Miles Collyer

MILES COLLYER (b. Toronto, 1983) is a visual artist who works with images and sculpture to challenge the traditional boundaries of photographic practice and aesthetics. His work commonly examines socio-political matters and references visual sources located in the media. Most recently he explores specific materials, forms and surfaces and their potential to resonate the condition of contemporary conflict in the absence of an explicit narrative or subject.

Collyer’s work has been published and exhibited across Canada. Selected group exhibitions include the Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth); Australian Centre for Photography (Sydney); Open Space (Victoria, BC); and The Power Plant (Toronto, ON). His photographic mural was included in the exhibition Showroom at the University of Toronto Art Museum (2016). Collyer currently serves on the Board of Directors of Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art, and is the Career Development Coordinator at OCAD University’s Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers.


Miles Collyer's Website

Solo Exhibitions / Projects
2016
  • Rumble, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2013
  • Occupational Portraits, (operating as a member of The Tintype Studio). Featured exhibition in the Contact Photography Festival, Campbell House Museum, Toronto, Ontario
  • Work, (operating as a member of The Tintype Studio). Toronto Image Works Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
  • The AGYU Performance Bus, Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, Ontario
2010
  • Miles Collyer, G Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2008
  • Home-made Home-grown, Ministry of Casual Living, Victoria, British Columbia
2007
Curatorial Projects
2007
  • Curator, Goin’ Postal: A Mail-art Exhibit, Art Metropole, Toronto, Ontario
Selected Group Exhibitions
2016
  • Showroom, Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan, University of Toronto Art Centre, Toronto
2015
  • Looking Back at You: Masks by Artists, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
  • Encounters, YorkU MFA group exhibition. Artscape Youngplace, Toronto
2014
  • Work It (You Do What You Love Because You Do One, Two, and More Than Two), A project by Basil AlZeri and SAVAC. GalleryWest, Toronto, Ontario
2013
  • More than two (let it make itself), Organized by Micah Lexier. The Power Plant, Toronto, Ontario
  • Art@ Suite 500, Miles S. Nadal Management Centre, Schulich School of Business, Toronto, Ontario
2012
  • Field Trip Project, curated by Daisuke Takeya, various locations in Japan & Canada
  • Gradients, Gales Gallery, York University, Toronto, Ontario
  • Peace Flags Project, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (Courtyard), Toronto, Ontario
2011
  • PIN UP, Mercer Union A Centre For Contemporary Art, Toronto, Ontario
  • Again, With Feeling!, N/A artspace, Toronto, Ontario
  • Portage, Okazi Gallery, Berlin, Germany
  • Like Some Pool of Fire, Open Space, Victoria, British Columbia
2010
  • Some Enchanted Evenings: A Nuit Blanche Retrospective Exhibition, Scotia Plaza, Toronto, Ontario
2009
  • Taxi!, Paul Petro Special Projects Space, Toronto, Ontario
  • Ideally by W+W for Utopics, 11th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition, Biel, Switzerland
  • THING beware the material world, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
2007
  • Double Double Land Land, Toronto Photographers Workshop, Toronto, Ontario
2008
  • Ground Frame Released, Switch Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario
2007
  • Staring Therapy, Space 1026, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • The Brotherhood, Australian Centre For Photography, Sydney, Australia
  • Come Join The Brotherhood, Neon Parc Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2006
  • Punch 3, G+ Galleries, Toronto, Ontario
  • Developers, Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto, Ontario
  • Semblance, OCAD Student Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2005
  • Hero’s & Icons, Base Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Selected Collections
  • Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth (Public)
  • Mark McCain & Caro MacDonald, Toronto (Private)
  • Wanda Koop, Winnipeg (Private)
Talks and Invited Lectures
2015
  • Public Talk, Talk Shop (part of The Annual Book Arts Fair), Ontario College of Art & Design University
2014
  • Panelist, Graduate School Fair. Ontario College of Art & Design University
