Mike Smalley

Mike Smalley is another Ontario artist that I had the pleasure meeting at the Artist Project Toronto.  His large scale paintings focus around two natural themes:  geological formations and grasslands.  He described his process of starting his geolocical paintings with a dark underpainting that is then drenched in turps, which cause unexpected movement and travelling of the dark blue/grey pigments.  He then follows the lead of this movement with facades, fissures and planes.  They are truly a sight to behold!

Monument #2, 2012, Oil and Charcoal on Linen, 78" x 60"

Untitled, 84" x 50"

Genesis Chapters #7,  2012, Oil and Charcoal on Linen, 58" x 42"

History of the World Panel #2, Oil and Charcoal on Linen, 2010, 60" x 84"

Here are some more details about Mike Smalley's subject matter from Navillus Gallery in Toronto: 

"His depiction of a “living” environment in flux appears cracked, broken and then resurrected. Rocks cut from the rough Canadian Shield undergo a metamorphosis beneath jostling waves. Grass cut by various shades of light bristles in the wind. The horizon peels into the water as the sun dips down for twilight. In Smalley’s ethos on the canvas, shapes are pinched and cracked. As with cubism, we see the whole from multiple perspectives, learning how the pieces interact: a shadow from a rock is cut into the grass, creating a rough gouge. By fragmenting the landscape and disassociating the shapes from one another, Smalley pieces it back into a more perfect whole."

Mike Smalley's Website

Christine Kim

I ran into Christine Kim's work at the Toronto Artist Project (as well as Christine Kim herself).  A fellow teacher and artist, I was really drawn to her intricate cut paper and juxtaposition of images of slightly obscured figures, fences and screens.  It was really neat to watch actually work at her booth, making her deft, precise cuts, all while conversing with passers by.

In her own words, here is Christine Kim speaking about her art:

"In my work, I am drawn to areas of tension – the kind of tension found in moments of silence where emotions have not yet found a language. The figures drawn speak to a sharp vulnerability. The bodies are revealed only in fragments, they turn away, and not all is known. Cut from the original paper, the viewer is also reminded of the fragility of the support, or lack thereof. Hovering between layers, there is an uneasy relationship between figure and ground, sometimes even precarious. The figure is cut out, but recaptured; this time, layers accumulate like sediment.

Inspired by boundaries, I often use Victoria fences to illustrate the tension created at these borders. At once, sturdy and restrictive, the fence also stands as a decorative ornament to mark the line between private and public spaces. It is a stern warning and a delicate ornament. The illustrations accumulate layers of fences, figures, and screens -- all cut and perforated with patterns to allow viewers to see the distance between and the new relationships built by this displacement. "

- from christinekim.ca

Here is an interview she did with Plaid Magazine, where she talks about her work in more depth:

Plaid Magazine - Christine Kim Interview