When the time comes
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Brian Harvey’s newest series of work, When the Time Comes, is particularly interested in immortalizing the ephemeral and exploring the ordinary iconography of urban landscapes. Uninterested in the grand spectacle of downtown and the repeated popular motifs of Toronto, Harvey turns a lens onto the smaller, perhaps unremarkable yet recognizable spaces of Toronto — not limited to, but primarily Toronto’s east end streets, corners, and locales. His artwork produces a familiar affect, leaving viewers with a sense of I’ve-been-there and I-swear-this-is-just-by-my-house.
Of particular interest to Harvey are the images of places he holds dear, both as an artist and preserver of relics and time capsules in the hyper-evolving landscape of Toronto. We see Harvey’s classics: the laneways, street corners, and a return to his interiors. Harvey in some cases eulogizes the dog-eared diners and industrial buildings that have long closed: his subjects are often places that have gone by the way of time, as captured in One Last Time and Convergence. Perhaps more than previous exhibitions, human figures also feature prominently in the pieces.
Harvey is well known for his distinct mark-making, creating a sense of realism with only the brushstrokes that are necessary, giving way to feelings of nostalgia and memory.