Among the Drupes (Elegy for a Wasteland)

COLLECTIONS GALLERY

July 1, 2023, to January 7, 2024

Organized by the Varley Art Gallery of Markham
Featuring the work of Cole Swanson and F. H. Varley (1881-1969) 
Curated by Anik Glaude in collaboration with Aditi Desai, John Abrams, and Niamh O’Laoghaire.

Multispecies artist and scholar Cole Swanson explores the dynamic and vulnerable life story of the accidental, urban wilderness. For eight months, Swanson built a close relationship with the last remaining groves of staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) on the West Toronto Rail Path, currently under construction. Through video, material process, and installation art, Swanson honours and cares for the site’s wayward ecology in which native, invasive, and naturalized species survive together amidst the precarity of our times. Engaging with Frederick Varley's field sketches of sumac, and creating a suite of natural materials from the organic, mineral, and human-made constituents of the site, Swanson demonstrates how art can move us to bear witness, attend to, and form unlikely kinships within our more-than-human communities.

About the Artist

Cole Swanson is a multispecies artist and educator based in Toronto, Ontario. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally and has participated in artist residencies, guest lectures, and workshops abroad. He is a Professor in the Faculty of Media and Creative Arts, Humber College ITAL, and is currently a PhD student of Environmental Studies at York University. Through a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and materially-focused practice, Swanson explores the complex relationships emerging among species living together in tension at a critical ecological moment.

Associated Programs

Opening Reception
Sunday, July 9, 2 to 4 PM. RSVP today.

Meet the artist; enjoy a curator talk, gallery tour, and a hands-on activity for all ages at the opening reception of the Varley Art Gallery's 2023 summer exhibitions Among the Drupes (Elegy for a Wasteland), on view in our Collections Gallery until January 7, 2024.

The Staghorn Sumac: Artist Workshop with Cole Swanson and Lynn Short
Sunday, July 30, 2 to 4 PM. Registration required.

Join artist Cole Swanson and horticulturist Lynn Short (Humber College) for an exploration of the multispecies worlds that enliven nearby Toogood Pond. Complementing Swanson’s exhibition Among the Drupes (Elegy for a Wasteland), this workshop will introduce participants to staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), a generous and native plant species. We will investigate the unique ecology of the Sumac grove flourishing only steps away from the Varley Art Gallery of Markham, and will share the many historical and cultural uses of the plant. An exhibition tour, naturalist walk, and hands-on demonstration will explore how staghorn sumac and its companion species support a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem, and will help build personal human-plant relationships based on curiosity, respect, and kinship.

Lunch and Learn: Cole Swanson
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
12:30 to 1:30 PM (EST)
Presented on Zoom. Registration is required

Multispecies artist Cole Swanson delves into the dynamic and vulnerable life story of the accidental, urban wilderness to unearth the wayward ecology in which native, invasive, and naturalized species survive together amidst the precarity of our times.

These virtual monthly artist talks provide our community members with the opportunity to learn about current and future exhibitions, as well as hear about ongoing curatorial research happening at the gallery. This program also supports emerging and established artists by providing them with a forum in which to present their work. We would like to thank the Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham for their ongoing support of our Lunch and Learn speaker’s series.