This exhibition traces a year in the life of artist Iain Baxter, during his tenure as Creative Consultant to Labatt Breweries president Sidney Oland, from 1982 to 1983.
Baxter, a noted photographer, painter, sculptor, and pioneering conceptual artist, has produced a diverse and vast body of work actively engaged in breaking down the barriers between ‘art’ and ‘life’. His remarkable venture as a corporate creative consultant was, in many ways, the final act in a series of explorations of the relationship between art and business, which had previously included: the formation of the N.E. Thing Co. (1966-1978) (an ‘aesthetic umbrella’ that allowed Baxter to work collaboratively and anonymously in the production of a wide range of art related projects); Canada’s first Cibachrome photo lab and the short-lived Eye Scream restaurant (1977-78).
A selection of documents and ephemera, as well as many of Baxter’s iconic photographic images, shot on assignment for Labatt, will be featured in this exhibition. While several of the images detail the company’s sponsored events (such as Mosport, the Labatt Brier or the Montreal Grand Prix), most record the day-to-day operations, the facilities and the equipment, as seen through Baxter’s unique lens.