Gillian Iles
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Gillian Iles is a Toronto-based artist who exhibits locally and internationally in commercial and artist-run galleries. She has exhibited in cities such as New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, Miami, Montreal and Toronto. She has exhibited with Katharine Mulherin Gallery, curator Mia Nielsen and Torres-Porcelli Gallery. Gillian, as a founding member, participated in the creation of two co-operative artist-run galleries in Toronto - Propeller and Loop Galleries. Her work has been highlighted in Mix Magazine, Toronto Life Magazine, Now Magazine as well as the National Post, The Globe and Mail and Now Magazine. She is featured in the book Carte Blanche Volume 2: Painting that surveys the current state of painting in Canada. Gillian is part of Blunt Collective, which is a group of artists investigating the role of representation and narrative in painting. Gillian is currently teaching at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Sheridan College and the Toronto School of Art.

Her work compares and contrasts individuals' public and private persona and the notion of a social normal in this age of instantaneous global dissemination of personal information and public ideology. She has been interested specifically in media's manufacturing of and presentation of "events" and the creation of public interpretation compared to personal experience. Recently, her series Part Of challenges the choice of Subject. The role of the unseen, the unrelated, the banal, and the spaces in between are used to create images, which specifically contrast with and deconstruct the popularly accepted notion of the Subject.



Solo Exhibitions

2010                         That's not how we do things here, Propeller Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.                                
                                 Brief moments of clarity and other side effects,
                                 Minarovich Gallery, Elora Centre for the Arts, Elora, Ontario.
2008                         Mind the gap, please., Propeller Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.                                
2006                         Potential disasters, minor upsets and small victories, Galerie St. Ambroise, Montreal, Quebec.
2005                         two-person exhibition, QuiverProjects, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Ontario.
2003                         Suggestions for achieving a successful childhood and an ideal life (new drawings),
                                 Kabat Wrobel Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Want to be, Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto, Ontario.
2002                         Party Face, Katharine Mulherin Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2000                         Room, Loop, Toronto, Ontario (2 person exhibition).
1999                         Mostly Water, Bus Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Unconditional Love, among other things,   PROPELLER, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 This Seat Is Taken, PROPELLER, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Recent Work, Peter Pan Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario.
1997                         (figure)n, PROPELLER, Toronto, Ontario.

Selected Group Exhibitions

2010                         AAFNY, with Blunt Collective, New York, NY.
                                 Artist Project, with Blunt Collective, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Group exhibition, D U Art, Unionville, Ontario
2009                         NEXT Art Fair, with Blunt Collective, Chicago, Illinois.
2008                         Une partie de 7, Galerie D'Art St. Ambroise, Montreal, Quebec.
2007                         Squared Off, AWOL Gallery, Toronto Ontario.                 
2006                         Propeller turns 10, Propeller Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Square Foot 5, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 AAFNY, The Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, New York.
2005                         You don't wanna miss this shit: A survey of Toronto painters,
                                 Curator: Katharine Mulherin, Gladstone Hotel
                                 Square Foot IV, Project Spaceman, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
                                 AAFNY, AWOL Gallery, Pier 92, New York, New York.
                                 Square Foot, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Mixer03, Mix Magazine, Mind Control Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2004                         Centre of Attention, 376 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Square Foot, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 AAF NY, Quiverprojects, Pier 92, New York City, New York.
                                 Mixer02, Mix Magazine, Mind Control Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2003                         Supernumary, Fanny Larouche Artspace, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 AAF NY, Quiverprojects, Pier 92, New York City, New York.
                                 Mixer, Mix Magazine, Mind Control Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
                                 Square Foot, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2002                         WhOLE, 376 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Eclectique, Galerie 418, Montreal, Quebec.
2001                         Standard, 376 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario.
2000                         Loop Inaugural Exhibition, Loop, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Drawing 2000, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario.
1999                         Personal Grounds, 431 King St. W., Toronto, Ontario.
                                 SPF 30, MEG Gallery, Toronto, Ontario (3 person exhibition).
1998                         screen 2, curator Stuart Reid (curator, Mississauga Living Arts Centre),
                                 Propeller Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
                           
