Artist

Robert Bowers

Education
Union College, Schenectady, New York 1967 B.A. psychology and literature
State University at Albany New York (SUNY) M.F.A. programme, painting 1967-68
Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, “Summer In Experiment”, graduate study, 1968
Mendocino Arts Centre, Mendocino, California 1975, ceramics (non degree, professional)
York University, Toronto, Ontario, M.F.A. sculpture. 1982

Teaching
York University, Toronto, sculpture 1980-83
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., sculpture, Summer session 1984
University of Toronto, Department of Fine Art, 1984-2000 (early retirement)
Visiting artist, two or three day sessions, by invitation:
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 1973
Alberta College of Art, 1973
Lavalle University, Quebec City, Quebec, 1973
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, 1985
Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, 1986 & 1989

Public Service
Co-founder and president of A Space, Toronto, 1970-73
Mercer Union, Toronto, board of directors, 1980-82
City Of Toronto Public Art Commission member 1984-88

Collections
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario
Hamilton Regional Art Gallery, Hamilton Ontario
The Prudential Collection, Prudential Insurance Company, New York, New York
Guarantee Trust Company, Toronto, Ontario
Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Toronto, Ontario
Frances Greenberger Foundation, New York, New York
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt Collection, Toronto, Ontario
Westburn Corporation Collection, Montreal, Quebec
Chris Thompson, King City, Ontario
Stephen Smart, Toronto
and numerous private collections in Canada and the U.S.A..

Awards
1971 Canada Council materials assistance
1973 Canada Council short term grant
1973, ‘74, ’78 and ’81 Ontario arts council awards
1982, ’85, ’86 Canada Council “B” grants
1990 Canada Council project grant
1992 Ontario Arts Council senior grant
1993, Triangle Workshop, Pine Plains, New York

Exhibitions
Lena’s Gallery, Saratoga Springs, New York, July 1967 (solo, unique B&W silver prints)
SUNY Gallery, Albany, New York 1968 (group show of MFA students, paintings)
Nightingale Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, 1970 (solo, paintings)
Nightingale Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, 1970 (group show, paintings)
Nightingale Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, “Concept ’70”, (group show)
A Space, Toronto, 1971, video, sculpture, drawings (solo)
Hart House Gallery, University of Toronto, 1971, video, site specific installation (group show and solo
installation)
A Space, Toronto 1972 video installation (solo)
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design Gallery, Halifax, N.S., 1972 (video installation of Once Removed)
Paris Museum of Modern Art, France, 1972 (group, 16 mm film documentation of site work Memory)
Everson Memorial Museum, Syracuse, New York, 1972 (group, video works)
A Space, Toronto, 1973 (solo, installation work Game Farm)
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 1974, “Contemporary Canadian Art”, group, installation of Viewpoint)
Art Gallery of Ontario, 1974, “Videoscape” (group show)
Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, (solo installation, Small Model Of
The Universe)
La Mamelle, San Francisco, Ca., 1978 (group, sculpture installation, drawings)
Forum Gallery, Lexington Park, Maryland (solo, drawings)
Mercer Union, Toronto, 1979, site specific installation. Viewing Station For The CN Tower
Mercer Union, Toronto, 1980 (solo double site specific installation, Stray)
Ydessa Gallery, Toronto, 1980 (solo; sculpture and drawings)
Harbourfront Art Gallery, Toronto, 1981 indoor site installation, Model Suite)
Alberta College of Art, Lethbridge, Alberta, 1980 (site installation, Small Model of The Universe #2)
Toronto Sculpture Garden, 1981-82, (solo, Sandcastle)
Mercer Union, Toronto, 1982 (installation, Public Work)
Mercer Union, Toronto, 1982 (solo installation, Robert Bowers, 1982)
Harbourfront Art Gallery, Toronto, 1982-83 (outdoor site installation, Mr. Smith Takes His Dog For A Walk)
York University, Toronto, 1982 (site installation, Monument For Eden)
The Guild Inn, Scarborough, Ontario, 1982, Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture (group)
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, 1983 (solo site installation Monument For The New
Regime)
Grunwald Gallery, Toronto, 1983, (sculpture, two person show)
Chromaliving, Toronto, 1983 (group, sculpture)
Mercer Union and the Art/Culture Resource Centre, Toronto, 1984, “New City Of Sculpture” (group,
sculpture)
“Expron”, Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1984 (group, sculpture)
Grunwald Gallery, Toronto 1984, (solo, sculpture)
Artspace, Peterborough, Ontario, 1985, (solo, sculpture)
The Grunwald Gallery, Toronto, 1985 (solo, sculpture)
Bishops University Gallery, Lennoxville, Quebec, 1987 (solo, sculpture)
Mercer Union and ARC Galleries, Toronto, 1987, “Temporal Icons (group,sculpture)
Simcoe Arts Centre, Simcoe, Ontario 1987, (group, installation)
Laurentian University Gallery, Sudbury, Ontario 1987 (solo, sculpture)
The Grunwald Gallery, Toronto 1987, (solo,sculpture)
Mississauga Art Gallery, Mississauga, Ontario 1988 (two person, sculpture)
Triangle Workshop, Pine Plains, New York 1989 (group, sculpture)
Polo Club Plaza Competition winner, Sites 1 and 2, 1033 Bay Street, Toronto, 1987-88
Concordia University Art Gallery, Montreal, Quebec 1989 (solo,sculpture)
Koffler Centre, Toronto 1991 (group,sculpture)
Koffler Centre, Ontario 1994 (group, sculpture)
Artspace, Peterborough, Ontario, 1986
London Regional Art Gallery, London, Ontario, 1985
Banff Centre For The Arts, Banff, Alberta, 1987
University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, 1987
Concordia University, Montreal, 1989 (solo,sculpture)
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, "The Seventies Through The Lens of Coash House Press"
2009-10,(group show; photographs and video)
"Traffic, Conceptual Art In Canada 1965-1980", 2010-2011 (NSCAD, Vancouver Art Gallery, Dalhousie Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Alberta & the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at The University of Toronto)
Articule, Can. September 1994.
'Oakville Gallery lecture series' Oakville Galleries, Canada. Curated by Susan Ditta. 9/30/96.
'Milwaukee Art Museum screening' UW-Milwaukee, Mitchell Hall B70 Film Dept., USA. Curated by Carl Bogner et al.. March 2, 2006.
Images Festival, 'iFPod ' Images Festival, Canada. 2007.
Images Festival, 'iFPod Images ' Images Festival, Canada. Curated by Images & Vtape. April 2008.
Vtape, 'Tales from the Crypt, Vtape video lounge' Vtape, Canada. Curated by Kaitlyn Till-Laundry .
Nov 28 - Dec 20, 2008.
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), 'Purchase' Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Canada. Curated by Georgiana Uhlyarik. November 2008.
J.M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, University of Toronto, 'Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada, 1965 - 1980' J.M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, University of Toronto, Canada. Curated by Barbara Fischer 2) body performing . Sept. - Nov. 2010.

