March 22 – April 15, 2012
Opening: Thursday, March 22, 6 – 8 p.m.
FRAN HILL GALLERY
285 Rushton Road
Toronto, ON, M6C 2X5
Tel: 416.363.1333
E: franhillgallery@bellnet.ca
Hours: Fri–Sun 11–6 p.m or by appointment
Book of Dreams: New Paintings
The new paintings were inspired by a volume of prose snippets by Jack Kerouac called “Book of Dreams” published in San Francisco in 1961 by City Lights Books.
The slim volume is a series of rambling, almost stream-of-consciousness writings culled directly from Mr. Kerouac’s dreams. A dream diary.
“I found the book so rich in visual imagery that I was inspired to commence a new series of works—darker, moodier—than my usual paintings. A lot of his imagery is very industrial, as well as frequent references to jazz, the subterraneans, the railway life and of course guns, booze and drugs. I’ve been thinking about his words as I paint, stopping frequently to browse the pages, and there is no doubt that they (his words) have influenced the final results.” Y.M. Whelan, 2012
Y.M. Wheland studied art in the 80’s moved on to ArtSake: a studio school in an old warehouse in downtown Toronto. Her teachers were Gordon Rayner, Robert Markle, Joyce Weiland, Dennis Burton and others of the “Isaac’s Gang.”
She started exhibiting at alternative spaces and arts events, and had her first solo exhibition at an established commercial gallery in 2001. She has been represented by the Fran Hill Gallery in Toronto since that time.
She lives and works in downtown Toronto where her house is filled with books and music and art.