John Gayer (born Leamington, Ontario, Canada) is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, Toronto ON (AOCA 1978, experimental arts), the University of Toronto (BA 1994, art history with a minor in anthropology) and Queen's University, Kingston ON (MAC 1992, paintings conservation stream). Participation in independent studio programs include the Ontario College of Art Off-Campus Program (New York City, 1977 autumn semester) and Winter Studio Program, The Banff Centre, Banff AB (1981-82). In addition to residing in Finland (1994-present), he has also spent extended periods in Belgium, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Select art projects include: The video untitled (on the way home) 2023 was selected for MUU Gala 2023, a curated celebration of new media art screened at MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre in the Cable Factory , Helsinki, Finland; Abridged 0 - 82: Axis, Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK (2022); Mirrored - international photo performance exhibition, MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre (2021); Abridged 0 - 58: Kassandra, Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK (2019); Condensed Space, 'Superb! Art Festival', B-Gallery, Turku, Finland (2017); Collaborative painting performance with Hans Peter Schütt, Supermarket 2015 - Stockholm Independent Art Fair, Sweden; POST-IT, Cork Printmakers and CIT Crawford College of Art and Design poster project, Dundee, Scotland, UK (2013) and City of Cork, Ireland (2013); 21 proposals for the Turbine Hall (Road Books, 2011). Writings on art — appearing occasionally from 1995 and regularly since 2004) — have been published in Sculpture Magazine, Espace art actuel, this is tomorrow Contemporary Art Magazine, Paper Visual Art Journal, Art Papers, and The Visual Artists' News Sheet and other journals. As a member of Finland's Artists' Association MUU, he also contributes to MUU Writes, the association's writing group, and has been involved in coordinating and curating BOOKED Artists Book Fair (Helsinki 2021), BOOKED 2022 Artists Book Exhibition (Helsinki), BOOKED Artists Book Exhibition at Supermarket 2023 - Stockholm Independent Art Fair (Sweden), and BOOKED 2024 Artists Book Exhibition (Helsinki, upcoming). The Art Conservation: Research and Reports page provides a list of texts that focus on the subject of conservation materials, processes, and the treatment of paintings, artists' materials and techniques, the display of art and/or restoration's depiction or role in contemporary art. The latest publication — the feature article From Reproduction to Original: Restoration's Role in Béatrice Balcou's Recent Paintings —appears in the October-November 2023 issue of News in Conservation and is introduced by the magazine's cover photo. Additional information: linkedin. |