Barbara Astman
Encyclopedia
Barbara Astman, RCA, is a Canadian artist who specializes in a hybrid of photography and new media; often using her own body as object and subject, merging art and technology.
, New York
, the second of three children of Bertha (née Meisel, a homemaker) and George Astman (an auto mechanic and salesman.) She received her Associates Degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology
’s School for American Craftsmen. In 1970, she moved to Toronto
, Canada
to study at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University,) and graduated with an Associates Degree (A.O.C.A.).
technology and Xerography
as a vehicle for art making. Her first successful solo show was held in 1973, at Toronto's Baldwin Street Gallery of Photography. Two years later, the Still Photography Division of the National Film Board of Canada now called the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
, Ottawa
hosted her first museum show.
Astman began the Colour Xerox Artist’s Program at Visual Arts Ontario in 1977. She sat on the Board of Directors at the Art Gallery at Harbourfront (now called The Power Plant
) from 1983-85. Since then, other board positions have included: the City of Toronto, Public Art Commission; the Curatorial Team for the International WaterWorks Exhibition in 1988. Presently, she sits on the Board of Trustees of the Art Gallery of Ontario
.
Astman has received grants from the Ontario Arts Council
(OAC) and the Canada Council
(CC) in support of her art practice since 1974 and has also adjudicated numerous OAC and CC applications. Since 1996 she has sat on a number of Public Art
juries.
Liz Wylie curated Astman's mid-career retrospective, Barbara Astman: Person/Persona A 20 Year Survey Exhibition in 1995. It opened at the Art Gallery of Hamilton
, and then toured three other Canadian museums.
In 2000 she was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy.
The Art Gallery of Ontario reopened in 2008, after a year's redevelopment by architect Frank Gehry
. Astman and AGO Assistant Curator Georgiana Uhlyarik were chosen to co-curate an exhibit focusing on Joyce Weiland and early feminist practice. Her continual investigation of gender perspectives in her own work meant she was well suited to this task.
Astman’s practice is partly composed of public art installations in Canada and abroad, including an installation at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1987. Recently, she completed a project for the new Canadian Embassy in Berlin, Germany
consisting of a frit
ted glass tower wall.
Her initial commercial venture was the creation of the album cover
for the first Loverboy record for CBS Records
.
She joined the faculty of OCAD in 1975 and is a Professor
in the Faculty of Art.
Astman has lectured and presented workshops internationally. Her work is in both in both public and private collections; she is represented by the Corkin Gallery, Toronto.
Dancing With Che
Wonderland
Early life
Astman was born in RochesterRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the second of three children of Bertha (née Meisel, a homemaker) and George Astman (an auto mechanic and salesman.) She received her Associates Degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
’s School for American Craftsmen. In 1970, she moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
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...
to study at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University,) and graduated with an Associates Degree (A.O.C.A.).
Career
In the 1970s, she began exploring PolaroidInstant film
Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
technology and Xerography
Xerography
Xerography is a dry photocopying technique invented by Chester Carlson in 1938, for which he was awarded on October 6, 1942. Carlson originally called his invention electrophotography...
as a vehicle for art making. Her first successful solo show was held in 1973, at Toronto's Baldwin Street Gallery of Photography. Two years later, the Still Photography Division of the National Film Board of Canada now called the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography is an gallery of Canada's best art and documentary photography. Founded in 1985 and affiliated to the National Gallery of Canada, it is housed at the National Gallery of Canada, located at 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa.The roots of the collection reach...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
hosted her first museum show.
Astman began the Colour Xerox Artist’s Program at Visual Arts Ontario in 1977. She sat on the Board of Directors at the Art Gallery at Harbourfront (now called The Power Plant
The Power Plant
The Power Plant is one of Canada’s leading public galleries devoted to contemporary art, located in Toronto, Ontario at Harbourfront Centre. As a non-collecting art gallery, The Power Plant has presented new and recent work by numerous Canadian artists along with their international peers.Over its...
) from 1983-85. Since then, other board positions have included: the City of Toronto, Public Art Commission; the Curatorial Team for the International WaterWorks Exhibition in 1988. Presently, she sits on the Board of Trustees of 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...
.
Astman has received grants from the Ontario Arts Council
Ontario Arts Council
The Ontario Arts Council is a publicly-funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to promote and assist the development of the arts for the enjoyment and benefit of all Ontarians...
(OAC) and the Canada Council
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
(CC) in support of her art practice since 1974 and has also adjudicated numerous OAC and CC applications. Since 1996 she has sat on a number of Public Art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
juries.
Liz Wylie curated Astman's mid-career retrospective, Barbara Astman: Person/Persona A 20 Year Survey Exhibition in 1995. It opened at the Art Gallery of Hamilton
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Art Gallery of Hamilton, is located in the heart of downtown Hamilton, Ontario on King Street West and is one of Canada’s oldest galleries with a collection of over 9,000 works of art.-History:...
, and then toured three other Canadian museums.
In 2000 she was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy.
