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2010 Governor Generals Awards

in Visual and Media Arts


2/122 Canada Council for the Arts

Art has an inestimable power. It inspires, transforms, soothes, andbears witness. It makes us ask questions and gives us food for

thought. It also has the power to inspire us to compassion andgenerosity.

The winners of the Governor Generals Awards in Visual and MediaArts have all revealed their originality, sometimes in a bold, evenprovocative manner. The diversity of their art helps us to expand andchallenge our vision of the world. Bearing meaning and emotion,their works unite us around a unique experience.

Let us celebrate the excellence of our artists, as well as theirboundless creativity and infinite talent that stirs us, body and soul.Canada and the whole world are richer for what they share with us.

Michalle Jean

The Canada Council for the Arts exists to ensure that Canadian artistsand citizens have a distinctive voice on the national and internationalstage, a voice that is alive, resonant and reflective of our ever-changing world.

We are proud to administer and fund the Governor Generals Awardsin Visual and Media Arts, and through these awards to bring to

broader public attention the excellence and vitality of the creativework that artists are undertaking in every region of our country.

The Awards are an important public recognition, a signal that Canadavalues the contributions of its best artists to the fabric of Canadiansociety, to the lives of Canadians and to the accomplishments bywhich we are known in the wider world.

To the eight winners of the 2010 Awards, we extend our thanks forthe many ways in which you have enriched our collective lives, andour congratulations on your immense creative achievement.

Joseph L. RotmanChair of the Canada Council for the Arts

Robert SirmanDirector of the Canada Council for the Arts

Message from the Canada Council for the Arts

Messagefrom the Governor General of Canada


3/1232010 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts

Contents

Left to right: Claude Tousingnant, Ione Thorkelsson, Rita Letendre, Gabor Szilasi,Tom Sherman, Terry Ryan, Robert Davidson, Andr Forcier. Photo by Martin Lipman.

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CLAUDE TOUSIGNANTPainter

Claude Tousignant painted for thefirst time at the age of 12, copying

the pictures from a calendar ofSaint Josephs Oratory. This wouldbe one of the rare moments offigurative painting in the careerof this leading figure in the worldof abstract art. For 60 years hehas pursued his research on thenon-figurative with exemplarydiscipline and consistency.Famous for his instantlyrecognizable, vibrant circles,especially the series Acclrateursand Gongs, then Dyptiques, thepainter and sculptor has exploredthe qualities of colour, form,space and movement like nobodyelse. He has had numerousretrospectives, most recently atthe Muse dart contemporain deMontral. Acclaimed the worldover and the recipient of manyawards (including the

vVictor Martin Lynch-StauntonAward and the Prix Paul-mileBorduas), Mr. Tousignant hasproduced a body of work whosewealth, diversity and resonance is

universally acknowledged. He is

an Officer of the Order of Canada(1976). He lives in Montreal

Exemplary rigour and constancyare terms that art critics employunanimously in referring toClaude Tousignant. While he isdescribed as a leading figure inmodern art, he says simply thathis process is intuitive, punctuat-ing his brief statement with ahearty laugh that resonates inthe ensuing silence much asdoes his work. A vibrant appealto the senses, the paintings andsculptures of Claude Tousignant

fashion a universe within abstrac-tion: the colours literally takeshape, invading space and echo-ing eloquently.

For more than sixty years, guidedby a keen intelligence, this greatartist has constantly renewednon-figurative art. Creation ac-cording to Claude Tousignantrelies on absolute freedom ofexpression.ww

Ailleurs, 1993, acrylic on canvas, 259 x 419cm. Collection of the artist. Photo: Courtesy ofMuse d'art contemporain de Montral; GuyL'Heureux

L'uvre au noir, 2008, acrylic on aluminumand lighting with filter, 150 x 214 x 214 cm(l'ensemble). Gift of the artist. Collection: Mused'art contemporain de Montral. Photo: GuyL'Heureux



IONE THORSKELSSONPainter

Ione Thorkelsson began hercareer studying architecture at

the University of Manitoba thenchanged direction to pursue afascination with glass. In 1973,she learned the blown glasstechnique, built her own studioand began creating vases,perfume bottles and othervessels. Largely self-taught, heronly formal training in glasswas a course she took in 1979at Sheridan College. In 1983,she began exploring the castglass technique, drawing onthe natural world (birds, insects,

bones) for subjects. Her workshave been exhibited acrossCanada, the United States,Europe and in Hong Kong, andcan be found in the collections ofthe Winnipeg Art Gallery and theCanadian Museum of Civilization.Ms. Thorkelsson lives in Roseisle,Manitoba.

Ione Thorkelsson's glass creationsare at once fossils from a lostepoch and mutants from afuturistic dystopia. Her sculptures

emerge from the fiery kiln as

flash-frozen creatures of theimagination. A pioneer in glass

in Manitoba, she built her ownstudio over 35 years ago and hastaught herself her signature castglass technique. She lives on aprairie escarpment on edge ofglacial Lake Agassiz.