Selected Bibliography

Antaki, Karen, Robert Bowers, Recent Sculpture (catalogue), Concordia University Art Gallery, Montreal, Jan. 1987
Burnett and Schiff , Contemporary Canadian Art, Hurtig, 1983
Canada Council Art Bank Catalogue, 1972-1987. Ottawa, Ontario: Canada Council, 1987
Flemming, Martha, “Robert Bowers, Ydessa Gallery; David Clarkson”, YYZ, Artforum, Feb. 1981
Greenfield, Valerie, Toronto/Calgary, (catalogue), Alberta College of Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta, 1980
Greenfield, Valerie, Implicit Reality: Figurative Sculpture of Robert Bowers and David Moore (catalogue)
Mississauga Civic Art Gallery, Mississauga, Ontario, 1988
Hill, Peter & Balfe, Michael; Locations: Outdoor Works By Toronto Artists, May15-June 30, 1980,
(catalogue)
Hizeroth, Connie, “Robert Bowers”, NOW Magazine, March 1987
Hlynsky, David,ed., Image Nation Twelve, Toronto Photographer’s Issue, Coach House Press, Toronto
January, 1973
Hume, Christopher, “Colourful Sculptures Carving Niche In The Art World”, Toronto Star Nov. 8, 1985
Hume, Christopher, “The Artist As Woodcarver”, Toronto Star, March 1987
Kennedy, Arlene, “The Perfect Fit: Creating At For Specific Sites”, The Gairloch Centre, Oakville, Ontario
Mackie, Joan, “Garden States”, Toronto Life Magazine, May, 1990
Lugus, Meroke, “The shape of power: Sculpture as politics in the works of Robert Bowers”, Avenue
Magazine, May, 1990
Mays, John-Bentley, “Sculptures Get Room To Breathe”, The Globe & Mail, Toronto, Nov. 12, 1982
Mays, John-Bentley, “Robert Bowers: Nine Recent Sculptures”, The Globe & Mail, Toronto,
March 19, 1997
Mays, John-Bentley, “Using The Ordinary To Say Something Extraordinary”, The Globe & Mail,
Toronto, April 7, 1982
McGrath, Jerry, Temporal Icons, Mercer Union.A.R.C.,1987 (catalogue)
Oille, Jennifer, “Robert Bowers:Parking Lot 339 King Street West”, Vanguard Magazine, March 1982
Philips, John & Pendergast, John, Impressions, Coach House Press, March 1970
Sinclair, Richard, “Robert Bowers, The Grunwald Gallery, Toronto”, Vanguard, Summer 1983
The Canadian Encyclopedia, 1st edition, Hurtig, 1988
Webb, Marshal, “Robert Bowers and Michael Joliffe”, Artmagazine, Summer 1983
Wilkin, Karen, “Robert Bowers”, Canadian Art, Summer 1987
Wilkin, Karen, (Laura Musyzynski, trans.) “Sculpture Trois Carrieres A Suivre”, Vie des Arts, Sept 1986



Artist Code: 197

Videography

Kiss

1971, 05:30 minutes, B&W, silent

Critical Writing

First-generation Video
by Carole Corbeil. The Globe and Mail, June 14, 1988.
First-generation video
by Carole Corbeil. The Globe and Mail, June 14, 1986.
Introduction
by Renee Baert. Vintage Video: Early Canadian Video Art to 1974, 1986. Toronto: Artculture Resource Centre, 1986.
Videoscape
by Marty Dunn et al. Toronto Ontario: Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), 1974.
Transcript of a videotape interview with Joe Bodolai
by Joe Bodolai. artscanada, Oct. 1973, v. 30, no. 4.