March 9, 2012
It was a full-house at Bowmanville’s Visual Art Centre last week for the opening of Sean McQuay’s solo exhibition playfully titled Lingeresque. It really was a “linger fest.” Gallery visitors, students and McQuay fans stuck around the gallery long after gallery hours last Sunday to chat with Sean. This was no surprise given Sean’s long-standing profile as an artist and educator in Durham Region. Whitby’s very own son has maintained a studio and teaching practice in the area since graduating from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. He’s a professor at Durham College’s ever-expanding Fine Art and Design programme.
Sean’s conceptual and artistic exuberance is infectious. Year after year, he passes this positive energy to his students. This collaborative spirit weaves through his Bowmanville show. I’m sure he’ll speak more about this during his artist talk scheduled for Sunday, April 1st. No foolin’!
I really enjoyed seeing the wide-breadth of the artist’s production ranging from paintings, artefacts from his performances, conceptual pieces and lens-based media. His acetate-filled light-boxes are amazing studies in depth perception. But to get a real perspective on the depth of Sean’s career, there’s a video interview of the bearded artist from the early eighties. Thirty years later, the beard may be gone, but Sean’s art is going strong!
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March 9, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Donna
McQuay back in the day looks older than he does now! The video was clearly a harbinger of his professorial future. Sean, the beard–really?!
March 13, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Steven Laurie
Congratulations to Sean and nice article Olex!
Steve
March 14, 2012 at 2:00 pm
curator by day
Thanks for reading, Steven. Sean and you must have shared many installations in the past…
April 6, 2012 at 10:32 am
Michelle Mouton
What an excellent exhibit – it’s hard to determine what is more amazing, Sean’s art or the fact that he is willing to share his expertise with generations of students. All his “children” graduating from college may be his greatest masterpieces!
April 26, 2015 at 4:22 pm
Tosha Gray
That was well put. But his students also have you to thank for your knowledge of art history. Good work Team Art!
April 6, 2012 at 3:17 pm
curator by day
LOL. Love it, MM! TTFN…
O.
September 11, 2013 at 9:39 pm
Michael Walmsley
McQuay back in the day, that’s how I remember Sean when we met around 1975. Greetings Sean, good luck with Space Invaders and psst…don’t take any wooden nickels from Jay McCarten!