The ancient memory of the landrecasts the everyday discoveriesoutside her door wings, sculls,spines and roots into objects ofinspiration.

Arboreal fragments, 2004, 240 cm. ht. Photo:Robert Barnett.

Matrix, 2007, cast glass, wood, steel,

240 x 240 x 116 cm. ht. Photo: David



"To live is to paint, to paint is tolive." These few words and simple

philosophy sum up the life andwork of Rita Letendre. Born intoconservative, traditional Quebecsociety, Letendre quickly becameassociated with the rebelliousfree spirits of the famousAutomatiste group of artists ofthe mid-century.

The need to know one's selfbefore expressing it in art hasbeen a cri de coeur throughoutLetendre's career and throughher many experimentations with

styles, techniques and light. Hersignature explosions of colour,whether in murals or paintings,are vibrant expressions of heremotions and of her irrepressibleand indomitable vitality.

One of only a handful of womenpainters to achieve significantprofile in the post-war period,Rita Letendre was associatedwith the Automatistes in Quebecwho transformed paintingpractice in Canada. In the earlysixties she worked in Europe

and Israel, winning a goldmedal at Italys Piccola Europa

exhibition. Her work took herto Los Angeles and New York,where she established herselfas an outstanding muralist.Sunforce, a mural done in 1965for California State College atLong Beach, was at that timethe largest outdoor mural in theUnited States; Sunrise, a 60 x 60mural, was produced for RyersonPolytechnic Institute in Torontoin 1971. Ms. Letendre continuedto work on canvas and paperexploring light effects in bursts

of colour by using paintbrush,airbrush, and then combiningthe two mediums throughoutthe 1970s and 1980s. Since then,she has pursued her explorationsthrough oil on a variety of scales.Ms. Letendre is a recipient of theOrder of Quebec (2002) and an

Officer of the Order of Canada(2005). She lives in Toronto.

RITA LETENDREPainter

Blues, 1972, acrylic on canvas, 150.3 x 125 cm,collection of the artist

Tempte, 1955, oil on board, 66 x76.2 cm,

private collectionImage 6 of/de 9


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TERRY RYANOutstanding Contribution

Artist Terry Ryans leadership hasfacilitated the success of three

generations of Inuit artists overthe past half-century. A temporaryposition as arts advisor at WestBaffin Eskimo Co-operative in

Cape Dorset in 1960 becamea lifetime vocation. As generalmanager of the Co-op, he sourcedsuitable stone for carvings,distributed pencils and paperto encourage drawing, andengaged master printmakers.He initiated visiting artists andfine craft programs, developed anetwork of dealers across NorthAmerica and Europe, managed the

production of Cape Dorsets annualprint catalogue and founded theDorset Fine Arts marketing anddistribution centre in Toronto.Through his administrative andfinancial management, he hasensured the Co-ops stability andfocus. Today he is director emeritusof West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative.Mr. Ryan is a Member of the Orderof Canada (1983). He lives inToronto

For 45 years, Terry Ryan worked toprovide Cape Dorset artists withthe tools and the inspiration to

help define the North and its people.As manager of West Baffin Eskimo

Co-operative (now Kinngait Studios),he was a jack of all trades: artsadvisor, justice of the peace, coronerand occasional powder monkey,blasting overburden to expose stonefor sculpture. He initially distributed

pencils and paper, engaged masterprintmakers, initiated visiting artistsprograms and fine craft projects, anddeveloped a domestic and internationalmarketing network.

Ryan brought to his work his ownsensibility as an artist, his practicalknow-how, an innovative spirit and agreat love and respect for the North and

its people.

Terry Ryan, inking a printing plate, 1972



Andr Forcier came tofilmmaking by accident when he

was forced to take film studiesin college. In 1967, his studentfilm caught the attention offilmmaker Gilles Carle. In theearly 1970s, when he was barely25, he made his entry onto theQuebec and international sceneswith Bar Salon (silver awardat the Sorrento Film Festivalin Italy and critics award fromthe Association des critiquesde cinma du Qubec). Hissubsequent works confirmedthe originality of his world and

the poetry and absurdity ofhis characters. First winner ofthe Andr-Gurin Prize fromthe Socit Saint-Jean-Baptiste(1990), he received the Prix duQubec in 2003 for his entirebody of work. Andr Forciersfilmography includes such cultmasterpieces as

Leau chaude, leau frette, Unehistoire invente, andLe ventdu Wyoming, and the enfantterrible from 40 years ago

continues to present films that

bear the mark of a great creator.Mr. Forcier lives in Longueuil,

Quebec.

Andr Forcier knows where hecomes from and knows wherehe's going: his personal universedelves into the collectivememory, and his poetry drawsthe spectator into mythicalplaces peopled with heroesand magnificent heroines whodream out loud. Allegories ofeveryday fantasy, his films speakcrudely, cruelly and passionatelyof love, friendship, passion and

complicity.After almost forty years ofcreating inimitable, iconoclasticfilms, all too often with amodicum of means, he remainsthe passionate and irrepressibleenfant terrible of filmmakingin Quebec, or of filmmakingeverywhere.

