tinku tales

The Art of Travel

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:04:00 +0000

From left: Mike Piergrossi, Brigid Watson, Amrita Chandra

The Art of Travel opened last week, with a reception attended by many gallery friends, some new faces, and the guests of honour - curator Brigid Watson and artist Mike Piergrossi, both who traveled from their homes in the US to attend the opening.

This was the first show where I turned over the curating reins to someone else, and that alone was an interesting experience. When I first opened the gallery, and for a long time after, I wanted to keep full control of which artists I worked with and how the shows were hung. I had some requests from other curators, to work together, but it never felt quite right. Perhaps I was too attached to the gallery? Or perhaps I was just having too much fun doing it myself?

Fast forward to November 2009, and it feels great to have trusted someone to come with the vision and execution for the show. I literally didn't know what would be on the walls until I saw it installed the night before the opening. Brigid did a great job, pulling together work from 4 artists that studied together in Venice as part of their M.F.A. program at NYU and describing how the vision was inspired by Alain de Botton's book of the same name.

What was interesting to me was hearing her perspective on the responsibility of organizing an exhibition. A solo show is a lot of work to put together, let alone a group show where you are dealing with multiple people in multiple locations. This one was no exception, with one work getting lost, then found, artists in different countries and states of chaos, and a curator who was (understandably) ready to pull her hair out at times. It made me wonder how I've managed to do this for 18 months while holding down another full time job. I find myself wondering out loud if it's worth it...

The Art of Travel continues till the end of November at tinku gallery.

Commissioning work

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:26:00 +0000

I had an inquiry from a friend who was interested in a work from our Elena Popova show that is no longer available. We looked through several other pieces and nothing jumped out at her. At that point I suggested that she may want to consider commissioning a piece since she was keen to buy something from that particular artist.

I remember when I was in my 20s, I had no idea that it was even an option to commission art. I should add here that there are artists who don't work on commissioned pieces, but for the most part, the artists I represent do. When I work with a collector on a commission, it's important to get a good understand of what they are looking for, and to set expectations in terms of the process. The artists I work with charge a premium for their commissions, versus a work of similar size/style that is part of an existing catalogue or exhibition. This is largely due to the additional work required to meet with or speak with the collector, and prepare sketches along the way.

Commissions can be a great route to take when you are looking for an investment piece - i.e. something that you want to keep in your home or family for a lifetime. I love when people commission works to commemorate major milestones like a marriage, new home or anniversary.

In the case of this particular commission, the artist and collector have a personal connection through my relationship with both of them and through some shared sentiments. It is a match made in heaven and I have no doubt that the end result is going to be memorable.

Image: Flow #1, Elena Popova, June 2009

Save the date: The Art of Travel opening Nov. 6th

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Mark your calendars for the final exhibition of 2009 at tinku gallery.

The Art of Travel brings together the work of Suzanne Dell 'Orto, Lori Kent, Mike Piergrossi and Brigid Watson – four American artists who lived in Venice for a period in the 1990s. The show is inspired by the Alain de Botton book of the same name, in which he invites his readers to consider the notion of travel as a self-reflexive endeavour. This exhibit explores notions of memory, place and time through interior and exterior experiences that resonate with each artist and inform the way in which they move through the world. Guest curated by Brigid Watson, The Art of Travel will be the first exhibition in Canada for Suzanne Dell 'Orto, Lori Kent and Mike Piergrossi.

The Art of Travel opens on November 6th from 7-9 pm. 3 of the artists will be traveling to Toronto for the opening so you will have a chance to meet them, ask them questions or just tell them what you think! We look forward to seeing you.

Sculptures: John T. Unger

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Earlier this year I had a dinner party in the gallery. Yes, right inside the small, 400 sq.ft gallery I put up a dining room table for 12, set beautifully with works from ceramic artist Mary Anne Davis. I invited a diverse group of friends and we ate while passersby peeked in curiously.

After a few drinks, the conversation turned to the question of what is art? A heated debate ensued over whether art needed to be functional or whether functional objects could be considered art.

I was thinking of this when I was looking through the portfolio of John T. Unger, an artist known for his firebowls made from recycled materials. What I realized was that though his work is functional, what he makes are sculptures. The abstract pieces in particular would be at home in a contemporary art gallery, and his more decorative pieces in the sculpture garden of the DeCordova Museum.

