Estate of Wendy Coburn
Wendy Coburn (AOCA, 1986) was a Toronto-based artist whose studio practice included photography, sculpture, installation and video. Coburn’s work engaged a range of concerns such as popular culture, mental health, gender, whiteness, nationhood and the role of images in mediating cultural difference.
An associate professor at OCAD University, Wendy Coburn served for several years as an Associate and Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Art and most recently led curriculum development for a new Art & Social Change program. Coburn taught in the Sculpture/Installation program and also taught a cross-disciplinary course fostering research and peer support for studio production in the areas of sexuality, gender and LGBTQ issues.
Coburn’s work has been exhibited and screened in exhibitions and festivals including MIX, New York Gay & Lesbian Experimental Film/Video Festival (2002), the Living Effect, Ottawa Art Gallery (2010), Landmarks, Thames Art Gallery, Chatham (2013), Art Gallery of Windsor (2014), Art Gallery of Peterborough (2015), Photophobia, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Transmediale International Media Art Festival (Berlin, Germany), Kassel Documentary Film & Video Festival, and the Dublin Lesbian & Gay Film and Video Festival. Solo exhibitions include Acting Out, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery (2013), Anatomy of a Protest, Art Museum, University of Toronto (2014) and Fable for Tomorrow, Onsite Gallery, Toronto (2022).
Education
Concordia University, Montreal, PQ, Master of Fine Arts 1990-1993
Ontario College of Art, Toronto, ON, Associate Diploma 1984-1986
Dundas Valley School of Art, Dundas, ON, Foundation Studies 1982-1984
Solo Exhibitions
2022
Fable for Tomorrow: A Survey of Works by Wendy Coburn, Onsite Gallery, Toronto
2014
Anatomy of a Protest, Art Museum, University of Toronto
2012
The UHAUL Suite, X Core Realty, Toronto, ON
The UHAUL Suite, Fulltilt Creative Center, McIvers, NFLD
1998
Wrong Place Wrong Time, Artspace Gallery, Peterborough, ON
1994
Supposing It Was Your Sister, Video Installation, Artspeak Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1993
Supposing It Was Your Sister, Video Installation Bourget Gallery, Montreal, PQ
1990
SUBSCRIBE, Sculpture Installation, YYZ Gallery, Toronto, ON
Group Exhibitions & Screenings
2023
Editions Part Two, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2022
What is Left, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2020
Canaries in a Coal Mine, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2017
So Lightly Here, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2016
Standing Ground II, Chance and Variation, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2013
Landmarks, Curated by Andrea Fatona & Katherine Dennis, Thames Art Gallery, Chatham, ON
The Fernanda Faria Collection, produced by Art Spin, Toronto, ON
2012
The Event, The Subject, The Artwork, Oceania Centre for Arts & Culture, Suva, Fiji,
Age of Consent, Curated by Talia Linz, Doris McCarthy Gallery, Scarborough, ON
Uncensored: Queer Art and the Church, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay & Lesbian Art, New York City
2011
Birds and the Bees, Oakville Galleries Gairloch Gardens, Oakville, ON
2010
The Living Effect, Curated by Caroline Langill Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON
2009
Uneasy Pieces, Oakville Galleries Centennial Square, Oakville, ON
2008
Exposure Festival Edmonton Queer Arts & Culture Festival, Bathhouse, Edmonton Alberta
2007
Rightfully Yours, Justina Barnicke Gallery, Hart House University of Toronto, Curated by Tejpal Ajji, Toronto, ON
2006
Mean Mama, Bossy Bitch Collective at Lennox Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, ON
2005
Rehab: 7th Annual Showcase of Film & Video, Toronto ON
Behind the Mind’s Eye: Film & Video Festival of Mental Health, Peterborough ON
Queer In the Headlights, NOW Lounge, Toronto ON
Sweet Shit, Bossy Bitch Collective at Lennox Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, ON
Images Festival Screening,Kino Arsenal, Berlin
Dublin Lesbian & Gay Film and Video Festival, Dublin Ireland
Kassler Dokumentarfilm-und Videofest, Kassel Germany
2004
Rendezvous With Madness, Losing Sleep, curated by Deirdre Logue, Toronto, Ontario
Center For Art Tapes, Do The Wrong Thing Program, Halifax Nova Scotia
Art Gallery of Hamilton, Photophobia Festival of Contemporary Experimental Film and Video Hamilton, ON
2003
MIX 17, New York Gay & Lesbian Experimental Film & Video Festival, New York City, USA
Images Film & Video Festival, Do the Wrong Thing Program, Toronto, ON
Transmediale.03, International Media Art Festival, Berlin Germany
Valentines Screening, Video Pool, Winnipeg, Manitoba
2002
Signal & Noise, Festival of Video & Sound, Video In Studios, Vancouver, B.C.
12th Annual Inside Out Toronto Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival, Toronto ON
Festival Vidéo de Femmes Dans Le Parc, Curated by Group Intervention Video, Montreal P.Q.
Image + Nation Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival, Montreal, P.Q.
11e annee de Videos de Femmes dans Le Parc, Daimon Studio, Hull, P.Q.
The Beautiful, the Banal & Bizarre, Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, Vancouver B.C.
