Dennis Tourbin Retrospective
Dennis Tourbin & David Bierk circa 1975 - Red Dog Tavern, Peterborough
April 11, 2012 - Ottawa Magazine published an article, ON THE RADAR: Ottawa artist Dennis Tourbin finally gets his due, announcing the St. Catharines born-and-began-here-but-didn't-come back local art heroe's Retrospective openings this October at Rodman Hall Art Centre, CRAM Gallery, and Niagara Artists' Centre - a totally fitting month. More to come...
Dennis Tourbin
The Language of Visual Poetry
September 29 – December 30, 2012
A city-wide celebration of the St. Catharines-born artist’s life and work
Presented by Rodman Hall Art Centre in collaboration with Niagara Artists Centre and CRAM International
Born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, Dennis Tourbin (1946-1998) was a self-taught artist and writer. His work has been widely exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout Canada and in Europe, and is held in major Canadian institutions including the National Gallery of Canada. He published numerous books of poetry and novels including The Port Dalhousie Stories (Coach House Press, 1987), a chronicle of growing up in St. Catharines in the 1960s. A fervent arts activist, Tourbin played a vital role in artist-run culture in Ontario as a founding member of Niagara Artists’ Cooperative (now Niagara Artists Centre) in St. Catharines (1969), a founding member of Artspace in Peterborough (1971), a spokesman for Canadian Artists Representation Ontario (1977-79), and Director of Gallery 101 in Ottawa (1986-87).
A pioneer of interdisciplinary practice in Canada, Dennis Tourbin produced a distinctive body of work integrating the written word with painting, drawing, video and performance. From the early 1970s until his death in 1998, Tourbin’s prescient work engaged with mass media, using mediated text and imagery in an exploration of language and meaning. Part documentarian and part storyteller, Tourbin employed the aesthetics of collage and a serial approach in the drawings and vivid paintings he called ‘visual poems.’
Tracing Tourbin’s practice from his first painting to his final print, this retrospective is the first comprehensive consideration of the artist’s oeuvre. In addition to a survey of Tourbin’s major works, a selection of journals, scrapbooks, and painted objects illustrate his process and fastidious documentation of everyday life. A prolific creator, Tourbin’s artistic practice and daily experience were inextricably linked.
Anchored by Rodman Hall, the exhibition extends to Niagara Artists Centre and CRAM International in recognition of Tourbin’s contribution to the development of local artist-run culture. This multi-venue exhibition has been curated by Marcie Bronson, with special thanks to Shirley Madill for her early support of the project. A catalogue featuring essays by Diana Nemiroff, Guy Lachapelle, and Judith Parker will be published in 2013.
Rodman Hall Art Centre is grateful for the financial support of the Ontario Arts Council. Niagara Artists Centre acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of St. Catharines, and the Niagara Community Foundation. CRAM International is supported by the CRAM Collective, Lisa Matheson and Frank Coy.
Rodman Hall Art Centre
109 St. Paul Crescent ½ www.brocku.ca/rodmanhall
September 29 – December 30, 2012
Niagara Artists Centre
354 St. Paul Street
www.nac.org
September 29 – December 30, 2012
CRAM International
24 James Street, 2nd Floor
www.craminternational.ca
October 5 – 30, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday, October 12, 7 pm
Opening Remarks at Rodman Hall at 7:30 pm
Gallery crawl to CRAM International at 8:30 pm
Performance at Niagara Artists Centre at 9:30 pm
Associated Programming
Diana Nemiroff on Dennis Tourbin
Thursday, November 22, 7 pm
Rodman Hall Art Centre
Celebrated curator and recipient of the 2012 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts for Outstanding Contribution, Diana Nemiroff speaks on Dennis Tourbin’s work and artistic context.
Poetry Night
Thursday, November 29, 7 – 9 pm
Rodman Hall Art Centre
Above all else, Dennis Tourbin considered himself a poet. This evening celebrates Tourbin’s poetry through recordings of his live performances and readings by his friends, colleagues, and admirers.
Image: Dennis Tourbin with painted paddle from The Writing of Painting of Martha, A One Act Play, 1975. © The Estate of Dennis Tourbin, CARCC, 2012.
