Toronto artist Stephen Andrews’ treatment of portraiture—as a form of mimesis and a way of displaying what is hidden or repressed—renews the genre’s intrigue. This exhibition features recent work as well as encaustic drawings and bookworks from the late 1980s and 1990s. Included in the exhibition is Facsimile (1991-93), a work in four parts comprised of 147 portraits, etched in graphite and oil on beeswax, of people lost to HIV-related illnesses. The portraits were based on facsimile transmissions of pictures from the “Proud Lives” memorial columns of Xtra magazine. These elegant and lyrical works are part of an ongoing meditation on appearance, reality, memory, time, love, intimacy and representation.

Andrews’ early interests in photographic media have persisted and become more pronounced over time. His most recent works, hoi polloi (1997-99) and Untitled (The First Part of the Second Half) (2000-2001) overtly mimic cinematography with sequential film-like images. In addition to inscription by drawing, etching, manual and electronic image transfer processes, and digital imaging techniques, Andrews’ image-making frequently entails some form of masking or erasure.

This exhibition is guest curated by Annette Hurtig and is in conjunction with the Art Gallery of Windsor, Ontario, and will travel there in June 2001. We gratefully acknowledge The Canada Council for the Arts for their support of this exhibition.