|
Copyright 2007 Peter A. Barelkowski. All rights reserved |
|
Reviews: |
|
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2008 (Nathan Phillips Square, July 11-13)
Peter A. Barelkowski’s paintings feature odd groupings of people and objects, executed in a hasty, primitive style but suggesting some ominous, nightmarish story.
Patrick Donohue
UNCLE PAULIE'S WORLD Sunday, March 1, 2009 (New York Artexpo 2009)
Of particular interest to me were the paintings of Polish-born, Toronto-based artist Peter Barelkowski. His work, in many ways reminded me of Haitian-born Francks Francois Décéus, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the National Black Fine Art Show a couple of weeks ago. Barelkowski delves into the emotional states associated with sadness and isolation, but he juxtaposes his subtexts with what he refers to as “one-dimensional, cartoonish-style” subjects who bring out “grotesque undertones.” I look forward to further exploring his work and perhaps becoming a collector of his work.
Paul Niemi, Publicist
Lost Aussie on The Loose Marie OteroMarch 01, 2009Art Expo'ing in NYCA ?Balmy 40+F today so we took to the streets of NYC for our weekend outing and headed to the Javits Center to scope out the 2009 Art Expo. Smaller than last year yet still filled with inspiration and interest.
Your work is really lovely. Speaking of Art Expo, I, too, liked Peter Barelkowski's work. I'm thinking I might buy a piece. He seemed like a pretty humble guy as well. Since I got the permission of artists to use images, check out my video and blog for some visuals. I really need some better video editing software, though. Cheers! Toronto Art Expo 2009
Metro Toronto Convention Centre; March 19-22
Since there’s relatively little cutting-edge art in this show, we may as well start with some examples that stand out. Peter A. Barelkowski’s odd little figures against vast, empty backgrounds say much about the loneliness of the human condition. www.peterbarelkowski.com
Patrick Donohue
2010 Salon Show; Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts; 984 Queen Street West, Toronto; to Jan 17
For this show, I find myself wanting to cite a separate category for "ironic painting". This surely is where Peter Barelkowski’s work belongs. I have previously admired his tiny figures on white backgrounds. Here, for a change, they appear against backgrounds of dark blue, black and red. One particularly haunting Barelkowski shows a forlorn little man surrounded by almost impenetrable darkness.
Patrick Donohue
The Artist Project 2010 (Exhibition) Queen Elizabeth Building, Exhibition Place, Toronto; until March 7
Surely Peter A. Barelkowski’s odd, cartoonish people stranded in their bleak landscapes express something of a child’s bewilderment about the place of humans in the world?
The Ontario Society of Artists New Members Exhibit 2009 John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto; until January 8, 2010
I have admired Peter Barelkowski’s odd little humanoids in previous shows. Here, he shows one large figure with its torso opened to reveal a chair, a ladder and such workings inside. On the exterior, pipes connected to the body, as if by way of plumbing, add to the thought-provoking effect.
|
|
The Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) is Canada's longest surviving artists society, and to celebrate its 138th anniversary Gallery Stratford is presenting a juried exhibition of 85 works from 61 OSA members. Being in Time, which opened Sunday, was pulled together by guest curator Carla Garnet for the gallery. The show includes abstract works, a few sculpted pieces, works in watercolour, acrylics and fabric. One of the most evocative pieces is an untitled oil on canvas by Toronto artist Peter Barelkowski. The 64- by 56-inch piece shows a relatively tiny clownish figure rendered in white standing out beyond a crowd of minimally drawn figures. Apart from the central figures the canvas is black. "I explore the human experience of loneliness and isolation. Creating a paradox between my joyful colours and darker subject matter, my paintings attempt to play with our ideas around sadness," says a quote from the artist. Zhe Gu, executive director of the gallery, said the works were selected from submissions from 90 artists. "It's a celebration of what current OSA members are doing," she said.
by Otis Tamasauskas and Harold Klunder. |
|
Gallery Stratford highlights works of OSA |
|
Posted By DONAL O'CONNOR, Staff Reporter |
|
Gallery Stratford executive director Zhe Gu stands among some of the works in the Gallery's juried exhibition of art from the Ontario Society of Artists. SCOTT WISHART The Beacon Herald. |
|
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 |
|