Michael Pszczonak

Biography

Michael PszczonakMike Pszczonak, born in 1981 in Windsor, ON, received his MFA from Western University and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Guelph.

He currently teaches within the Fine Art Program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

He has received numerous grants and awards such as the Ontario Arts Council’s Emerging Artist Grant and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Grant. The project is generously supported by the London Arts Council’s Professional Artists Community Arts Investment Program.

“On The Other Hand” (2022) Artist Statement:

“In the Fall of 2021 a series of 12 paintings, one for each month of the year, were displayed at Michael Gibson Gallery as an attempt to address my toddlers’ question ‘what colour is the window?’ (VIEW HERE)  The paintings in the exhibition used various methods of paint application to depict the view out of the front window of our home at nighttime.  From this view, the darkness of the exterior landscape and the illumination of the interior space created a perceptual phenomenon where we were simultaneously aware of the depth beyond the window, the reflection behind the window, and the surface of the window itself.

Whereas the past series of paintings depicted a view looking outside of our home at nighttime, the current body of work depicts the reflections and spatial fluctuations that occur when looking into our home during the daytime.  If the previous paintings served to act as a visual analysis of the colour of a window for my inquiring toddler, these new paintings act as both an extension and counterargument to that description.

In addition to formal painting concerns such as surface, depth, light, and colour, they are also conceived of as analogous to a photographic negative – an inversion of light from the previous body of work.  Furthermore, I situate them within a conceptual framework of the everyday and the domestic.  They are about looking from the perspective of both child and parent: joy and anxiety, learning and growth, the commonplace and the passage of time.”

“The Colour of a Window” (2021) Artist Statement:

As the dad of a 3-year-old, I am witness to the growth of my toddler and how he observes and learns about the world around him. This growth occurs through his asking an infinite number of questions about letters, numbers, shapes, and colour (among many other things). One recent question was “what colour is the window?” It’s a legitimate one given that it is an object in his observable and experiential world, and a question where the word “clear” would be the most obvious and simple answer to satisfy his innate sense of curiosity. For myself, observing the world through the eyes of a painter, the word “clear” seems to be inadequate in both its linguistic and visual terms. What colour IS the window?

This body of work is a continuation of past works in which I observe objects with fluctuating and fleeting optical scenarios and translate them using the materiality of paint. I’ve always been interested in the spatial overlay that occurs when looking out from a window at nighttime while the interior lights are turned on. The darkness of the exterior landscape and the illumination of the interior space creates a perceptual phenomenon where we are simultaneously aware of the depth beyond the window, the reflection behind the window, and the surface of the window itself. In short, these paintings explore surface, depth, light, and colour. They are also located within a broader conceptual framework of observation and growth, the commonplace and time.

Selected Works

Exhibitions

Art Toronto

October 26 - October 29 - 2023

Art Toronto 2023

Art Toronto 2023 from October 26-29 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

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Art Toronto

October 27 - October 30 - 2022

Art Toronto 2022

We are honoured to return to Art Toronto 2022 taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre between October 27 - 30, 2022.

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Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

2015 Masters of Fine Arts. Department of Visual Arts, Western University, London, Ontario.

2009 Bachelor of Education. Faculty of Education, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario.

2008 Bachelor of Arts Honours (with distinction), major in Studio Art with a minor in French studies. School of Fine Art & Music, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.

2003 Ontario College Diploma. Tradigital Animation Program, St. Clair College of Applied Arts & Technology, Windsor, Ontario.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2023 No Thanks, I’m Just Looking, CIBC Headquarters, 81 Bay Street, Toronto, ON

2022 (solo exhibition) On The Other Hand, Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario.

2021 (solo exhibition) The Colour of the Window, Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario.

2019 (solo exhibition) Refractor. Campus Gallery, Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario.

2018 Can I Kick it, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario. (curated by Pete Smith).

2016 Plexus, DNA Artspace, London, Ontario. 2015 (solo exhibition) Hand-Eye. McIntosh Gallery, Western University, London, Ontario.

2015 Periphery/Core. Satellite Space, London, Ontario.

2015 [un]Bored. Concourse Gallery, Western University, London, Ontario.

2014 Sum of two and three, One more than four. Artlab Gallery, Western University, London, Ontario.

2014 (solo exhibition) Retrospective of an Emerging Artist. Petrified Forest Gallery, London, Ontario. Curated by Matthew Purvis.

