McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Aprons in the Wind, Port Rexton, Newfoundland, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”

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Pam Hall is among the highly imaginative artists showcased at a current exhibition (through June 1) of contemporary art from the rugged province of Newfoundland at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Ontario.

That exhibition led me to Hall’s “Apron Diaries”, a series of installation works around the Trinity and Bonavista areas of Newfoundland in which she displays collections of aprons at worksites (such as upon fish flakes for drying salted cod or hanging at a local bakery or at a fisheries plant) as a celebration of the often unsung labor of women. Images of wind-fluttered aprons affixed to weathered fish flakes are particularly colorful and moving (literally) tributes to women’s essential work roles in their communities.

Aprons on a Fish Flake, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”

Aprons Festooned at a Fisheries Plant, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”

Baking Amidst Aprons, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”

More Colorful Aprons on a Fish Flake, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”

More about Hall , her siteworks and other art can be found at her website here.

(Image Credits: Pam Hall)

E. Burtynsky — Nickel Tailings No. 31, Sudbury, Ontario (1996)

The Summer issue of Canadian Art just arrived and includes a feature (written by Daniel Baird) about recent projects of Toronto photographer Edward Burtynsky. Looking at Burtynsky’s oversized images of industrial landscapes, it’s difficult not to appreciate their sublime beauty while also being astounded by the impact humans have on the environment.

More about Burtynsky and his amazing work can be seen at his website and at the just-opened exhibition “Edward Burtynsky: The Landscape That We Change” at Kleinburg, Ontario’s McMichael Canadian Art Collection Gallery, which runs through September 29, 2013.