It is hard to define what constitutes art and in many ways I think it’s irrelevant, like trying to define love. When I see John’s firebowls I see the statement he is making to the world – partly intentional, partly magic. The connection between his materials and the fires that burn within his sculptures feel primal. John’s artist statement declares that he designs for permanence and that presence comes through in the weight of his minimalist pieces in particular.

There has long been a division in the art world between”fine art” and craft, and there are plenty of artists today working in ways that blur those lines. In my eyes it’s not a bad thing for art to have function, if it helps bring it into people’s lives who may normally shy away from the traditional venues for finding contemporary art.

What do you think? Is art form, function, both, neither? Does it matter?

All images © 2005-2009, John T Unger.

Ed Burtynsky: Oil

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:04:00 +0000

I spent Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in New York City, treating myself to a little getaway with a close friend. When I was last in NYC a couple of months back, I saw two blockbuster museum shows, but this time decided to just pop into a couple of galleries. Not just any galleries though. I went to the mothership, i.e. Gagosian Gallery* in Chelsea to see a piece by Takashi Murakami. It was my first time seeing Murakami's work in person and it didn't disappoint. On the surface, his paintings may appear like Hello Kitty on acid, but his work incorporate elements of Japanese mythology that reveal how carefully certain imagery is chosen. I loved every inch of it.

I also saw some sculptures by German artist Anselm Reyle, who I had never heard of before this weekend, and noted he is relatively young, born in 1970. Sculptures like those in the exhibition can be a bit difficult to access, because they don't have an obvious narrative like much photography or painting. I decided not to read the artist statement or any background information. Instead, I looked at its presence as a whole, and let myself observe what feelings came to the surface, or peeked around the back to see how a piece was installed, and sometimes I just let myself feel puzzled.

After leaving Gagosian, we started walking to our next destination when I happened upon the Ed Burtynsky: Oil exhibition at Hasted Hunt Kraeutler, also on West 24th Street. One of my Twitter friends rightly said that Burtynsky is a national treasure, and this latest exhibition only furthered this belief. It's not every day that a photographer can capture images of industrial landscapes, oil sands, machinery and have it give off the aura of a haunting poem.

Some people have Vegas, others have Disneyland, but for me - New York City is a place where I feel like a kid in a candyshop, between the art and the food and the shopping and the architecture. And for that, I gave many thanks this Thanksgiving weekend.

*If you are an art newbie, you may not have heard of Larry Gagosian but he is one of the most famous and successful art dealers in the world.

The Art of Travel

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:08:00 +0000

When I was a teen my grandfather used to chuckle that I had fire under my feet, meaning I couldn't stay still. Flash forward 2 decades and not much has changed. In September alone I broke a personal record, traveling 70,000 km in 3 weeks (don't try this at home!)

It's a strange feeling how one can zip from one country to another in a matter of hours. I often feeling like I am in a time machine, not an airplane. Given my love for travel and my love of art, it is fitting that the November show at the gallery is titled The Art of Travel.

Guest curated by Brigid Watson, the show is inspired by the Alain de Botton book of the same name, and features 4 American artists who lived in Venice for a period in the 1990s. This exhibition will show each artist's interpretation of the subject.

I have not yet read the book, but as the air turns crisp and things slow down, I feel the time is right to settle in with some good reading and so this one is next on my list.

I'll get started on it as soon as I return from New York...

Image: Max Trudolubov

Images from Elena Popova: The Eternal & The Everyday

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:02:00 +0000

The opening reception for Elena Popova's exhibition at tinku gallery was packed like sardines despite it being a cold rainy night in Toronto. Thank you to all of you who came - it was nice to see so many friends and familiar faces and more than a few new ones. Elena, her husband Luben, together with myself and some mutual friends stayed out till the wee hours of the morning, eating and drinking at my favourite Toronto restaurant.

The gallery will be open for walk-in viewings on Saturday from 12-6 throughout the month of October. We are also taking appointments for private viewings if you prefer to come by at a different time or need a personal consultation.

