Brian Harvey | The Other Day

Brian Harvey | The Other Day

Brian Harvey | The Other Day
February 9 - March 4

Reception:
Saturday, February 11 @ 3 - 5 pm
RSVP your attendance to responses@wallspacegallery.ca

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Wall Space Gallery is pleased to present the latest solo exhibition, The Other Day, by Toronto painter Brian Harvey. The Other Day suggests the beginning of a story, one without a distinct date and time – the other day could be a week ago, three months ago, or yesterday. It pulls us from the now to the then


In Harvey’s latest body of oil paintings depicting Toronto’s urban landscape there is an underlying sensation of time passing. Harvey is adept at depicting the moments where time lives in small ways; whether it is the overgrowth of weeds surrounding a van in a back alley or the slow meander of a meal in good company at a local diner. These mark pockets of time, our daily movements as we transition from place to place.  

 

Hanging On, oil on panel, 30 x 40 in. Framed by Wall Space 

The simple act of traveling from point A to point B – commuting – is a transient state that brings certain moments into focus. Being between here and there allows space, free from distraction, to connect to your surroundings. Harvey’s sensitivity to atmosphere, light, and perspective throughout the works in The Other Day offers us moments to pause and reflect with a sense of ease. Slowing down through painting allows Harvey the chance to pick apart and magnify the wisps of moments that make us feel present and connected to our environment.

 

Wet Leaves Underfoot, oil on panel, 42 x 42 in, framed by Wall Space

 

“Painting allows me the opportunity to look at things that are frequently overlooked. I am drawn to the character of the banal and everyday objects and spaces that surround me. I have a strong response to things which are connected to the past, holdovers which are often ignored or forgotten about altogether.”      - Brian Harvey

In Autumn Jungle, Harvey’s energetic sweeps and dashes of reds, yellows, and olive greens emanates the rustling of fall leaves overhead. There is extreme care taken in expressing the fleeting moments that set a scene; the slants of blue shadows in Hanging On, or the fragments of light scattered over puddles and fences along a tree-shaded back lane in Wet Leaves Underfoot. Harvey speaks to a romantic appreciation for these transitional spaces, a quiet pause amidst the hustle of the architectural jungle of the city. 

 

Autumn Jungle, oil on panel, 12 x 12 in, framed by Wall Space

 

Across Harvey’s canvases atmospheric shifts in light and changes in the seasons weave together moments in time. He creates an undulating map of the everyday; from the comfort of routine in the learned shortcuts to the Sunday brunch spot.

Beyond the commemoration of the slow slipping of time in the everyday, is the dutiful recording of the history of a changing urban landscape. Amidst constant development are the local haunts that refuse to give in to gentrifying forces. Harvey’s dedication to depicting these spaces comes from an understanding of the need to memorialize their importance within the fabric of community.

 


Our Place
, oil on panel, 36 x 24 in, famed by Wall Space

 

“The greasy spoon diner, the back laneway, and the corner convenience store are reoccurring subjects; local haunts that harbour a sense of community and the warmth of a family run atmosphere.  As generations pass, changes inevitably and slowly shift our surroundings and the memories of the places we love.”  - Brian Harvey

Our Place and The Cook celebrate the community mainstay that is the family-run diner. The Cook features an elderly chef enveloped in a warm orange glow in the familiar space of his kitchen. Harvey set us in a scene of early light, voyeuristically gazing into the morning routine of his intimate workspace. A masterful storyteller, Harvey pulls focus to the individual — the heart of any business — and their passionate dedication day in and day out. It is in small family run spaces like these that the owner’s presence builds the business’ true personality and deep roots within a community.

The Other Day is a testament to appreciating what is present in front of us. Harvey’s urbanscapes and cherished diner scenes remind us to slow down and not take for granted the places and moments that seem timeless.

 

The Cook, oil on panel, 36 x 36 in, framed by Wall Space

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Toronto-born painter Brian Harvey studied at The Art Centre at Central Technical School, Toronto School of Art, and received a BFA from OCAD University in 2016.  Upon graduating from The Art Centre in 2003, Harvey focused on building an oil painting practice and within a few years he began working full time as an artist. He strives to explore and monumentalize the overlooked and forgotten pockets of Toronto’s urban landscape.

Harvey has been painting for two decades and his work has been widely collected across Canada, the United States and beyond. He is inspired by the commonplace and the typically mundane; the everyday objects, spaces and landscapes that surround him. He strives to explore and monumentalize these overlooked and forgotten pockets of Toronto’s urban landscape. Harvey has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibition across Ontario, and his work is held in both public and private collections including the Government of Ontario Art Collection, Toronto Public Library Art Collection, and the City of Toronto Art Collection.

Still Blue, oil on tondo panel, 12 in
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