He is a Canadian artist, which is often seen in his work, and clearly in this exhibition. Already, visitors to the Patel Brown gallery will be able to feel challenged when they see this representation of a forest on fire prominently. Kim Dorland was born in Alberta. He now lives and works in Toronto. In addition to this link with nature present in his work, there is this representation of the city, the ordinary suburb where we find here cars that look abandoned, there a recycling bin lying in the middle of the landscape.
When you read a little about him and his approach, you realize that the link with Canadian art is undeniable; he often cites the work of the Group of Seven as an influence – he studied at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver.
This exhibition presents works from 2023. A figurative artist, Dorland works his paintings with impasto, therefore adding texture, sometimes really a lot, to create confusion at first glance. Some will say that it makes the works more dramatic.
The artist is often in the drama, precisely. The one that stands out. Kim Dorland, in her late forties, has long had a strong environmental concern which is often reflected in her art.
If you rarely visit galleries, or not at all, it might be a good idea to start here at Patel Brown. During our incognito visit, on a Wednesday afternoon, there were a few people there, with varying degrees of knowledge of the place or the artist. Each visitor was guided by explanations about the artist and his work, offered by the gallery team. A very welcome and enlightening dialogue which sheds another light on the works of Kim Dorland.
Dorland is known for his paintings, but he has been using digital for around ten years. And he did it for his Magnolia, which he offers in a limited edition of 100 prints – half on sale at the Patel Brown gallery in Montreal, the other 50 at those in Toronto, at the (small) cost of $100 . They are signed and numbered. Profits from the sale will go to two food banks, in Montreal (Bread and Beyond) and Toronto.
“I know what it’s like to go to school hungry and eat oatmeal three times a day, because that’s all there is,” the artist explains in the presentation of this charitable project.
The work Magnolia, which is part of a series, represents a house at blue hour, a pivotal moment of the day which everyone decides whether it is reassuring or worrying. And that’s a bit of the filigree of Kim Dorland’s work: in this world, this country, are we at a tipping point? Are we heading straight into the wall? Is that what it is?