Austen Smart Book order

A fresh look at what is going on in the world of Atlantic Canadian art. Materiality and Perception in Contemporary Atlantic Art showcases over forty contemporary works of art from Atlantic Canada, from established artists such as Freeman Patterson, Gerald Beaulieu, Dawn MacNutt, and Alan Syliboy to emerging artists such as Emma Hassencahl-Perley, Ursula Johnson, and Marie Fox. This is art engaged with contemporary the frailty of bodies and land, the interactions between people and environment, Indigenous - Settler relations, and the inner and outer markings of identity. Focusing intently on the materiality of the objects themselves — from jewellery to photographs, from carved paddles to video installations — the works selected for this publication and the associated exhibition ask viewers to look again, challenging their initial perceptions about what they see and what they perceive about the context in which the work is made. Tom Smart’s accompanying essay introduces each work and its context and discusses the role of the viewer in interpreting art objects and creating meaning, whether viewing works as discrete individual objects or as part of the larger, holistic whole. Materiality and Perception in Contemporary Atlantic Art accompanies the 2019 Marion McCain Exhibition of Atlantic Art at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Palookaville, the graphic novel by Canadian cartoonist Seth (Gregory Gallant), creates a dystopian reality that struggles with existential questions about the time, fate and identity. His bold, confident draughtsmanship depicts life in a bygone era and illustrates complex tales of the tragic consequences of living a static, inauthentic life. In Palookaville: Seth and the Art of Graphic Autobiography, curator, critic and author Tom Smart examines the microscopic separation between Seth’s art and life, between his graphic fiction and the autobiographical elements that it contains. Smart’s analysis of the Palookaville story unfolds tantalizing clues into the artist’s construction of identity, but more, it reveals art’s ability to make sense of life, the passage of time, and perhaps even our own humanity.

The life and work of one of Canada's most prominent artists and printmakers illustrating both his early watercolours in 1952 through and the iconic paintings of his mature years.