Artwork Collection

Ahead By A Century

EXPO 67 was a definitive moment in Canadian history marking 100 years as a new country. "Ahead By A Century" reflects on the evolution of our Canadian identity, and presents a challenge to the promise of modernity. In the roughly 50 years since EXPO 67 was held in Montreal, some things have changed and some have not.

expo67

Queen

Painting

Queen

This work is based on the queen's July 1st, 1967 CBC television address from Parliament Hill. I attempted to create a stark, provocative, authoritative and unflattering portrait of the queen.

Chanteuse

Painting

Chanteuse

Singer Michele Richard was a French singer for one of the official theme songs for EXPO 67. She exemplifies the provocative and sexy 1960’s silhouette, and the prevalence of “girl watching” at EXPO 67. I did two versions of this piece to explore... More

Church

Painting

Church

This image is meant to convey the power and omnipresence of the church in Quebec in 1967. The church permeated every aspect of life in Quebec in 1967.

Cold War

Painting

Cold War

The US and Russian pavilions sit ominously across from each other at EXPO at a time when increased tensions were in the air.

Dance

Painting

Dance

This image is based on a rare photo that I was used to capture the idea of the spectacle that was EXPO 67 combined with how little was known about indigenous Canadians in 1967.

Greeting

Painting

Greeting

An indigenous hostess welcomes people to the Indians of Canada pavilion.This effort is designed to create more questions than answers . It is a critical view of the degree of denial of history, socialization, alienation and conformity that the... More

Jets

Painting

Jets

This image depicts dignitaries watching the flyover of jets at the opening ceremonies for EXPO 67.

Lament

Painting

Lament

This image is based on a screen capture of Chief Dan George’s “Lament for Confederation” broadcast on CBC television in November 1967. I am trying to create mystery and tension so that the viewer is compelled to find out more about this dramatic... More

Man The Producer

Painting

Man The Producer

A lumber truck and crowd at the Man the Producer pavilion, before environmentalism. We were once impressed by our own ability to efficiently strip resources from the environment with little regard for the longer term consequences, as the resources... More

Boardroom

Painting

Boardroom

Businessmen gather around a boardroom table for a corporate promotional video by EXPO 67 train manufacturer Hawker Siddley.

Monorail

Painting

Monorail

The EXPO monorail comes from and goes to an unknown destination, a metaphor for modernism. Today's monorail might be social media.

Montreal City Hall

Painting

Montreal City Hall

President of France Charles de Gaulle delivered his inflammatory speech punctuated by "Vive le Quebec Libre!" which inflamed nationalism in Quebec causing a diplomatic stir that necessitated his quick exit back to France. Speeches like this... More

Monument

Painting

Monument

A vertical assembly line from the Man the Producer pavilion.

Mountie

Painting

Mountie

The mountie on horseback challenges the gaze of the viewer through composition, authoritarian symbolism and the interplay of ambiguity and resolution. Based on film footage shot in 1967.

Nun

Painting

Nun

The composition of this screenshot from a 1967 video was carefully chosen to provide stark contrast and tension between the prevalent religious values at the time versus the promise of modernity. The incomplete figures suggest that this dynamic... More

Katimavik

Painting

Katimavik

This piece depicts the Canadian Pavilion called Katimavik, or meeting place in Inuit. I wanted to convey a foreboding tension and potential precipice that is modernity.

Sign

Painting

Sign

This vague but formal occasion of the erection of one of indigneous artist Alex Janvier's circular artworks challenges the idea of a sign, and related it to what what known about the Indians of Canada Pavilion by average Canadians in 1967.

Telephone Man

Painting

Telephone Man

This figure occupied a central place in the Telephone pavilion where push button and cordless phones were cutting edge technology.

Tic Tac Toe

Painting

Tic Tac Toe

A demonstration if the power of computers in 1967 at the Communications pavilion.

Work by

Jim Russell

Drawing and Painting

“My work channels the photographic authority, nostalgia and the graphic power of black and white images in order to ask critical questions about media, relationships, power and Canadian identity. I...” [More]