Category Archives: Art, Architecture & Design

Paint Me a Song: three cycles for three painters. 

Posted on March 20, 2018 by barczablog

CASP, the Canadian Art Song Project, regularly undertake ambitious programs to push the possibilities of their medium.  To begin tonight’s concert, “Paint Me a Song”, Co-artistic Director Steven Philcox gave some insight into the creation of our program. Curating and commissioning … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Music and musicology, Reviews | Leave a comment

Sir Michael’s lesson in intellectual property

Posted on October 27, 2017 by barczablog

The painting is called Sir Michael’s Tarp, by Orion Martin, 36 inches by 72 inches. When I was shown the painting, it didn’t seem familiar right away.  If I hadn’t been told I would never have made the connection to … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture | Leave a comment

The art and business of beauty with Cheryl Lone & Co.

Posted on July 27, 2017 by barczablog

“Lone & Co.” is actually Cheryl Lone and her team of associates, now one of the most popular places to go for a haircut, colouring, beard trim, or even a heart-to-heart conversation. While I may be due for another haircut … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Interviews, Psychology and perception | 2 Comments

Georgia O’Keeffe at the AGO

Posted on April 22, 2017 by barczablog

After walking through the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit at the AGO today, I can’t help thinking about the way people are stereotyped, misunderstood, misread. Louis Riel was very much on my mind after two intense nights, one in the company of … Continue reading →

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Extra Trouble – Jack Smith in Frankfurt

Posted on April 1, 2017 by barczablog

“Extra Trouble – Jack Smith in Frankfurt” at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt a.M. Th. 22.11. — Su. 25.11.2012 Guest blog by Zoe Barcza recalling November 2012 The festival “Extra Trouble – Jack Smith in Frankfurt” (a dense weekend of screenings, talks, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Cinema, video & DVDs, guest blog | Leave a comment

Kent Monkman: Our Shame, Our Prejudice, Their Resilience

Posted on February 23, 2017 by barczablog

I have just experienced Kent Monkman‘s show at the University of Toronto Art Museum, a series of paintings, textual passages and installations proposing something quite ambitious. As he observed in the Foreword (in a little brochure I picked up as … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Politics | 3 Comments

Gates yea, Martin nay

Posted on August 4, 2016 by barczablog

I wanted to like it. As a child and teen, Lawren Harris was one of my favourite artists.  Steve Martin was and is one of my favourite comedians, actors, and writers. But when I got to “The Idea of North: … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Books & Literature, Opera, Popular music & culture | 2 Comments

TSO’s happy midweek memorials

Posted on March 11, 2016 by barczablog

The second of the New Creations concerts by the Toronto Symphony Wednesday at Roy Thomson Hall was a wildly diversified program as Festival curator Brett Dean put a collaborative work by two Canadians between works by two Australian composers. Each … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

I Am Not An Answer at Cooper Cole Gallery

Posted on February 27, 2016 by barczablog

I suppose it depends on the question… If you were asking “what is art” you could find at least a couple of ways to answer that question at Cooper Cole Gallery. Art is a calling. It’s a business. It offers … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design | 1 Comment

Mr Turner: painter, paintings, movie

Posted on November 7, 2015 by barczablog

There is a scene in the first half hour of Mike Leigh’s recent film Mr Turner, juxtaposing the creative ambitions of amateurs and professionals. We see Timothy Spall as Turner, greeting a noble on his estate. Another person –likely another … Continue reading →

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