Foot 6:

1996Purchased for the Camosun College Art Collection by the Camosun College Cultural Enhancement Committee from Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, BC.Al McWilliams is a Vancouver-based artist who creates sculpture, installation, and photo-sculptural works. Born in Vancouver, BC in 1944, McWilliams attended the University of British Columbia (1962-1964) and the Vancouver School of Art, now known as Emily Carr University of Art and Design (1964-1966; 1967-1969). For over 40 years McWilliams has exhibited his work across North America and internationally, with his work being held in numerous collections including the British Columbia Government Art collection, Centre for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, Glenbow Museum (Calgary), Musee d’Art contemporain (Montreal), National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), and the Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum (Hakone, Japan). McWilliams is also known for his public and commissioned artworks, including the Royal Canadian Navy Monument in Ottawa, King Street Plaza at the Toronto Dominion Centre, and Coal Harbour Properties in Vancouver, BC. He has been the recipient of numerous Canada Council for the Arts grants. ARTIST INFO: LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-mcwilliams-89955329 (Accessed December 30, 2016); Profile on Trépanier Baer Gallery website: http://www.trepanierbaer.com/artistdetails/?view=artist&aID=50 (Accessed December 30, 2016)Robbyn LanningMcWilliams sculptures and photo-sculptures show evidence of being influenced by the minimalist movement of the 1960s in which he initially trained. Many of his photo-sculptures make use of photographic images of Classical sculpture and European Gothic and Renaissance architectural facades, repurposing them into new works with the addition of new materials such as glass, beeswax, and lead. The addition of these items increases the works’ materiality, providing rich sensory feedback to viewers while simultaneously recontextualizing the images he selects from historical works thus conjuring ideas related to gender, sexuality, memory, and history. In 2008 McWilliams’ sculpture, “The Ring” was removed from the Toronto Dominion (TD) Centre plaza in Toronto. For a discussion of the politics behind the decision, see “Have you Seen this Sculpture?” by Steve Kupferman, August 14, 2009, in “Torontoist” http://torontoist.com/2009/08/have_you_seen_this_sculpture/ (Accessed December 30, 2016). DESCRIPTION: The left-hand side of the work is a silver dye bleach print (photographic process) of a foot from a historical sculpture. The photographic image is covered in beeswax. The beeswax coating obscures the fine detailing of the photo, making it appear hazy and indistinct. The image of the foot and draped clothing is produced in a light grey tone over a cream coloured background. The right-hand side of the panel is made of dark grey lead on aluminum. Streaking and changes in tone are visible across the lead section of the work