exhibition statement

This exhibition showcases a range of work created by ten Toronto artists and represents a breadth of perspectives, narratives and media. In the works of Luis Jacob, Brynley Longman, Sandra Tarantino, Shaan Syed, Mona Kamal, John Monteith, Richard Storms, Katie Jacobiec, Matthew Varey, and Moira Clark, we find a rigorous exploration of themes concerning landscape and the relationship we have with our surroundings.

Each artist employs distinct methods of addressing our shifting notions of environment and place, ranging from the scale model cityscapes of Luis Jacob to Matthew Varey's topographical explorations. More broadly, each artist’s interest lies in the representation or interpretation of what we value --intrinsic and otherwise. These artists shy away from a didactic approach in favour of allusion and suggestion, relying on the unique tools of personal context and history that each viewer uses to draw importance from the work.

This exhibition ultimately creates a network of meaning, highlighting the set of connections between disparate artworks. By examining what are essentially shifting systems of value--the mechanics of which are unique to each of us--this exhibition serves to broadly accentuate the ideals common between both artist and viewer and to emphasize the intersections between seemingly opposites such as commerce and culture or community and commodity.

Wrapped in the context of a corporate and financial service environment --in this case Investors Group--this exhibition illustrates the multiple applications of creativity. Whether exploring the world of finance or the pursuit of art making, we find at the heart of both fields a creative impulse--one that can bring together a variety of voices, build relationships and foster understanding.

Bill Huffman

Curator, Arts in the Workplace