Published

2008                         Eye Weekly, Best of 2008, David Balzar, December, 2008.
                                 Carte Blanche Vol. 2: Painting, Magenta Publishing for the Arts, Toronto, 2008.
2006                         Eye Weekly, David Balzar, August 17, 2006.
2005                         Now Magazine, August 28, 2005.
                                 The National Post, August 20, 2005.
2003                         Now Magazine, Thomas Hirschmann, December 18, 2003.
                                 MIX Gallery, MIX Magazine, Fall 2003.
                                 Gallery Going, Gary Michael Dault, The Globe and Mail, June 7, 2003.
                                 Surface and Symbol, Andrea Raymond, July/Aug 2003.
2002                         Now Magazine, Thomas Hirschmann, Nov 28, 2002.
2000                         At the Galleries, Thomas Hirschmann, National Post, Sept 2, 2000.
                                 Gallery Going, Gary Michael Dault, The Globe & Mail, Aug 28, 2000.
                                 Gallery Going, Gary Michael Dault, The Globe & Mail, Mar 18, 2000.  
1999                         Gallery Going, Gary Michael Dault, The Globe & Mail, Aug 21, 1999.
                                 Now Magazine, Sisi Peneloza, Aug 12, 1999; Toronto Life.
                                 Betty Ann Jordan, August 1999.
                                 Artfocus, Elizabeth Fearon, Fall 1999.
                                 EyeWeekly, R.M. Vaughan, April 29, 1999.
                                 Now Magazine, Sisi Peneloza, Apr 22, 1999.
1998                         Now Magazine, Deirdre Hanna, Apr 23, 1998.

Education

1997                         AOCAD(Hons.) - Painting and Drawing Program,
                                 Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Ontario.
1993                         General Biological Science degree,
                                 University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.

Awards

2001                         Portraiture Award, Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition.
2000                         Best Painting Award, Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition;
                                 Jury Award, Drawing 2000, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
1997                         NCR Canada Limited Best Student Award, Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition;
                                 Mrs. W.O. Forsyth Scholarship - 4th year
                                 women painters, OCAD; Richard J. Lemieux Memorial Fund Scholarship, OCAD;
                                  OCAD Student Union Award - Art Category, OCAD.
1996                         Dorothy Stevens Award, OCAD.
1995                         Eric Freifeld Scholarship - figure draughtsmanship, OCAD.
1994                         OCA Alumni Award - foundation studies, OCAD.

Art Instruction

2007 - present          Instructor - 3rd Year Drawing and Painting, Illustration Program,
                                 Faculty of Design, Ontario College of Art and Design,
                                 Toronto, Ontario.
2004 - present          Instructor - 2nd and 3rd year Painting and Drawing,
                                 BAA Illustration (Interpretive) Program, School of Animation,
                                 Arts and Design, Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario.
2003 - present          Instructor - Figure Painting, Life Drawing,
                                 Painting 1, Youth Studio, Explorations in Figure Studies,
                                 Toronto School of Art, Toronto, Ontario.
2004 - present          Key Advisor, Independent Studio Program (Post-graduate Program),
                                 Toronto School of Art, Toronto, Ontario.
2006 - present          Faculty Steering Committee Co-Chair, Toronto School of Art, Toronto, Ontario.
2006 - present          Faculty Representative, Board of Directors, Toronto School of Art, Toronto, Ontario.
2005 - present          Faculty Steering Committee Member, Toronto School of Art, Toronto, Ontario.
2002 -2004               Instructor - Portraiture, Painting, Youth Painting, ArtWorks Art School, Toronto, Ontario.

Lectures

2010                         Guest Artist Lecture - University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
                                 Guest Artist Lecture and Workshop
                                 - Artreach, Art Gallery of Algoma, Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario.
2009                         Guest Artist Lecture and Workshop
                                 - Artreach, Art Gallery of Algoma, Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario.
2008                         Guest Artist Lecture – Don Valley Arts Club, Toronto, Ontario.
                                 Guest Artist Lecture - Don Valley Arts Club, Toronto, Ontario
2007                         Guest Artist Lecture, Creative Fusion Series, Art and Design Foundation Studies,
                                 Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario.
2005                         Painting Judge - Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario.
2005                         Guest Artist Lecture - Don Valley Arts Club, Toronto, Ontario.
1998                         Guest Artist Lecture and critique, 4 th Year Thesis class, College of Art, Drama and Music,
                                 McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
                             
Memberships

2009 - present           Member of Toronto based BLUNT Collective.
2008 - present           Member of Propeller Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2000 - 2001               Founding member of Loop, artist collective and gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
1996 - 2000               Founding member & Board of Directors member (Scheduling Chair, Maintenance Chair)
                                  of Propeller, Artist-Run-Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.