 4, 2013, 9:07 pm
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Pattern Recognition

March 18, 2013, 4:13 pm
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