Gary Taxali creates OCAD U’s 100th GradEx poster

Poster for OCAD U GradEx 100
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 - 6:45pm

Award-winning illustrator Gary Taxali’s work is featured on the poster for GradEx 100, the centennial edition of OCAD University’s annual exhibition of graduating students’ work. Taxali is an OCAD U alumnus and associate professor of Illustration in the Faculty of Design.

More than 600 promising young artists and designers will be exhibiting at GradEx 100, displaying their final thesis work to more than 25,000 guests from Wednesday, April 29 to Sunday, May 3. The exhibition will fill all six storeys of 100 McCaul St., including the landmark Sharp Centre for Design, and will be open to the public.

Taxali’s signature pop culture imagery is infused with retro/vintage graphic style. His fine artwork has been exhibited in galleries in the United States and Europe as well as museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Contemporary Art Museum in Rome. In 2011, two books of his work were released:  Mono Taxali, published by 279 Editions, and I Love You, Ok? published by teNeues. In 2012, the Royal Canadian Mint released a special edition of six 25-cent coins, which feature Taxali’s artwork.  

Taxali’s clients include Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Fast Company, Reader’s Digest, Business Week, McSweeney’s, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Converse, Levi’s, Sony, MTV and Coca-Cola.

OCAD University’s annual Graduate Exhibition is generously supported by Presenting Sponsor Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Other sponsors include: C.A. Delaney Capital Management Ltd., First Capital Realty, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, CP24 (Media Sponsor), NOW (Media Sponsor) and Steam Whistle Brewing (Event Sponsor).

This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Avery Kua wins First Prize Scholarship from James Lee Foundation

Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - 5:00am

Third-year Illustration student Avery Kua was awarded the First Prize Scholarship from the James Lee Foundation, an organization established to recognize emerging non-professional creative talent from across Canada looking to enter the advertising industry.

The Foundation was formed by a partnership of advertising agencies, the AAABC, friends and family of James Lee, and has been awarding $5,000 scholarships since 2008. Lee was a copywriter for the award-winning agency DDB Canada. 2008 Illustration alumna Shen Plum was the first recipient of the Foundation scholarship.

Jody Hewgill wins Society of Illustrators gold

Before Midnight by Jody Hewgill
Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - 5:00am

Assistant Professor in Illustration Jody Hewgill has recently been awarded a Society of Illustrators gold award for her work Before Midnight. The award was given in the editorial category of the Society’s 57th Annual Exhibition.

The painting was commissioned by Entertainment Weekly creative director Kory Kennedy for a review of the film by the same name by director Richard Linklater for the magazine’s top ten issue. The painting will be exhibited at New York’s Museum of American Illustration opening gala and award presentation on February 6, 2015.

“This is an extraordinary honour in the Illustration profession and a feather in the cap of OCAD’s Faculty of Design,” said Illustration Chair Paul Dallas. The exhibition is considered the premier showcase for illustrators.

MEET GRAD EX 2013 MEDAL WINNER, ASHLEY MACKENZIE (ILLUSTRATION)

Ashley Mackenzie at Grad Ex 2013. Photo by Christina Gapic.
Part of Ashley Mackenzie's project, Dangerous Ideas. Image by Ashley Mackenzie.

Ashley Mackenzie’s medal award-winning project, Dangerous Ideas, is a work that investigates our reaction to science and thinking. Here’s how she describes it:

My thesis was called Dangerous Ideas which explored controversial concepts proposed by various scientists and intellectuals, using visual metaphors to investigate how these ideas can make us so uncomfortable and encourage people to think about them.

What inspired you and motivated you to do this project?

I had read The Best American Non-Required Reading 2007 over the summer and there was a chapter dedicated to a series of responses to the question “What is your dangerous idea?” Apparently Edge.org does one of these every year and everything is archived online so I went through and found common themes and ideas and continued doing research to find the concepts that I thought were the most intriguing or relevant.

What part of the process of creating this project did you learn the most from?