Tongue In Chic, SPIN GALLERY, Toronto, ON
2001
The Wonders of Animal Instinct, KHROME Gallery, Wendy Coburn & Lynne Fernie, Toronto, ON
2000
TILT, Overflo Gallery, Bossy Bitch Collective, Toronto, ON
Beaver Tales, Oakville Galleries, curated by Reid Diamond and Marnie Fleming Oakville, ON
1998
Annual Invitational Exhibition, Cold City Gallery, Toronto, ON
1991
Contre Nature, Maison de la Culture Frontenac, Curated by Allan Klusacek, Montreal, PQ
1990
Spontaneous Combustion (Selected Works), Art Space Gallery, Peterborough, ON
1989
Spontaneous Combustion, Art Collective exhibition, Massey Ferguson Building, Toronto, ON
Laundromat Project, Toronto, ON
1988
Annual Invitational Exhibition, Cold City Gallery, Toronto, ON
1987
Walter Phillips Gallery, Group exhibition, Banff, Alberta
1986
Body Beautiful: Trade + Product, Gallery 76, Curated by Coburn & Langill, Toronto, ON
Crack, Trip, Order... Gallery 76, Toronto ON
I.D.A. Gallery, York University, North York, ON
1983
The Championship Cow Exhibition, Art Gallery of Brant, Brantford, ON
1980
Annual Juried Exhibition, Burlington Cultural Center, Burlington, ON
Commissions
SoftSpot, Wendy Coburn and Liz Magor, Capital Health Sculpture Commission, Lois Hole Hospital for Women and Cardiac Center, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta (2010)
Awards/Grants
Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant (2007)
Ontario Arts Council, Visual Art Grant (2003)
Toronto Arts Council, Visual Arts Grant (2003)
Canada Council, Explorations Grant (1994)
Quebec, Ministre de la Culture, Research Grant (1993)
Concordia University, J.W. McConnell Graduate Fellowship (1990)
Toronto Arts Council, Visual Arts Grant (1989)
Elizabeth Greenshields, Foundation Scholarship (1987)
Ontario College of Art, Governor General Medal (1986)
Public Collections
Oakville Galleries, Oakville, Ontario
Art Museum at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
York University Library, North York, Ontario
Bibliography
Suzanne Zelazo, Wendy Coburn’s U-Haul Project Moves Emotional Baggage, Canadian Art online, October, 2012
Sasha Van Bonbon, Best Laid Plans, Wendy Coburn at X Core, Xtra Magazine, September, 2012
Margot Francis, Creative Subversions Whiteness, Indigeneity, and the National Imaginary, University of British Columbia Press, 2011
Stephanie Vegh, The Birds and the Bees, Oakville Galleries, Review in C MAGAZINE, Autumn, 2011
Carol Gigliotti (Ed) (2009) Caroline Langill’s essay Negotiating the Hybrid: Art, Theory and Genetic Technologies in Leonardo’s Choice; Genetic Technologies and Animals, Springer Press.
Murray White (2009) A world of grim realities – and killer deer, Toronto Star
Tejpal S. Ajji (2008) Rightfully Yours, Catalogue, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto
Thomas Waugh (2006) Part II Movers & Shakers, The Romance of Transgression in Canada, Queering Sexualities, Nations, Cinemas, McGill-Queen’s University Press
Caroline Seck Langill (2006) Negotiating the Hybrid: Art, Theory and Genetic Technologies in AI & Society, The Journal of Human-Centered and Machine Intelligence, Special Issue: Genetic Technologies and Animals, Volume 20.1
Camilla Gibb (Ed.) (2004) Love(s) That Dare(s) (Not), Artists work & writing in Descant Literary Magazine, Issue126
Samantha Sarra (2003) Peer into the glory hole of indie cinema, review of Die Trauernde at Images Film Festival, XTRA Magazine
Thomas Hieschmann, (2002) Chic Peek, review of Tongue in Chic at Spin Gallery in NOW Magazine
Margot Francis (2002) The Wonders of Animal Instinct, LOLA, #12, Summer
Jennifer Henderson (2002) Fat Shoes, Introductory Essay, Female Fetishes, art works in Tessera, Volume 31
Chantal Nadeau (2001) Fur Nation: From the Beaver to Brigitte Bardot, Coburn & Weiland, p.12-13, Routledge Press
Deirdre Hanna (2001) Animal Magic: Fernie & Coburn at Khrome in NOW Magazine
Kim Fullerton (2000) Queerily We Go: Top of the Art 2000 Charts, in XTRA Magazine
Gillian Mackay (2000) Beaver Tales Pelts Viewers with Whimsy, Globe & Mail
Marnie Fleming and Reid Diamond (2000) Beaver Tales, Catalogue Oakville Galleries exhibition, forward by Francine Perinet
Mary K. Knowlan (2000) Sculpture Shocks at Oakville Galleries & Sculpture & Visitors Warned, Hamilton Spectator
Elaine Hujer (2000) A 'Dam' Good Canadian Show, Review of Beaver Tales, in Hamilton Spectator
Mary Myers (Ed.) (1998). Wendy Coburn, SUBSCRIBE, artwork & cover image in Fireweed Feminist Quarterly, Pop Culture, Issue 63
Roy Miki and Fred Wah (Eds.) (1994) West Coast Line Colour. An Issue, Wendy Coburn photo essay; The Spectacle of Pure Lands, Pure Bodies & Pure Forgetfulness”, Simon Fraser University
Ihor Holubizky (1991) C MAGAZINE, SUBSCRIBE, Wendy Coburn at YYZ, Winter
Karen Mulhallen (Ed.) (1987) A Touch of Grace & Tragedy artwork & cover image in Descant Literary Magazine
Teaching
Ontario College of Art & Design University, 1998-2015
Sheridan College/University of Toronto at Mississauga, 100 Sculpture 3D Materials 2001-2003
Concordia University, 200 Sculpture, Material Transformation of Ideas 1992-1993