-30-
For more information, images, or to schedule an interview, please contact Marcie Bronson, Curator of Art, Rodman Hall Art Centre/Brock University at 905.688.5550, ext. 5804 or marcie.bronson@brocku.ca.
The Language of Visual Poetry
September 29 – December 30, 2012
A city-wide celebration of the St. Catharines-born artist’s life and work
Presented by Rodman Hall Art Centre in collaboration with Niagara Artists Centre and CRAM International
Born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, Dennis Tourbin (1946-1998) was a self-taught artist and writer. His work has been widely exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout Canada and in Europe, and is held in major Canadian institutions including the National Gallery of Canada. He published numerous books of poetry and novels including The Port Dalhousie Stories (Coach House Press, 1987), a chronicle of growing up in St. Catharines in the 1960s. A fervent arts activist, Tourbin played a vital role in artist-run culture in Ontario as a founding member of Niagara Artists’ Cooperative (now Niagara Artists Centre) in St. Catharines (1969), a founding member of Artspace in Peterborough (1971), a spokesman for Canadian Artists Representation Ontario (1977-79), and Director of Gallery 101 in Ottawa (1986-87).
A pioneer of interdisciplinary practice in Canada, Dennis Tourbin produced a distinctive body of work integrating the written word with painting, drawing, video and performance. From the early 1970s until his death in 1998, Tourbin’s prescient work engaged with mass media, using mediated text and imagery in an exploration of language and meaning. Part documentarian and part storyteller, Tourbin employed the aesthetics of collage and a serial approach in the drawings and vivid paintings he called ‘visual poems.’
Tracing Tourbin’s practice from his first painting to his final print, this retrospective is the first comprehensive consideration of the artist’s oeuvre. In addition to a survey of Tourbin’s major works, a selection of journals, scrapbooks, and painted objects illustrate his process and fastidious documentation of everyday life. A prolific creator, Tourbin’s artistic practice and daily experience were inextricably linked.
Anchored by Rodman Hall, the exhibition extends to Niagara Artists Centre and CRAM International in recognition of Tourbin’s contribution to the development of local artist-run culture. This multi-venue exhibition has been curated by Marcie Bronson, with special thanks to Shirley Madill for her early support of the project. A catalogue featuring essays by Diana Nemiroff, Guy Lachapelle, and Judith Parker will be published in 2013.
Rodman Hall Art Centre is grateful for the financial support of the Ontario Arts Council. Niagara Artists Centre acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of St. Catharines, and the Niagara Community Foundation. CRAM International is supported by the CRAM Collective, Lisa Matheson and Frank Coy.
Rodman Hall Art Centre
109 St. Paul Crescent ½ www.brocku.ca/rodmanhall
September 29 – December 30, 2012
Niagara Artists Centre
354 St. Paul Street
www.nac.org
September 29 – December 30, 2012
CRAM International
24 James Street, 2nd Floor
www.craminternational.ca
October 5 – 30, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday, October 12, 7 pm
Opening Remarks at Rodman Hall at 7:30 pm
Gallery crawl to CRAM International at 8:30 pm
Performance at Niagara Artists Centre at 9:30 pm
Associated Programming
Diana Nemiroff on Dennis Tourbin
Thursday, November 22, 7 pm
Rodman Hall Art Centre
Celebrated curator and recipient of the 2012 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts for Outstanding Contribution, Diana Nemiroff speaks on Dennis Tourbin’s work and artistic context.
Poetry Night
Thursday, November 29, 7 – 9 pm
Rodman Hall Art Centre
Above all else, Dennis Tourbin considered himself a poet. This evening celebrates Tourbin’s poetry through recordings of his live performances and readings by his friends, colleagues, and admirers.
Image: Dennis Tourbin with painted paddle from The Writing of Painting of Martha, A One Act Play, 1975. © The Estate of Dennis Tourbin, CARCC, 2012.
-30-
For more information, images, or to schedule an interview, please contact Marcie Bronson, Curator of Art, Rodman Hall Art Centre/Brock University at 905.688.5550, ext. 5804 or marcie.bronson@brocku.ca.
"ABCDELEVISION"
acrylic on canvas over plywood
1975