2013
  • Panelist, Taking Charge of Culture. Ontario Museum Association Annual Conference.
  • Guest lecturer, Pursuing Graduate Studies?, 4th year undergraduate students. York University
2012
  • Guest lecturer, 3rd and 4th year undergraduate photography classes. York University
  • Workshop Director, Collecting Artists’ Multiples, Art Libraries Society of North America conference.
2011
  • Guest lecturer, 3rd year undergraduate class Concept Development: Fibre. Ontario College of Art & Design
  • Guest lecturer, Thesis year undergraduate photography students. Ontario College of Art & Design
2010
  • Public talk, Trace the stitch lines between virtual and actual. G Gallery (organized by Gendai Gallery)
2009-2012
  • Guest lecturer, Artist publishing, Multiples, and Artist-run Centres. Grade 12 studio class. Claude Watson Arts Program, Earl Haig Secondary School
2009
  • Public talk, Sunday Sessions International Artist Floor Talk. Art Gallery of Western Australia
2008-2011
  • Guest lecturer, Artist publishing and Multiples, 4th year undergraduate studio class. Brock University
2008
  • Public talk, Sunday Scene: Steven Shearer. The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
Selected Honours, Awards and Grants
2014
  • Aimia Photography Prize MFA Residency Winner, Art Gallery of Ontario
2014
  • Hazel Cryderman-Wees Foundation Scholarship, London, Ontario
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Schulich School of Business
2013
  • Joseph-Armand Bombardier Graduate Scholarship, Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada
  • Hazel Cryderman-Wees Foundation Scholarship, London, Ontario
2012
  • Visual Artists: Emerging Grant, Ontario Arts Council
  • Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Art Council
2011
  • Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Art Council
2010
  • Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Art Council
2009
  • Gold medal, 2008 National Magazine Awards: Best Art Direction for a Single Magazine Article
  • Travel Grant to Professionals in the Visual Arts, Canada Council for the Arts
2007
  • Level One Grant to Visual Artists, Toronto Arts Council
  • M.C. McCain Post-Graduate Photography Residency Award, OCAD
2006
  • Polaroid Canada Scholarship, OCAD
Selected Bibliography
  • Rodmore, Craig. RE: HOW DO YOU SURRENDER TO A DRONE? (exhibition essay) Toronto: YYZ Artists’ Outlet (2016).
  • Fleet, Vanessa and Toye, Megan. Encounters (exhibition catalogue essay) Toronto: York University (2015).
  • Niazi, Amil. Panorama, (interview) Kaleidoscope, Issue 13 (Winter 2011/12), pg. 148-159; (2012).
  • Colangelo, David R. Again, With Feeling!, (exhibition essay). Toronto: N/A artspace; (2011)
  • Heather, Rosemary. Miles Collyer, (review) Canadian Art, Spring, pg. 128; (2011)
  • Hutton, Jen. Miles Collyer, G Gallery, (exhibition essay). Toronto: G Gallery (2010)
  • Cook, Robert. International Artist Miles Collyer, Track Top Masks. Art Gallery of Western Australia Website, (online feature), posted 18, May; (2009).
  • Cook, Robert. Finding Design. Thing: beware the material world, (exhibition catalogue). Perth: AGWA, p. 35; (2009)
  • Follwell, Matthew. Altered Perception, (feature) Our Neighbourhood Magazine, February, p. 38; (2009)
  • Wojtyra, Antoni & Wu, Annie. ideally, (exhibition catalogue). Biel: Utopics 11th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition, p. 18-22; (2009)
  • Gierasimczuk, Tom. Art of Darkness, (feature) Up! Magazine, September, p. 50; (2008)
  • Balzer, David. Goin’ Postal, (review) Eye Weekly, 25 October, p. 55; (2007)
  • Dare, Josh. Queer Sodalists, (review) AX National, August, p. 8; (2007)
  • Jager, David. Lens-based works pack Punch, (review) Now Magazine, 18 January, p. 68; (2007)
  • Turner, Leah. Going Postal. mail art group show, (review) COLOR Magazine, vol. 5, no. 6, p. 28; (2007)
  • Whiteside, George. Toronto Now: To Watch, (feature) Canadian Art, Winter, vol. 24, no. 4, p. 64; (2007)
  • Dault, Gary Michael. Zeroing in on some great big ideas, (review) The Globe & Mail, 30 December, p. R6; (2006)
  • Sieber, Oliver. What is a good picture?, (feature) Photographie Schweiz, July/August, p. 80-81; (2006)
Education
2015
  • Master of Fine Arts - Photography/Sculpture, York University, Toronto, Ontario
  • Master of Business Administration, Schulich School of Business, Toronto, Ontario
2006
  • Bachelor of Fine Art - Photography, Ontario College of Art & Design, Toronto, Ontario