Kim Ondaatje
Encyclopedia
Kim Ondaatje is a Canadian
painter
, photographer, and documentary
filmmaker.
, Ondaatje studied at the Ontario College of Art and McGill University
. She completed a M.A.
in Canadian Literature at Queen's University
, while on a teaching fellowship. Until 1964, Ondaatje served as a part-time lecturer at Wilfrid Laurier University
and Sherbrooke University. In the early 1960s she returned to the visual arts again and by 1965 was painting full time. In 1967, with fellow Canadian artists Jack Chambers
and Tony Urquhart, she founded Canadian Artists Representation (CAR), which today is the Canadian Artists Representation/Frontes des Artistes Canadiens (CARFAC). CAR was the first artist organization in the world to establish a fee structure for museum and gallery exhibitions of contemporary artists.
Primarily a visual artist, Ondaatje later directed short documentary films and published books of photography. In her paintings she pursued a variety of interests. Along with abstract and impressionistic landscapes she composed three paintings series: a landscape group entitled the Hill Series; an interior-based group of paintings titled The House on Piccadilly Street; and a final group of large industrial landscapes entitled the Factory Series, completed in the mid-1970s. Ondaatje's research on traditional Ontario quilt-making and design led to a large national touring exhibition of patchwork quilts (1974-76), and a documentary film. During the course of her career, she worked for the London Public Gallery, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre
, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Emily Carr College's Outreach as a travelling artist with her work from 1969 to 1981.
Her paintings and films are part of various collections in galleries across Canada including: the National Gallery of Canada
, the Art Gallery of Ontario
, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
, the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto
, The McIntosh Gallery, University of Western Ontario
, London, The Windsor Public Gallery, Simon Fraser University
, B.C., and the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, in Prince Edward Island
.
She was married to the Canadian poet D.G. Jones and was later married to the poet and novelist Michael Ondaatje
. She has six children.
In 2008 the University of Toronto Art Centre held a major retrospective entitled "Kim Ondaatje: Paintings 1950-1975", the first comprehensive exhibition of Ondaatje's works since 1973. The retrospective was curated by University of Toronto art historian Lora Senechal Carney.
In March 2009, Ondaatje and Urquhart were announced as joint winners of the Governor General's "Outstanding Contribution" Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Award announcement * http://www.cbc.ca/mobile/text/story_news-arts.html?/ept/html/story/2009/03/24/ggs-visual-arts.html
Governor General's citation * http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggavma/2009/
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, photographer, and documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
filmmaker.
Biography
Born in Toronto, OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Ondaatje studied at the Ontario College of Art and McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. She completed a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Canadian Literature at Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, while on a teaching fellowship. Until 1964, Ondaatje served as a part-time lecturer at Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
and Sherbrooke University. In the early 1960s she returned to the visual arts again and by 1965 was painting full time. In 1967, with fellow Canadian artists Jack Chambers
Jack Chambers
John "Jack" Chambers was a Canadian artist and filmmaker. Born in London, Ontario, Chambers' painting style shifted from surrealist-influenced to photo-realist. He began working with film in the 1960s, completing six by 1970...
and Tony Urquhart, she founded Canadian Artists Representation (CAR), which today is the Canadian Artists Representation/Frontes des Artistes Canadiens (CARFAC). CAR was the first artist organization in the world to establish a fee structure for museum and gallery exhibitions of contemporary artists.
Primarily a visual artist, Ondaatje later directed short documentary films and published books of photography. In her paintings she pursued a variety of interests. Along with abstract and impressionistic landscapes she composed three paintings series: a landscape group entitled the Hill Series; an interior-based group of paintings titled The House on Piccadilly Street; and a final group of large industrial landscapes entitled the Factory Series, completed in the mid-1970s. Ondaatje's research on traditional Ontario quilt-making and design led to a large national touring exhibition of patchwork quilts (1974-76), and a documentary film. During the course of her career, she worked for the London Public Gallery, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Agnes Etherington Art Centre
The Agnes Etherington Art Centre is in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and is operated by Queen's University. The centre holds 12-15 exhibitions annually, as well as artists' talks and performances, public lectures, symposia, workshops, and school and family programs...
, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Emily Carr College's Outreach as a travelling artist with her work from 1969 to 1981.
Her paintings and films are part of various collections in galleries across Canada including: the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
, the Art Gallery of Ontario
Art Gallery of Ontario
Under the direction of its CEO Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO embarked on a $254 million redevelopment plan by architect Frank Gehry in 2004, called Transformation AGO. The new addition would require demolition of the 1992 Post-Modernist wing by Barton Myers and Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg...
, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is a major museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1860, making it Canada's oldest art institution, it moved to its current location in 1912 thanks to a large donation from businessman James Ross....
, the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, The McIntosh Gallery, University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, London, The Windsor Public Gallery, Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, B.C., and the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
.
She was married to the Canadian poet D.G. Jones and was later married to the poet and novelist Michael Ondaatje
Michael Ondaatje
Philip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
. She has six children.
In 2008 the University of Toronto Art Centre held a major retrospective entitled "Kim Ondaatje: Paintings 1950-1975", the first comprehensive exhibition of Ondaatje's works since 1973. The retrospective was curated by University of Toronto art historian Lora Senechal Carney.
In March 2009, Ondaatje and Urquhart were announced as joint winners of the Governor General's "Outstanding Contribution" Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Short films
- Black Creek, 1972, (16mm, colour)
- Factories, 1973, (16mm, colour)
- Patchwork Quilts, 1974, (11 min., 16mm, colour)
- Old Houses, 1977 (27 min., 16mm, colour)
- Where Bitter Sweet Grows, 1978, (16mm, colour)
Books
- Old Ontario Houses, 1977
- Small Churches of Canada, 1982
- Toronto, My City, 1993
External links
- National Gallery profile http://www.gallery.ca/en/see/collections/artist.php?iartistid=4098
- Canadian Artists' Representation
- University of Toronto Arts Centre
- Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art
- Exhibit Review, Canadian Art, Summer 2008 http://www.canadianart.ca/online/reviews/2008/07/31/kim-ondaatje/
Award announcement * http://www.cbc.ca/mobile/text/story_news-arts.html?/ept/html/story/2009/03/24/ggs-visual-arts.html
Governor General's citation * http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggavma/2009/