We have posted images of the work in the show on the gallery site. If you would like any further details on the work, including pricing, please send an email to frontdoor@tinkugallery.com or call 647 293 4089.

I will leave you with a lovely review of the show from The Telegram newspaper in Newfoundland.

Elena Popova opening Oct 2, 7-9 pm

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Elena Popova is an internationally known artist whose colourful, abstract monotypes have been snatched up in sell-out exhibitions of recent years. Her work is well collected in Canada in both private and in public collections, such as the National Gallery of Bulgaria and the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her work will also be featured in a show at The Rooms (Nfld's largest public cultural space) in 2010.

In October, tinku gallery will present Elena Popova's first Ontario show in several years. Popova resides in Flatrock, Newfoundland and emigrated to Canada from Bulgaria in 1990 with her husband and daughter. For Popova, "The Old World is the accumulation of layers and layers of legacy and culture; Newfoundland," she says, "is my white canvas."

This show is close to my heart because of the personal relationship I have with Elena and her husband, sculptor Luben Boykov. I met Elena & Luben in 1997 before leaving for a year-long work assignment in Bulgaria. I credit them with sparking my love for contemporary art and introducing me to friends that have since become gallery artists. Elena is a talented artist, who manages to bring together an incredible palette of colours, sometimes up to 70 at a time, in an expressive, emotive way. She is a warm, generous woman who I am pleased to put in the spotlight at my gallery. I look forward to introducing many of you to her in October.

Opening reception - Friday, Oct 2, 7-9 pm

Image: "June 2009", Elena Popova, mixed media on paper, 2009

Required Reading

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:03:00 +0000

My friend John T. Unger is an artist who is making a successful living via the internet. He wrote a blog post today that was honest, poignant and thought provoking. I read a lot for work and for pleasure and rarely do I come across something as well written as this post. Titled It's Only Life or Death, John gives new meaning to the word positive attitude. But knowing John, it's not false modesty, it's a truthful, no-holds barred look at himself and his life and how he's gotten to where he is today. Read the full post here.

7 Days in The Art World

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:54:00 +0000

I was recently on vacation in lovely Bali, and took a pile of books along with me, including 7 Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton. Sarah is a Canadian transplant in the UK, and has written an account of the contemporary art world by describing a typical day in the world of everything from a studio visit (with Murakami, no less), to the Venice Biennale.

This is a well written, entertaining glimpse into the high end contemporary art world, and I have to admit that reading it made me want to get out of this business! For all the romance that surrounds art, there is a side to it that is commercial and superficial and no different from any other luxury product.

Lucky for me, my 7 days in the art world are very different from what Sarah describes. My gallery days involve tea with visitors, my studio visits usually bring on a home cooked meal with the artist, and my blog readers and website visitors send lovely emails. But nevertheless, my shiny ideals of owning a gallery have developed a certain tarnish from the last 18 months of experience. I foresee some changes in my future, and look forward to sharing them with you over the coming weeks.

Change can be scary but often, change is also so welcome, and brings with it the promise of a future yet to unfold.

I am a Shameless Woman!

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:08:00 +0000

Shameless Magazine is Canada’s independent voice for smart, strong, sassy young women. It’s a fresh alternative to typical teen magazines, for girls who know there’s more to life than makeup and diet tips. Packed with articles about arts, culture and current events, Shameless reaches out to readers who are often ignored by mainstream media: freethinkers, queer youth, young women of colour, punk rockers, feminists, intellectuals, artists, activists.

They have a bi-weekly column called Shameless Women where they interview women across all walks of life and they kindly requested an interview with me for a profile in August. I find the interview process is as helpful to me as it [hopefully] helpful to the people that read it. It gives me time to look inward and confirm my own thoughts and aspirations. I also love the idea of giving young women role models or inspiration outside of the Barbie-doll celebrity culture touted by much mainstream media. The full interview is available for your reading pleasure here.

Fernando Ortiz: Our Rains

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:04:00 +0000

Our Rains, 2008. 60"x60", oil on canvas.

Fernando is a Colombian artist now based in Toronto. He walked into my gallery last summer having found us online. Since then he has become a regular patron, attending many of our openings and even did a very brief stint as a gallery assistant. Many months ago he invited me to his studio to look at his paintings and now I am pleased to be exhibiting his work for the first time in Canada in the show Our Rains, which runs September 4-30th.

