Joanne Tod (b. 1953) is a renowned Canadian artist acclaimed for her unwavering approach to realism, technical precision, and critical wit. She is also one of the country's most celebrated living portrait artists.
Tod's images of museum-owned objects stem from her interest in the paradoxes surrounding collecting precious and foreign historical objects, whether privately or institutionally. She cites the often-quoted statistic that the British Museum holds over 100,000 objects from ancient Greece. While there are numerous concerns surrounding their collection (particularly how it was acquired), it is simultaneously a beautiful and educational repository and "public" venue or resource. This notion of simultaneous homage and critique, or public vs. private, is a recurring theme throughout her oeuvre.
Like the best of her work, there is a distinct balance between soft realism and precision in this striking painting. The composition of "Oculus II" is cropped, depicting a close-up of blue and white Chinese porcelain (qinghua) surface with stylized floral motif in the center. While we aren't quite sure of the identity or dimensionality of the object, the colors and patterning are unquestionably evocative of Chinese decorative arts.
Tod's viewers are rewarded for time spent with her paintings, as they gradually reveal more and more information. In "Oculus II," distorted reflections are revealed with time; Building facades, an outlined statue, and even a red and white Canadian flag mingle among the blue patterning of the ceramic. Whether overtly or indirectly, Tod raises questions surrounding the practice of Western countries collecting and presenting objects from different eras and different nationalities. Marked first by verisimilitude, the image reveals layers of meaning in time, offering an aesthetic pleasure and ambiguity.
This painting was created during the period where the artist staged a major intervention at the Gardiner Museum (Canada's renowned museum dedicated to ceramics) where she began painting on various ceramics. The exhibition "Invited Invasion" had the artist display her works throughout the existing presentations of historical ceramics. Click here to learn more about this exhibition.
Joanne Tod's works can be found in most major public institutions across Canada, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal.
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
"Oculus II"
Canada, 2012
Oil on linen
40"H 30"W
Signed, titled, and dated, verso
Very good condition
Note: The price is $27,500 CAD
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