I definitely learned the most from going through the actual ideation process. The concepts I’d chosen were very challenging since in many ways they were rather abstract and it was difficult to find a way to visualize them clearly in a unique way without relying too heavily on cliche.

What part of the process of creating this project are you the most proud of?

Those times when I finally managed to nail down the sketch matched the idea. It was certainly the part of the process that I spent the most time on and while it was the most stressful part it was also the most satisfying.

How did you react to the news that you won a medal for your work?

I was really surprised! I was there the morning just before the judging touching up my display and looking at everyone’s work I couldn’t help but be amazed. Everyone put in so much work, it was such a strong year and I was incredibly honoured to have won.

What’s your fondest memory from your studies at OCAD U, and what will you miss the most?

I really liked working on the Wallspace since I never really spent much time working in the actual school outside of class time. It was nice running into people who recognized my work and also just have people drop by to say hi. I’ve also never painted anything on that scale before so it was both exciting and terrifying but I think it went pretty well. I’ll definitely miss the critiques since it’s so hard to find such easy access to the wealth of visual knowledge and help you get from your peers and professors once you leave, and I think it’s certainly one of those things you take for granted when you’re in school.

What are you planning to do next? 

I’m hoping to start freelancing, trying to get some editorial jobs and maybe publishing. I’d like to work on some personal projects, get back to drawing and sketching since school’s kept me too busy to really indulge my sketchbooks.

Find out more about Ashley Mackenzie:

Portfolio 

Blog

2014 MEDAL WINNER HUDSON CHRISTIE, ILLUSTRATION

Hudson Christie. Photo by Christina Gapic.
Illustration from Work Life Balance by Hudson Christie.

Hudson Christie’s medal award-winning project Work-Life Balance depicts people who must juggle their incompatible jobs and hobbies, sometimes in a disturbing juxtaposition. Here’s how he describes it:

My project was called Work-Life Balance, and it depicted ten people resorting to multi-tasking in order to make room for their hobbies.

What inspired you and motivated you to do this project?

I was attracted to hobbies as a subject in my thesis because they have a really great earnest candor surrounding them. The notion of taking hobbies, which are this really harmless thing, and putting them into situations that actually make them harmful was really funny to me.

What part of the process of creating this project did you learn the most from?

The sculpture/photography approach I used for my thesis is something I’ve only been developing for over a year now, so there was obviously a lot of growing to do in my technique. A big difference is how many corners I can cut now. I work a lot more efficiently today than I did in September.

What aspect of this project are you the most proud of?

I am happy that I was able to make ten pictures that actually make sense to people 95 per cent of the time. It was always so frustrating when I would work for hours on an illustration but it would be totally illegible, just because I lacked the know-how to make images “readable.”

How did you react to the news that you won a medal for your work?

I was very excited. I remember shouting and hi-fiving the wall, and then calling my mom.

What’s your fondest memory from your studies at OCAD U, and what will you miss the most?

The immersion in peers and professors that you get at OCAD U is a very unique thing that I will really miss. It becomes a lot harder to get that constant artist-to-artist contact once you’re done, especially with such a variety of people.

What are you planning to do next?

There are some installation opportunities opening up for me that I’m currently working on, during which time I’ll be developing my next photography series and hopefully picking up more illustration or animation jobs, which are really fun.

Website

LinkedIn

Yana Vorontsov named finalist in Adobe Design Achievement Awards

A truck drives away from the forest with a segment of trees in its cargo.
Monday, September 15, 2014 - 8:45pm

2014 Illustration graduate Yana Vorontsov has been named a finalist in the prestigious Adobe Design Achievement Awards for her work Subtraction. The ADAA recognize international achievement in student design. She has been selected from among more than 4400 entries from 1500 colleges and universities located in 70 countries.

The competition consists of ten categories across three media segments: Interactive Experience Media, Video and Motion Media, and Traditional Media. A winner will be selected from each category, who will receive a 1-year membership to Adobe Creative Cloud, $2,000 USD, a trophy and a 1-year mentorship with a design professional. Three grand prize winners will be announced at the Adobe Design Achievement Awards Grand Prize Screening and Reception, to be held in conjunction with Adobe MAX on October 5, 2014. The grand prize winners will each receive an additional $3,000 USD.

