Tim Noonan, City Light and Colour, 2012, acrylic on masonite, 40” x 56”. Image courtesy of Yumart
Stepping into Yumart’s space at 401 Richmond you are drawn immediately to the far end of the gallery, where two large paintings hang both featuring a national icon, the Canadian goose, in mid flight. It is a fitting beginning. This exhibition aptly titled “Slipping into Abstract”, strives to demonstrate Tim Noonan’s movement away from figurative imagery into the realm of the non-representational. The rest of the gallery is dedicated to this slippage, gone are the hard edges and precision of his soaring geese. Instead, we are presented with the swirling, loose brushstrokes of bright, bold landscapes that effectively toe the line between total abstraction and hints of the familiar. The climax of the show is undoubtedly, the imposing “City Light and Colour” where references to Canada’s flora and fauna have all but disappeared. Noonan’s urban landscape features acidic colours like pink, turquoise, neon yellow, where fine lines and the thick impasto blend adding a sense of urgency and chaos to the work. Noonan’s entrance into abstraction is successful as he captures the consciousness of city life, depicting its claustrophobia and dynamism with a cavalcade of overlapping colours and lines.
Meghan O’Callaghan
*Exhibition information: , Feb 6 – 27, 2016, Yumart Gallery, 401 Richmond St. West, Suite B20, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tues – Sat, 12 – 6 p.m.