Our Rains, named after one of the large scale paintings in the show, is one of the smaller shows we've exhibited, in terms of number of works. I decided to choose just three pieces because of the scale. While many people think that large artwork needs a large wall, I find sometimes that the right large piece in the right small space can create a dramatic impact that doesn't overwhelm. Imagine this over your bed!

What I love about these paintings are that though they use a monotone black/white/grey palette, there is a warmth and depth to them. Fernando explained to me that they are influenced by his study of Pre-Columbian architecture. (for those who don't know what that means, don't worry - click here for starters). I love the idea of reaching back into one's ancestral roots to find a connection that still exists thousands of years later, miles away from the origin.

It is fitting that I am in India as I write this. I was born here, but left as a young child to move to Newfoundland with my family. We returned often, reuniting with distant relatives, eating mouthwatering mangoes and guavas, filling our suitcases with lentils, spices, pickles and fabrics. The more I visit India as an adult, the more I am aware of the roots that exist here, both in my immediate family and extending to the civilization itself. I think of all the little imprints made day after day, year after year, over thousands of years, similar to the wrinkle-like lines I see in Fernando's work.

Fernando Ortiz: Our Rains is showing at tinku gallery from September 4-30th. The exhibition opening reception will be held on Friday, Sep 4th from 7-9 pm, with Fernando in attendance. I will alas not be there, as I will be off to visit another ancient culture but I hope you will have a chance to see this wonderful show.

Soft landing

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:55:00 +0000

That dreaded call that no one wants to receive - that a family member is ill in a faraway land. But that's what happened so yesterday I scrambled to get an emergency visa and hopped on a flight to Delhi. I have traveled enough to not consider this too gruelling a distance to go for a short time but did have the foresight to try and hunt down a business class ticket for the price of economy. (Who says the internet is obliterating the demand for travel agents?Twice in the last month I have saved literally $000s by using a good travel agent).

As luck would have it I was on the same flight as my friend Anita Clarke who was traveling to India for the first time for work. She wrote a fun account of our flight (on the incredible Jet Airways) with lots of pics on her popular fashion blog I Want, I Got.

Coming to India is always a mixed bag for me. When I landed I was asked by the customs officer to take down his number in case I needed anything but of course in return he wanted mine and who knows what kind of favours he would expect in return. Driving straight to the hospital, the smell of Delhi brought back memories of my childhood and subsequent visits, an unexpected flashback. All these new glass office buildings coming up from the dust, yet en route to the hospital I passed white donkeys in the middle of a busy modern road.

There is high speed internet, yet in the private hospital facility, the power gets cut several times a day. I am with relatives who I love because of our bloodlines yet who are also relative strangers. There is a definite class system, where our cook doesn't feel comfortable eating at the same table as I, but he is called "Bhaiya" by my cousins, a word that means brother.

This country was my first home yet now it both familiar and foreign. I always describe coming to India as visiting the home of a grandparent - comforting, home-like, but not quite home.

Image: Sanyam Studios

SxSWi: The Artists Are Coming!

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:53:00 +0000

I have never attended SxSWi, a 5 day conference that is the mecca for anyone working in the emerging technology space. Because the internet is becoming an increasingly important tool for all aspects of my life, I decided to apply to be a panelist, mainly so I can attend for free!

I decided to put together a crack team of artists who are using the internet to make and sell their art. Titled "Millionaire or Artist, How About Both?" after a cartoon by fellow panelist Hugh MacLeod, our panel will focus on the following:

"How do some artists make six figure incomes via social media at a time when traditional industries are tanking? Why is now the best time to quit your job and dream big? Learn how to get collectors enthused about telling your story, increase online sales and market art as a social object."

The panelists I invited to join me as are follows:

Hugh MacLeod - best-selling author, cartoonist and artist (@gapingvoid on Twitter). [I pitched the proposal under Hugh's name as it was more likely to get accepted.]