The Art Gallery of Ontario reopened in 2008, after a year's redevelopment by architect Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
. Astman and AGO Assistant Curator Georgiana Uhlyarik were chosen to co-curate an exhibit focusing on Joyce Weiland and early feminist practice. Her continual investigation of gender perspectives in her own work meant she was well suited to this task.
Astman’s practice is partly composed of public art installations in Canada and abroad, including an installation at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1987. Recently, she completed a project for the new Canadian Embassy in Berlin, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
consisting of a frit
Frit
Frit is a ceramic composition that has been fused in a special fusing oven, quenched to form a glass, and granulated. Frits form an important part of the batches used in compounding enamels and ceramic glazes; the purpose of this pre-fusion is to render any soluble and/or toxic components insoluble...
ted glass tower wall.
Her initial commercial venture was the creation of the album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
for the first Loverboy record for CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
.
She joined the faculty of OCAD in 1975 and is a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in the Faculty of Art.
Astman has lectured and presented workshops internationally. Her work is in both in both public and private collections; she is represented by the Corkin Gallery, Toronto.
Public collections
- Agnes Etherington Art CentreAgnes Etherington Art CentreThe 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...
, Queen's University, Kingston, ON - Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON
- Art Gallery of PeterboroughArt Gallery of PeterboroughThe Art Gallery of Peterborough is a free admission, non-profit public art gallery in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, a registered charity that depends on the support of its members. It was founded in 1974 by an independent board of volunteers. In 1977 it was given the Foster House by the City of...
, Peterborough, ON - Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
- Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France
- Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa
- Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa
- Confederation Centre of the ArtsConfederation Centre of the ArtsThe Confederation Centre of the Arts is a cultural centre dedicated to the visual and performing arts located in the city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.-History:...
, Charlottetown, P.E.I. - Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Andrew White Museum, Ithaca, New York - Department of Foreign Affairs, Ottawa
- The Edmonton Art GalleryArt Gallery of AlbertaThe Art Gallery of Alberta is a public art gallery located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Its collection of well over 6,000 works of art includes historical and contemporary paintings, sculptures, installation works and photographs by Canadian and international artists...
, Edmonton, AB - Gallery Stratford, Stratford, ON
- The Government of Ontario Collection, Toronto
- The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, ON
- International Museum of PhotographyGeorge Eastman HouseThe George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
, George Eastman House, Rochester, New York - Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, ON
- Kamloops Art Gallery, Kamloops, BC
- Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, BC
- Laurentian University Museum and Arts CentreArt Gallery of SudburyThe Art Gallery of Sudbury is an art gallery in Sudbury, Ontario.Established in 1967 by the city's chamber of commerce, the gallery is located in the historic arts and crafts movement Belrock Mansion of William J. Bell, an early lumber baron in the city and philanthropist...
, Sudbury, ON - Norman MacKenzie Art GalleryNorman MacKenzie Art GalleryThe MacKenzie Art Gallery is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The MacKenzie Art Gallery has over of space, with eight galleries totaling . It has modern technical areas including conservation lab, workshop, preparation rooms and vault, a 185-seat theatre, public resource centre, gift shop...
, Regina, Saskatchewan - McIntosh Gallery, University of Western Ontario, London, ON
- Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, AB
- Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, London, England - Winnipeg Art GalleryWinnipeg Art GalleryThe Winnipeg Art Gallery is a public art gallery that was founded in 1912. It is Western Canada's oldest civic gallery and the 6th largest in the country...
, Winnipeg, MB
Corporate collections
- C.I.L. CorporationCanadian Industries LimitedCanadian Industries Limited, also known as C-I-L is a Canadian chemicals manufacturer. Products include paints, fertilizers and pesticides, and explosives. It was formed in 1910 by the merger of five Canadian explosives companies...
, Toronto - Connor, Clark & Lunn, Toronto
- Connor, Clark & Lunn, Vancouver
- Epson Canada, Toronto, ON
- Hewlett-PackardHewlett-PackardHewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
Canada, Ltd., Toronto - John Labatt LimitedLabatt Brewing CompanyLabatt Brewing Company Ltd. is a Canadian beer company founded by John Kinder Labatt in 1847 in London, Ontario. In 1995, it was purchased by Belgian brewer Interbrew; it is now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev...
Collection, London, Toronto - McMillan Binch, Toronto
- Nova Corporation, Calgary, AB
- Osler, Hoskin & HarcourtOsler, Hoskin & HarcourtOsler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is one of Canada’s largest business law firms practising nationally and internationally from its offices in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, and New York. It is one of Bay Street's "seven sisters". Clients include industry and business leaders in all segments of the...
, Toronto - Polysar Limited
- Sherman & Sterling, Toronto
- UBSUBS AGUBS AG is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zürich, Switzerland, which provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Critical reception
The Clementine Suite- "...a celebration of the human spirit."
Dancing With Che
- "...echoes across more than a century of technological innnovation and evolution of the medium".
- "Audacious, humorous, improbable."
Wonderland
- "Intimate, personal, and quietly enthralling."