New Art - RIP Alex Janvier

I meant to get around to posting this a while ago, but I needed to get a few things in order first.

Quite a long time ago (sever years ago!), I had been really struck by the Alex Janvier exhibit at the McMichael.  My son was on that trip too, and he also really liked the art.  There were just piles and piles of the catalogues, so I held off on getting one.  Given how many there were, I was sure they would end up at BMV or wherever these sorts of books go.  Where I really kick myself is that eventually the AGO had a handful in stock, and I should have just grabbed one with my member's discount, but I think I was in a hurry that day.  When I went back, they were all gone, and I wasn't going to go back up to the McMichael.  I think I got up there a year later and they were completely out, which seemed so weird to me.  So I kept my eye out when I was at the National Gallery and just in used bookstores.  At some point, the book was fetching $250+ on Bookfinder, and I continued to chide myself for the lost opportunity.

In a spare moment, I was doing some searches on Janvier, and I stumbled across his on-line gallery.  After some discussion with the people there, it turns out that they actually do have a small pile of the books and sell them for only $50!  Being so interested in the fact that Janvier is still an active artist, I scrolled through the art for sale, most quite reasonably priced for an artist of his stature.  After a lot of thought, I decided to purchase one of his recent pieces.

Alex Janvier, Birthday Cake, 2023

It finally turned up, and I am supposed to have it framed.  Ideally this weekend, but if not, then towards the end of July.  You can see the birthday cake right in the middle, and then perhaps a duck's head to the left.  It's definitely a fun little piece.

Indeed, there is another purchase I made.  Deepti Saxena is a local artist.  I had seen her work at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair in 2023, and this piece made an impression.  I went ahead and bought it nearly a year later (after I got my tax return...).  I had said I would pick it up at the Leslieville Art Walk at Jimmie Simpson Park, but Deepti actually delivered in person the day before.  This was just as well, as it is larger than I remembered, and I certainly couldn't have brought it home on my bike!

Here is Deepti in Leslieville.

Here is the artwork hung up in one of the spare guest rooms.

The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is just around the corner -- next weekend in fact.  I'll swing by and see what is on display this year, though I probably have purchased enough art for the immediate future.  I also have more or less run out of room to hang art, though I guess there is a bit more wall space in this guest room.

Update (7/11): I was coming home from work yesterday and saw the news that Alex Janvier passed away at the age of 89.  As the article stated, he was painting until the very end, and the piece that I bought, Birthday Cake, was created last year, so one of his last pieces.  I'm glad I was able to support his work, even if only in a small way.  I think it is also encouraging that he did get a fair bit of recognition during his life, unlike those artists crowned as geniuses after they are gone.