John T. Unger - a full time artist & designer who has built a thriving business selling his work using the internet & social media (@johntunger on Twitter)

Mary Anne Davis - An accomplished ceramic artist based in New York who I represent at tinku gallery (@maryannedavis on Twitter)

Hazel Dooney - One of Asia-Pacific's most successful contemporary artists (@dooneystudio on Twitter)

The panel has not yet been accepted as SxSW lets people vote on which panels they'd like to see. if you would like to vote, you can do here. But I am also interested in finding out what you may like to see discussed at the panel so please leave any questions in the comments below.

August hours

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:53:00 +0000

Please note that tinku gallery will be open only by appointment for the month of August as we get some rest before our busy and exciting fall season.

Our fall exhibition lineup is as follows:

September:
Fernando Ortiz - a Columbian painter making his Canadian debut with a body of work influenced by pre-Colombian drawings

October
Elena Popova - Elena has mastered the art of monotypes and shows her expressive and colour-packed works in her first Ontario show

November/December
The Art of Travel - a group show guest curated by Brigid Watson, featuring a group of NYC-based artists

Image: Sanyam Studios

Justin Broadbent's ABSOLUT World

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Absolut Vodka has commissioned Canadian artist Justin Broadbent to create a special public installation for a single day, August 13th The location was kept secret for weeks, with little hints of the installation revealed through Justin's blog. Today they announced the location - the lower Bay subway station at Bay/Bloor in Toronto. Last week I had an opportunity to interview Justin about this project and by the time I finished I was really curious to see the installation. I hope lots of people turn out to support him.

How did you get involved with the Absolut Vodka project?
Absolut was looking to do an installation in Canada, and were looking for someone doing a lot of different things. They didn’t want one specific type of practice. My name came up and they interviewed me & it was a go.

Have you done installations before?
Yes & no. I went to university at Ryerson, and my thesis was a video installation. I’ve also done some live outdoor painting stuff. This is the largest scale.

How much of the brand itself was related to what you are composing?
Absolut I’ve been familiar with; they always had clever art related advertising. I feel like from the beginning in terms of working with their brand I wasn’t too nervous. They’ve really respected artists. The actual piece is interpreting the slogan and that’s really it. I’m being sensitive to the fact that it is working with a client but they’ve given me a lot of freedom.

This a question from one of my Twitter friends: Does Zach Galifianakis’ Absolut series videos have any impact on "serious" artists' work with a brand? Is there a difference in value?
That’s a good question. He’s hilarious –I really like him. I watched a lot of what other people have been doing. Kanye West did one: “In an Absolut World anyone can be Kanye”. My approach is to to be who I am. To find meaning below the surface. The project is about an Absolut world so there’s some whimsy to this. Having said that my slogan was different than Jim. My idea is more serious. Absolut allows any interpretation.

Did you choose the location and draw from that for the installation or the other way around or a nix of the two?
Neither. I was given the location along with the slogan and from that I spent 3 days in the space & felt it out & from there & the installation started to come together. I think that’s kind of responsible installation making. In terms of a public space it’s good to go into the space first as much as you can.

What are you hoping people will get from this installation?
I definitely don’t have expectations. I hope people feel inspired and that they walk out with a little piece of something that makes them feel that opportunity is around us and not only in an Absolut world but exists everywhere. I’m trying as much as possible to blog about it. That’s the easiest way to stay up to date on where it is.

Has anything surprised you in the process of doing this?
That’s a good question. I think that one of things I’ve been looking at is how we can process where opportunity lies. I don’t think opportunity just pops us . It’s all around us. You have to pay attention, you have to listen to yourself. It’s a bit mystical. I don’t believe in creating opportunity; it’s about being aware. What surprised me is I’ve tried to implement that process into the actual making of work and that process has been way more beautiful than I thought, in my art making. Something I’ve always done but not so consciously aware.

I’m really surprised at how people have taken to the secrecy of it. People are loving it. It’s a nice surprise.

For more information visit www.absolutpopup.ca

Image credit: Alana Kakia

Yinka Shonibare MBE

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:08:00 +0000

This is the first of at least two posts on my recent roadtrip to NYC. I took my new Nissan Cube, that I won last month, piled a couple of my artist friends in & set off for the weekend to see Yinka Shonibare MBE at the Brooklyn Museum.

