The Andy Warhol of Canada Coming to Brampton
Published March 24, 2017 at 10:08 pm
Who is the self-proclaimed Andy Warhol of Canada, you ask? He is Toronto’s own contemporary artist, Charles Pachter.
Who is the self-proclaimed Andy Warhol of Canada, you ask? He is Toronto’s own contemporary artist, Charles Pachter. Painter, printmaker, sculptor and designer, Pachter has been a major contributor to the Ontario and Canadian art scene for over half a century. His distinctive art is woven into the very fabric of Ontario’s self-image and public consciousness. His emblematic images are represented in public and private collections in Canada and around the world.
His ubiquitous “Moose Crossing” road signs can be seen along highways across the province. His work can also be seen at Toronto’s College Subway Station, in the Parliament buildings, the Prime Minister’s residence, and the Embassy of France in Ottawa, and in the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
His exhibition What Makes this Country Tick? Selected Works by Charles Pachter opens at Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) in downtown Brampton April 1 through June 11, 2017 as part of their celebration of Canada and Peel’s 150 birthdays.
Some Quick Facts about Pachter
-
He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Member of the Order of Ontario. He has been recognized for his accomplishments in France with the Ordre des Art et des Lettres award and is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals.
- He is close friends with Canada’s pre-eminent author Margaret Atwood and they have collaborated on many projects, including The Journals of Susanna Moodie in 1980.
Margaret Atwood portrait , Charles Pachter, 1980 ® the artist
-
His 1980 portrait of Margaret Atwood is in the collection of the Portrait Gallery of Canada
-
His flag paintings hang in the Prime Minister’s residence in Ottawa, in the Canadian Embassy in Washington, in the Parliament Buildings and in the Embassy of France in Ottawa, and the Canadian High Commission in London
The Painted Flag, Charles Pachter, 2012 ® the artist
-
Pachter has published two great children’s’books, M is for Moose and Canada Counts
-
You can see his murals of Hockey Knights in Canada in the College Station of the Toronto subway.
-
Some of his best loved paintings include those of the Queen, the Moose, the Canadian flag, butter tarts and of course iconic as well as “Ordinary Canadians”.
Charles Pachter, Lunar Majestic, 2016 ® the artist
Charles Pachter, Pierre and Justin Trudeau, 1990 and 2015 ® the artist
-
His sense of humour is evident in works like Canadian Tire and Decisions, Decisions, and many more!
Charles Pachter, Canadian Tire, 2011 ® the artist
Charles Pachter, Decisions, Decisions, 2013 ® the artist
-
He even invented an art critic in 1999 named Don Rouge-Humber (from Three Rivers) and took out advertisements in publications with flattering reviews of his work by Don to drum up business. He told me a story about a gentleman who came into his studio to purchase some paintings based solely on an amazing review he had read in the paper from Don. Charles felt he should tell the gentleman about the real identity of the critic, and he ended up buying more paintings!
Meet Charles Pachter at PAMA on Sunday, May 28, 3 – 4 p.m.
Join artist Charles Pachter in conversation with PAMA’s Art Gallery Curator Thomas Smart.
9 Wellington St. E., Brampton, ON
905-791- 4055 I www.pama.peelregion.ca
Article and photos provided by PAMA