2014 Painting (Jared Peters, Mike Pszczonak, and Matt Tarini). Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario.

2009 Insights 2009: A Juried Art Exhibition. Wellington County Museum and Archives, Fergus, Ontario.

2008 No Common Ground. Paul Petro Special Projects Space, Toronto, Ontario.

2008 stART Exhibition. Studio21, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

2008 This Must be the Place. Zavitz Gallery, University of Guelph. (student run exhibition).

2008 Enhanced Recycling. Artery Gallery, University of Waterloo. (student run exhibition).

2008 untitled (God is Dead, Painting is Not). Zavitz Gallery, University of Guelph. (student run exhibition)

2007 Juried Art Show. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.

2007 Asbestos You Can. Zavitz Gallery, University of Guelph. (student run exhibition)

GRANTS AND AWARDS

2022 CIBC C2 Create & Curate Award, CIBC, Toronto, ON

2020 Professional Artists Community Arts Investment Program, London Arts Council.

2018 Visual Artists Creation Projects Grant, Ontario Arts Council.

2015 Emerging Artist Grant, Ontario Arts Council.

2014 – 2015 SSHRC – CGS Masters Research Scholarship. University of Western Ontario. London, Ontario.

2014 – 2015 Ontario Graduate Scholarship. University of Western Ontario. London, Ontario. (*Declined)

2013 – 2014 Western Graduate Research Scholarship. University of Western Ontario. London, Ontario.

2013 Chairs Entrance Scholarship. University of Western Ontario. London, Ontario.

2009 Insights 2009: Painting Award, Wellington County Museum and Archives. Fergus, Ontario.

2008 Faculty Painting Award. Juried Art Show. University of Guelph. Guelph, Ontario.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Whitney South, “Student Artist Hopes to Inspire with Pop-Up Gallery.” London Community News, London, Ontario. February 21, 2014.

Kelly McKenzie, Kim Neudorf, and Matthew Purvis,Sum of Two and Three, One More Than Four Catalogue Essay. London, ON: Pistol Press, 2014.

Matthew Purvis, “Deflated Man and Inflated Meat.” Retrospective of an Emerging Artist Catalogue Essay. London, ON: Petrified Forest Press, 2014.

Elissa Barnard, “Different Strokes at Studio 21.” The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, Nova Scotia. March 25, 2008.

“Rope Ladder: A Catalogue of Selected Undergraduate Art.” Jeunesse Press, Guelph, Ontario. 2007.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2018 Residency Committee, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario.

2015 Board Member, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario.

2015 Western Open Studios, Organizer. University of Western Ontario.

2014 – 2015 Visual Arts Graduate Student Association, Chair. University of Western Ontario.

2014 Western Open Studios, Organizer. University of Western Ontario.

2007 – 2008 Fine Arts Network, Social Coordinator. University of Guelph.

2006 – 2007 College of Arts Student Union, University of Guelph.

VISITING ARTIST TALKS AND CONFERENCE PANELS

2015 Open it Out, Set it Going. BOREDOM: Western University Visual Arts Graduate Conference. Panel discussion (Mike Pszczonak, Cinthya Guzman, and Dave Kemp, moderated by Kelly Jazvac). University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.

2013 Visiting Artist. Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario.

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

2014 – 2015 Pszczonak Contemporary Projects Window Gallery. University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.

COLLECTIONS

Museum London

Private Collections in Canada and the US

News

Michael Pszczonak

Congratulations Michael Pszczonak

CIBC awards Michael Pszczonak their C2 Create and Curate Art Program Award (C2 Art)

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Art with Heart October 18

29th Annual Art with Heart on October 18

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Videos

Michael Pszczonak “On The Other Hand”

Michael Pszczonak gives a behind the scenes tour of his September 2022 exhibition "On The Other Hand".  He describes the evolution from last year's series of paintings, his process and his interest in pushing his painting practice.

Michael Pszczonak “The Colour of a Window”

Michael Pszczonak provides a behind-the-scenes tour of his exhibition "The Colour of a Window". From the original inspiration through to the influence of Jack Chambers, Pszczonak expounds upon his 12 compelling paintings.
Keiran Brennan Hinton
Will Gorlitz
Kim Ondaatje