Nice to Tweet You
I had not heard of the Brooklyn Museum until a few months ago when I started using Twitter. They were one of the few art institutions that were active at the time, and I was fortunate to form a connection with Shelley who manages Communications (including Twitter) for the museum. When I saw her post links to the Shonibare exhibit, I just had to go. All of a sudden, a 9 hour drive didn't seem too long at all.

We were lucky to be in New York City on the first Saturday of the month when the Brooklyn Museum holds its "Target First Saturdays", a night when the museum is open late (till 11!), with no admission fee and lots of talks and events. Shelley did tell me it would be busy but I was so surprised to see how many people from all walks of life turned out to spend their Saturday night at a museum.

Besides the fact that the exhibition was amazing (more on that below), it was incredible to eavesdrop on conversations between schoolkids and parents or teen to teen, on what they thought of the show. I can't recall the last time I saw teenagers getting excited about art on a Saturday night! Everywhere around the museum there were interactive stations for sending Twitter messages or emails about the exhibition. There was video, talks, and a band playing in the parking lot with thousands dancing along. Art marketers take note!

Yinka Shonibare MBE
This show was put together by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia, curated by Rachel Kent. This exhibition had his sculptures, for which he is most famous, as well as photographs, film and a special installation integrating Shonibare's work with the Museum's period room.

I was totally blown away. Life sized fibreglass sculptures depicted scenes that could have been lifted from a page in a history book, down to the postures of men seated around a table, to a woman walking her "dogs", yet all with a twist - dressing the mannequins in African print fabrics, which ironically are made in Holland, cutting off everyone's heads so they are faceless, colouring them so they are raceless.

There was a series of staged photographs, in which he stars, cheekily adding himself into scenes that one would normally think he'd be excluded from.

Change From Within
While I was there I watched part of a video interview with him, in which he talks about challenging the establishment from within the system rather than protesting outside. I loved that perspective, as it comes back to me in a personal way in terms of how I am trying to work outside of the status quo in the gallery world, rather than protesting the existence of galleries in the first place.

Yinka Shonibare runs until September 26th, 2009 at the Brooklyn Museum.

Image: Yinka Shonibare MBE (b. United Kingdom, 1962). Scramble for Africa, 2003. Fourteen life-size fiberglass mannequins, fourteen chairs, table, Dutch wax printed cotton, 52 x 192 x 110 in. The Pinnell Collection, Dallas. Image courtesy of the artist, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, and James Cohan Gallery, New York. © the artist. Photo: Stephen White

The Real Social Responsibility

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:06:00 +0000

A wise man said "Be the change you want to see in the world". For much of my life I thought contributing to the greater good required dramatic, revolutionary actions, that would be heard far and wide.

But I find of late that my approach is a more quiet one, namely to start with the circle around me, whether it be a fellow shopper in the grocery store or a curious woman peeping in the gallery window or an old friend on the other end of the phone line. And I make my mark with a kind smile, a cup of tea or a deep breath to calm us all.

A year of stories have been whispered in my ear on the gallery couch. Strangers, friends, artists, clients. I was thinking tonight about what that is worth. It gives me much peace that my little corner of the world has cast its little stone into the ocean of life, creating little ripples whose effects I may never know.

Image: Origins, Pamela Dodds. 10"x14" linocut. Currently showing at tinku gallery

MediaStyle interview with tinku gallery

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Communications wunderkind Ian Capstick was in town recently and invited me for an interview to talk about how I use different types of communication tools to promote the gallery and our artists. When I do interviews like these it's a great way for me to stop and reflect on what I'm doing and see things with a fresh set of eyes.

Thank you Ian for giving me the spotlight for a few minutes!

MediaStyle.ca interview with Amrita Chandra of TinkU Gallery from Ian Capstick on Vimeo.

NOLA

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Greetings from New Orleans, where I spent the week attending a conference for my "other job". I didn't get a chance to visit many art galleries other than peering in through the windows of a few spots on Royal Street in the French Quarter. Being in a tourist district, the art I saw was generally mediocre, other than one gallery called Ammo which has a show on right now by Rajko Radovanovic.

The best art experience of the week was actually a conversation I had over drinks with two art teachers from Huntsville, Alabama. They teach at Bob Jones, a high school that has been recognized as having the best arts program in the United States. They were curious about my approach with tinku gallery and I mentioned the series of stories about artists I wrote for my recent Nissan competition. They agreed that much of good teaching is storytelling, and talked about how their students responded when abstract concepts were broken down into something more personal.