ANDRE FORCIERFilmmaker

Au clair de la lune, 1983, feature-length film, colour, 35 mm, 92 min, production:Les Productions Albinie and NFB. Collection:Cinmathque qubcoise. Photo: PierreBeaudin

Je me souviens, 2009, feature-length film, blackand white, 88:49 min, production: Les Films du

Paria



Left: We Were Once Silenced, 2000,wooden totem. Photo: Kenji Nagai.

Above, top to bottom: SupernaturalEye, 2006, aluminium sculpture, 195.5 x116.8 x 58.4 cm. Photo: Kenji Nagai.

Ravenous, 2003, carved cedar sculpture,61 x 61 x 10.2 cm. Photo: Kenji Nagai.

A key figure in the renaissanceof Haida art, Robert Davidson is

renowned for his totems, masks,paintings, prints and jewellery.He began carving at 13, taughtby his father and uncle. In 1966-1967 he worked for a short timein Bill Reids studio, and thenstudied at the Vancouver Schoolof Art. He carved and raisedthe first totem in 90 years onHaida Gwaii in 1969. The subjectof several major exhibitionsand monographs, his work isrepresented in such collectionsas the Vancouver Art Gallery, the

Canadian Museum of Civilizationand the National Gallery ofCanada. He is a recipient of aNational Aboriginal AchievementAward (1995) and a member ofthe Order of Canada (1996).

Mr. Davidson lives in White Rock,British Columbia.

Chiseled circles, bold ovoidsand U-forms strong formlinesthat link Robert Davidson to hisHaida heritage. Mastering theselines has been his focus sincehe began carving at age 13. Hissuccess over the past 40 yearshad made him a key figure in therenaissance of Haida art.

Now he is pushing boundaries,expanding traditional forms andmoving them to a new levelof abstraction. As in the Haida

proverb the world is the edge ofa knife, Robert Davidson is finelybalanced between tradition andknowledge and the unknownpotential of the future.

ROBERT DAVIDSONHaida sculptor

Top: Artist photo by Martin Lipman

Bottom: Hugging the World, 1999, 50.8 x 12.7 x12.7 cm.Collection: Vancouver International Airport



TOM SHERMANPainter

Soon after completing his B.F.A. at theUniversity of Eastern Michigan, Tom

Sherman moved to Canada (1972)and went on to become one of thiscountrys leading figures in video art. Heco-founded the artist-run

A Space Video (1973) and FuseMagazine (1978). He worked at theCanada Council for the Arts in theearly 1980s and founded its Media Artssection (1983). He represented Canadaat the Venice Biennale (1980), andhas been the subject of several majorexhibitions, including retrospectives atthe National Gallery of Canada (1983)and the International Festival of Filmson Art in Montreal (2005). In 2003, he

received the Bell Award for excellencein video art. He is currently a professorin video art at Syracuse University andwhen hes not teaching, he lives nearLiverpool, Nova Scotia.

Tom Sherman was working in videobefore most people had even heardof the medium. Now that video iseverywhere, from cell-phone screensto architectural projections, hecontinues to perfect his video messages,contemplating the way his video artfunctions in an information economy.His love of raw, explicit video recordings,where content demands a simple,

elegant syntactic form, sets his video artapart from a field florid with simulation

and hypermedia. His early work tooka scalpel to the mass media, revealingthe way formulaic culture engineersconformity and passivity.

As television, radio and newspaperscollapsed into decentralized digitalnetworks, his attention shifted toexistential concerns, examining theway individuals are digitally extractedfrom flesh and blood communities.His millennial pursuit has been ruraland natural, a dialogue between theartist, the Nova Scotian landscapeand its native species. From his home

just outside Liverpool on Nova Scotia'sSouth Shore, he is fond of pointing outthat the avant-garde has gone 'country.'

Before Letting Go, 2004, colour, stereo, 6min 42 sec.

Exclusive Memory, 1987, three tracks(EM-7/11/12, EM-5/8/16, EM-4/9/19),

black and white, stereo, 182 min.


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$22,700average annual income of an artist; national is$36,300 (2006 census data)

Canadian Indexon the Arts

86%percentage ofCanadians whoattended at leastone type of arts orcultural event oractivity in the pastyear (CanadianHeritage 2007)

$5.43annual cost of the Canada Council perCanadian (2009-10)

$45.1 billionimpact of arts and culture on the Canadianeconomy (Statistics Canada 2008)

23%increase in thenumber of artists1996-2006 (censusdata)

90%percentage ofCanadians whofeel that live

performance spacesin their communitiescontribute totheir quality of life(Canadian Heritage2007)

652communities(Canadian/international) inwhich artists andarts organizationswere funded bythe Canada Council(2009-10)

609,000people employed in the arts and culture sector(Statistics Canada 2006)

$158.4 millionCanada Council direct investment in the arts(2009-10)

0.08%Canada Councilbudget aspercentage of totalfederal governmentspending (2008-09)

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