LUMAS Voices:
Gallery Director Favourites
As a Gallery Director, I don’t just know what's happening in the art world, I sense trends before they emerge and help collectors like you find pieces that truly resonate.
In this collection, I'd like to share some of the works that have captured my own imagination and brought inspiration to my days at LUMAS Toronto.
Kristofer | Gallery Director
KRISTOFER’S HIGHLIGHTS
This 3-dimensional work by Sephora Venites immediately draw the viewer in with its fun aesthetic and multiple panels where the colour portion sticks out from the portrait of Apollo in the background. I think of duality when viewing this piece. We all have a multitude of aspects to our personalities and selves, some of which we share more readily with others.
As Apollo is the Greek God of, among other things, truth, prophecy, and purity, this piece emphasizes the elements of ourselves that we keep “safe” and those which we put out into the world. Visually, it also speaks to how we look at the present as vibrant since we’re living through it, whereas the past is viewed in simpler terms, perhaps smoothing and fading over time. I can look at Sephora’s work for days and really go down the philosophical rabbit-hole.
Taken in 1979, this image was part of Reinhart Wolf’s series examining the architecture of Manhattan’s iconic skyline. The morning light hitting the facade of the Fuller Building juxtaposes its Art Deco style to that of the more contemporary (and unremarkable) building behind it. To me, it also signifies the hope and positivity of starting a day to fulfill one’s dreams.
Wolf’s process of befriending doormen, superintendents, and residents of buildings epitomize the big city/New York mentality of putting in the work to “make it,” which leaves me inspires me to push past my comfort zones.
Ralph Ueltzhoffer’s text portrait of Jimi Hendrix has been one of my favourite pieces in the portfolio since I started working at LUMAS. Combining one of the most well-known images of Hendrix, along with the text of his biography, creates a captivating artwork that comments on the accessibility of celebrities lives. This has become even more pronounced since the advent of smartphones and newer social media platforms, as we now put much of our lives online for anyone to see. Social themes aside, there is a timeless element to black and white artwork that ensures this piece will never go out of style. Add in the fact that Jimi, arguably the best guitarist of all time, spent a lot of time where his Grandmother lived in Vancouver, BC and you can’t go wrong!