I only got a little taste of this city but it feels so mystical and rich and mysterious. Hot humid evening strolls in neighbourhoods with weeping willows, music seeping out of run down bars, lamp lit streets. A perfect breeding for art, music, literature.

Meeting Heather Gold

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:49:00 +0000

I was at our opening on Friday night, when I noticed a group of cyclists stop, look a little closer at the gallery, then park their bikes and come in. Turns out it was Heather Gold, a performing artist/stand up comic/activist/too-many-other-roles-to-list, visiting from New York. Heather and I had connected on Twitter and lo and behold when she came into town she came by the gallery and we spent the next afternoon having lunch at a lovely new patisserie on Queen West.

We talked about everything from whether her art would have an audience in Toronto (tough to say), how San Francisco was liberal in terms of expression but not necessarily in terms of equality (very important distinction!), being gay in India, and balancing public vs. private in an age of increasingly open communications.

Heather has forged many new paths, whether it be as an activist for gay marriage or an early integrator of new media + performing art. She's someone I'm looking forward to getting to know more and watching to see what she does with her art and her life. You can find out more about Heather at www.heathergold.com

Beyond the Traditional Print opens Fri July 10th

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:09:00 +0000

Join us for the opening reception of Beyond the Traditional Print, featuring 3 printmakers from Toronto's Open Studio. Geneviève Jodouin (screen printing), Astrid Ho (monotype), and Pamela Dodds (linocut) illustrate contemporary practices of traditional printmaking methods.

The show opens Friday July 10th 6-9 pm and continues till July 31st.

Image: Long Distance Call, Geneviève Jodouin. Screen print, 15" x 22"

Women Artists

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:13:00 +0000

I was in the bookstore the other day, in the Art History section, and picked up a book called Women Artists by Margaret Barlow. There are so many names in there that are completely unfamiliar to me, and it struck me how odd it is that in 2009 we still need to have a book devoted to this subject. Imagine how funny it would seem to publish a book called Male Artists.

What is the reason for the lack of awareness of female artists? Director Pamela Tanner Boll explores this subject in the film Who Does She Think She Is?, a film which I have yet to see but is on my must-watch list. The trailer quotes a man saying that art schools have a student body that is 70% female, yet in the gallery system, about 70% of the exhibitions are of male artists.

At my gallery, I never considered a person's gender when selecting their work for a show, and as it happens, I have an almost equal split of male/female artists in my roster.

I want to hear from you - do you feel that it is harder for a female artist to be taken seriously? What are the barriers? What can we do to change the system, either as institutions or galleries or audiences?

tinku Cube(d)

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:48:00 +0000

A couple of months ago I wrote about entering a nationwide competition sponsored by Nissan to find the 50 most creative Canadians, to whom they would each give a new Nissan Cube car. I decided to compose a series of short stories depicting imaginary road trips with some of my favourite artists, both living and deceased. What surprised me most was how something that started off as a contest ended up inspiring me to learn the stories of the artists I admire and let my imagination take me around the world.

Many of you read my stories and voted throughout the campaign. And to you I have much appreciation. I am also ecstatic to share with you that it all paid off, and I indeed was selected to win this car, as you will see in the video when they announced my name as one of the winners. (forward to 3:35 to see me screaming!)

A friend asked me to deconstruct the experience of winning to see what lessons I learned, and I decided I didn't want to do that, for it would spoil the magic of the experience for me. What I can say though is that by believing in myself and working with my strengths rather than around my weaknesses, I was able to do what seemed improbable at the start.

Over the coming year I will share some stories of what I am doing in this very unique car, and hope you will come along for the ride!

17 seconds

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Is 17 seconds enough to communicate something? Make a first impression? Wow someone? Piss someone off? Make someone laugh or cry? Journalist Jaime Woo once did a video series called Toronto in 6 words, which included a short clip from yours truly. He is now trying to see what he can communicate in 17 seconds, and the first clip is from our last opening, where he interviewed artist Brigid Watson on her show. Check it out for yourself - the circus music alone is worth a listen.