Joanne Tod (b. 1953) is a renowned Canadian artist known for her unwavering approach to realism, technical precision, and critical wit. She is also one of the country's most celebrated living portrait artists.
Before digital cameras (and smartphones) were readily available, Tod plundered Toronto Reference Library archives for source material. This hunter-gatherer process contributed to collage-like overlays present throughout work that she made during the 1980's and into the 90's. "Psychic Surgery: Quadruple Bypass" is a paradigm of Tod's practice during this era.
"Psychic Surgery: Quadruple Bypass" takes its name from a pseudo-medical ritual in which practitioners use sleight of hand techniques to create the illusion of performing surgery. These procedures included fake blood and animal parts to convince subjects of a vigorous and successful "operation". Todâs invocation of this illusion aligns with her interest in the deceptive nature of images: what seems revelatory may, in fact, conceal another layer of artifice.
The âquadruple bypassâ refers both to the heartâthe locus of emotion and human connection âand to the workâs four-part structure, each panel functioning as a chamber within a larger anatomy. Within these compartments, Tod stages a dialogue between public and private forms of display: museum-like vitrines on one side and more intimate, domestic arrangements on the other.
Objects drawn from her extensive trawling of library archives coexist with imagery of Chinoiserie, Chinese Social Realism, and even an appropriated pornographic magazineâsourced, with wry modesty, through a friend. The result is a composition at once cerebral and visceral, balancing parody and pathos while examining the seductive, illusory operations of both art and belief.
This painting is also an important reminder of how certain themes or motifs have consistently been present in Tod's oeuvre notably the interior architecture of institutions (such as the Carnegie Library in the upper left quadrant) and the materials that relate to the decorative arts.Â
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 MusĂ©e des beaux-arts de MontrĂ©al.Â
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"Psychic Surgery: Quadruple Bypass"
Canada, 1989
Oil on canvas
108"H 72"W
Signed, titled, and dated, verso
Very good condition
Note: The price is $48,000 CAD
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