ULTIMA: Nicholas Di Genova

Image: Boreas, Guardian God of the Northern Tundra, ink and watercolour on paper, 24"x34", 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014 - 4:00am to Sunday, September 28, 2014 - 4:00am

An exhibition by OCAD U alumnus Nicholas Di Genova

LE Gallery is pleased to announce the return of Toronto based artist Nicholas Di Genova. On the heels of exhibitions in New York City and Paris, Di Genova returns with ULTIMA, a new focus, and the addition of sculptural elements to his exploration of the chimera. Ultima will feature the first three dimensional manifestation of one of Di Genova’s city states. At 1:87 scale, Di Genova turns his unique brand of splicing and mutation from his drawings and paintings, to form a capsule of life in a day of his grotesque menagerie. The sculpture will be accompanied by the inclusion of his signature, ultra detailed manga meets Nat Geo drawings, detailing the taxonomies of species included. The urban area is large enough to include separate ethnic regions, such as the Homo-Avian Quarter, wherein the landscape, architecture, and local businesses have evolved to accommodate a type of resident who possesses both human and bird-like anatomy and habits.

In the early 2000's Di Genova shot to prominence as one of Canada's first artists working at a time when the influence of illustration, comic arts and graffiti were beginning to find their way into contemporary art practice. His unique ability to draw a menagerie of evolved creatures with unique skill and ability helped capture the attention of not only comic nerds and Japanese toy freaks but also devotees to Bosch and the study of Biology. ULTIMA brings together a long term dream to build out a province from his menagerie, utilizing many techniques learned through artists and experts, but also informed by childhood model making and Warhammer strategy.

Nicholas Di Genova has garnered many levels of press, featuring reviews in Artforum, Canadian Art Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and The National Post. Nicholas Di Genova is represented in Toronto by LE Gallery, in New York by Fredericks +Freiser Gallery, and Galerie Dukan in Paris. Di Genova is included in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art, and has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. Works by Di Genova have been and included in exhibitions and reviewed in New York, Singapore, London and Berlin.

Venue & Address: 
LE Gallery 1183 Dundas St. W. Toronto, Ontario 416-532-8467
Website: 
http://le-gallery.ca
Email: 
<p><a href="mailto:wil@le-gallery.ca">wil@le-gallery.ca</a></p>
Cost: 
Free

Brandon Celi wins New York’s Society of Illustrators scholarship

Brandon Celi's scholarship winning work, Cold Storage.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 - 4:15pm

Fourth-year Illustration student Brandon Celi has been selected to receive the “The Illest of Illustration” $200 scholarship for his work Cold Storage. Celi was shortlisted in February from more than 8700 entries submitted by professors of university students from around the world.

Celi will receive his award during the Society’s awards ceremony on Friday, May 9.

Big wins, international publishing debuts by Illustration students and grads

Monday, June 16, 2014 - 3:45pm

It’s been a very successful month for OCAD U’s Illustration program, with students and recent graduates being named as semi-finalists and winners north and south of the border, in some of North America’s most preeminent competitions and publications.

The Adobe Design Achievement Awards named its first round of 2014 Semifinalists. The Illustration category includes:

  • Rosena Fung for "Self Love" and "Make Up"
  • Jw Pang for "Metropolis," "Study" and "Restart"
  • Michael Pitropov for "Lucid Light Dream Erosion" and "Coma Shutdown"
  • Jason Stamatyades for "Life At The Periphery"
  • Avery Kua for "Sentinel"

The ADAA website also highlights works submitted by contestants, including "First Period" by Rosena Fung; "Circadian Rhythm Reset" and "They're Made Out of Meat" by Michael Pitropov; "Madarin Princess" by Kristy de Guzman and "Old Man Minotaur" by Michael Fazal.

