#Rita Letendre

[mv11]

- By Rita Letendre

[mcgiggers]

Toronto - June 2024 (Summer Solstice Road Trip)

Just back from Hogtown and Larry Gaudet’s “Eris” book launch. While the event was outside the traditional focus of Art Beat’s purview, the prospect of Gaudet’s artistry was not to be missed. As expected, the seasoned author and media thought leader delivered a rockstar performance to celebrate the kickoff of his latest.

“Eris” is a tech thriller with a next-level hacking storyline where entertainment and social media platforms are under terrorist attack as are the corporate elites that run them. As the suspense filled plot unfolds, it exposes the digital age cautions and media afflictions we have all consciously or not succumbed to. Literary types, business folks, friends and family ate it up as Gaudet’s teaser overview and citing of sample media diseases both amused and shook up the crowd. The presentation also featured a short video that introduced the main character and set up the destabilizing backdrop to the novel. The video can be viewed at www.larrygaudet.com, and the book, along with prior works, can be purchased on amazon.ca.

Outside of the book launch, some free time afforded the opportunity to recalibrate from the edgy literary world scene to the more serene visual experiences of a museum visit and a couple of gallery stops. On tap at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the “Moments in Modernism” exhibit offered a peek into the museum’s treasure trove of postwar contemporary works, featuring pop art, abstraction, minimalism and realism from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Except for the misleading titling of the exhibit, the eclectic gathering of works from Canadian, US and international artists was fantastic. Highlights included: Mark Rothko’s “No.1, White and Red”, 1962, oil on canvas (102 x 90 in.) and Rita Letendre’s “Daybreak”, 1983, acrylic on canvas (78 x 144 in.). Elsewhere at the expansive “Jean-Paul Riopelle: Visual Exploration” gallery exhibit, the late mosaic “Couleur”, 1955, oil on canvas, stole the show. Finally, in Prince Edward County, it was a real treat to get a preview of a couple of Milly Ristvedt works to be included in a solo booth exhibit at the upcoming Hamptons Fine Art Fair in July 2024. Both “Sweet Earth”, 1970, acrylic on canvas (27 x 75 in.) and “Ros Solis”, 1970, acrylic on canvas (27 x 71) are exceptional period pieces.

Meanwhile in Jurassic Park, it’s been quiet in anticipation of the 2024 NBA Draft to be held on June 26th and 27th. The Dinos hold the 19th and 31st pick in what’s widely viewed as a somewhat weak class. That being said, it’s characterized as such in part because of the lack of generational talents on the board. One thing for sure is that great players will be drafted. It’s just a bit more challenging to recognize them. Over to Masai and team to spot the future stars, and with some developmental pixie dust, pull a rabbit out of a hat. Or, they could trade their picks and other assets for more proven talent. The next few days could be exciting.

For more on “Eris”, buy the book. For more information on Larry Gaudet, any of the works mentioned or Dino draft day scenarios, “Just Google It”.

There you have it sportsfans,

MC Giggers

(https://mcgiggers.tumblr.com)

Reporter’s Certification

I, MC Giggers, hereby certify that the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views and that no part of my compensation was or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific views expressed herein.

I also certify that I may or may not own, directly or indirectly, works of artists mentioned in this report and that I may or may not have a strong bias for such artists and, more generally, for “Pictures of Nothing”.

[thinkragelive]

2022 : Watching the End of the World

"And There Was Light", Rita Letendre, 1999, AGO, Toronto.

[placeoftheclearlight]

Abstraction in red and black - Rita Letendre

[thunderstruck9]

Rita Letendre (Canadian, 1928-2021), Sans titre, 1961. Oil on canvas, 25 x 29 in.

[psikonauti]

Rita Letendre (Canadian, b. 1928)

A Very Good Day, 1988

Oil on canvas

[juliesandothings]

Rita Letendre mural-  “Sunrise” at the Neill Wycik Residence, Toronto, 1971 

[spacecamp1]

Rita Letendre, Sharon, 1973, Lithograph

[filth-thezine]

Rita Letendre - Aforim

[walls-to-the-ball]

Rita Letendre

[hellohaters]

Rita Letendre / Vers l’infini (toward the infinite), 1967

[thinkragelive]

2022 : Burn It Down

Portion of "And There Was Light" (1999), Rita Letendre.

AGO, Toronto.

[februaryanthology]

Atara - Rita Letendre, 1963. 

Rita cites her indigenous Abenaki identity as a source of inspiration for the bold colour contrast in her work during the early 1960s, describing it as “more passionate, more aggitated, more tragic.”

[thunderstruck9]

Rita Letendre (Canadian, 1928-2021), Sans titre, 1970. Acrylic on canvas, 84.5 x 76.5 in.

[psikonauti]

Rita Letendre (Canadian, b. 1928)

A Summer Day at the Sea, 2011

Oil on canvas

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