The Sable-Castelli Gallery Limited, Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto
Literature
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, “14 Canadians: A Critic’s Choice,” February 3-April 10, 1977, Washington, D.C., 1977, page 11
Andrew Hudson, “Eight Toronto Painters,” Art International, 19, 1975, page 65
Alex Cameron is one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary artists, with a long and prolific career that traces back to his childhood in Parry Sound, Ontario. Cameron comes from a family of artists and creative people, and it was in this environment where he flourished as a young artist. He developed a strong work ethic at the New School of Art in Toronto, where he studied under prominent Canadian artists such as Gordon Rayner, Dennis Burton, and Robert Markle.
Perhaps most influential on his career was Jack Bush, for whom Cameron worked as a studio assistant from 1972 until 1976. The two artists maintained a positive and mutually respectful relationship, and exhibited together in the important “14 Canadians” exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. This exhibit was conceptualized and directed by art critic Andrew Hudson, who travelled across Canada in search of “the best, most vital art.” He selected three paintings by Alex Cameron from 1976, along with paintings by Jack Bush, William Perehudoff, David Bolduc, Charles Gagnon, Dorothy Knowles, Paul Fournier, and others. Hudson’s transnational search for the “best” art was, however, not the first time he had encountered Cameron’s work. In fact, Hudson conceptualized 14 Canadians with the young artist in mind. In October 1975, Cameron was featured in an article Hudson wrote for prominent journal Art International. This initial contact with Cameron was the primary inspiration for “14 Canadians”, as Hudson explains in the introduction of the exhibition catalogue. Indeed, 1976 marked a change in Cameron’s work, as his new studio gave him the space to produce larger scale paintings.
“Blazer (1976)” was painted at a significant point in Cameron’s career. At only 29 years old, Cameron was exhibiting internationally with some of Canada’s most established artists, was respected by his peers and, received positive critical reviews. He has achieved international renown within his lifetime and continues to paint daily. Cameron’s artwork is housed in private and public collections, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada, and numerous corporate collections.