The New York based journal of art and design Creative Quarterly 36 has named several OCAD U students as winners and runners up:

Winners:

  • Hudson Christie (this year’s Illustration medal winner)
  • Kayla Free
  • Yana Voronstov
  • Eileen Yoon

Runners Up:

  • Jungwon Yoo
  • Natalie V. Bochenska
  • Meghan Dearlove
  • Janet Park

At the National Magazine Awards Gala held earlier this month, OCAD U alumni received top accolades:

  • Gold Illustration: Selena Wong for “Old Wounds” published in Maisonneuve
  • Gold Spot and Silver Spot Illustration: Gracia Lam for “The Elite Yellow Peril” and “The Tar-Sands Trap,” respectively, published in Maisonneuve

Third-year student Caitlyn Murphy will be featured in CMYK’s Top 100 New Creatives 57 for her work "Dream Car." In addition to the usual print publication, this year’s edition will be released as an app, which will also feature work by 2013 graduate Stephanie Singleton. Both the publication and the app are scheduled for release in September.

2014 medal winner Hudson Christie’s work is featured in the New York Times Book Review. Another 2014 graduate, Cornelia Li, has work featured in the New York Times Travel section.

Illustration grads bring their talents to John Street – Toronto’s Red Carpet

Rosena Fung working on her chairs. Photo: Christine Crosbie.
Michael Pitropov paints his chair designs. Photo: Christine Crosbie.
Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 3:30pm

OCAD University partnered with the Toronto Entertainment District BIA (TOED BIA) to bring greater access to the John Street Cultural Corridor with the John Street Pedestrian Initiative (JSPI). For six months a lane will be closed to vehicles and become a pedestrian-friendly space. Rosena Fung and Michael Pitropov, recent OCAD U graduates, re-interpreted 20 red Muskoka chairs with their illustrations. The chairs will remain in place through the fall for pedestrians to lounge in. 

“John Street presents a unique opportunity for the city to allow the public to experience part of our civic realm in a whole new way,” said Dr. Sara Diamond, president of OCAD U. “The Entertainment District is going through extraordinary growth and John Street will provide this community with a unique destination not unlike many great cities around the world. We are pleased to be the first to play a role in bringing art to this transformative public space.” The students’ collective efforts, referred to as John StreetToronto’s Red Carpet will remain on display along the John Street Cultural Corridor until October 12, 2014.

The John Street Pedestrian Initiative’s project area places a focus on the east side of John Street, between Queen and Adelaide Streets, because it has the narrowest sidewalks and the largest number of patios in the corridor. The east curb lane traffic closure positively influences how pedestrians experience and use the street by providing them with a safe, wide pedestrian realm. The separation of the roadway and expanded pedestrian zone will be delineated by new pavement traffic markings, signage, planters and armour stones. In addition, tables, chairs and umbrellas enhance and contribute to the vibrancy of the surrounding area.

The long-term vision for the John Street transformation includes wider sidewalks, continuous double row of trees on the west side and flexible curbs resulting in calmer traffic and greater programming opportunities.

The detailed design is underway and will be completed in 2015. A Class Environmental Assessment Study of John Street was completed in 2012. Programmable lighting, convenient access to electrical conduits and coordinated paving treatments will be some of the many elements under consideration.

The vision for the street is to create a grand promenade connecting visually and physically the key cultural destinations across the corridor. “The long-term vision for the transformation of the street to a beautiful cultural corridor will be kick-started with the launch of the art project in partnership with OCAD U,” said Janice Solomon, Executive Director, Toronto Entertainment District BIA.

The City Staff report on the John Street corridor project can be found here.

The John Street Cultural Corridor, from north Queen Street West to south of Front Street West, is recognized as a route of civic and cultural importance in the City, encompassing major facilities and institutions including the Art Gallery of Ontario, OCAD U, Bell Media, the National Film Board of Canada, the CBC Broadcast Centre, the Princess of Wales and Royal Alexandra Theatres, the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Air Canada Centre, Steam Whistle Brewing and the National Rail Museum at Roundhouse Park. City Council, in considering plans and studies of this area at various times over a number of years, has designated or identified John Street as a “Cultural Corridor,” an “Avenue of the Arts” and a “Pedestrian Priority Route.”

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