#10 TOAE Part 1 - iPad Painting vs. Acrylic Painting

Have you heard of TOAE? It's the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, which takes place annually on Nathan Phillips Square featuring contemporary Canadian fine art and craft. The purpose of the event is to not only to sell but to showcase the works by contemporary Canadian artists across the country. This year marked its 51st year.

View of TOAE 2012

#6 Installation Art? What is it and how does it come together?

Last week, Camal Pirbhai and I were in Barrie for the grand opening of Houston Avenue Bar & Grill. Camal was commissioned for the opening party to create an art installation with the theme of the restaurant by the Chartreuse marketing company.

Installation art refers to 3D works in interior spaces, which are usually designed for a specific site as the case for Camal. The number of installation art increased largely since postmodernist artists, that influenced the way the audience experience or perceive a particular space. It can be temporary or permanent, as it is assembled in exhibition space such as museums and galleries or public venues. Most of installation art are site-specific, meaning that they are designed to exist solely in the space which they were created.

Houston Avenue in Barrie

#5 Another Public Installation... This Time in Barrie!

This week, Camal Pirbhai is invited for an installation project at a restaurant in Barrie.

Camal had met Jessica and Deborah at the Junior League of Toronto's DelecTABLE Designs about a month ago. The two ladies were fascinated by the originality of Camal's installation and called Camal a few weeks after their initial meeting at the show. They represented a company named Chartreuse, an ECO Live Communications Company, where they provide a full service specializing in events and integrated marketing.  They wanted to display Camal's work at a public venue; a restaurant in Barrie called Houston Avenue Bar.

#3 Pre-Fashionality

I went to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection a few weeks ago to help install art works by Camal Pirbhai, for the gallery's latest exhibition 'Fashionality: Dress and Identity in Contemporary Canadian Art.' The exhibition was put together by a Canadian writer and curator Julia Pine, who specializes in North American visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first century. In the Urban Dictionary, "fashionality" is defined as one's personality expressed in their clothing, 'fashion personality', or one's nationality expressed in their clothing, 'fashion nationality'.

Fashionality at McMichael Canadian Art Collection will be on display from May 5 - September 3.

#2 So what is Gallery Bespoke?

For my second entry, I want to tell you a little bit more about Gallery Bespoke. 

Ever since my first visit, Gallery Bespoke has been a surprise after surprise. From the preparations of the "Accessory" collection last August, I've been observing the creative mind of Camal Pirbhai, the artist behind the Gallery. What I’ve observed was the artistic ingenuity of Camal. When I saw his work from his collection, I’ve questioned myself, “How did he come up with that?” and “What motivated him to create such pieces?” His works are beyond ordinary, unusual and made me wonder about the creative process. And the truth is many viewers have expressed the same thoughts. I often heard an observer saying “Amazing! How did he produce such an original work?”

"Gould Plated" (Elbow Pads) Video from the Accessory Collections, September, 2011