Polaroids, an homage to Andy Warhol

14 x 11", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel

painting #304, 2025

Call it happenstance. As I was about to start this painting, Radio-Canada Television (French CBC) aired the PBS documentary, Mr. Polaroid during an episode of Découverte on October 26. While focusing mainly of Edwin Land's long process of inventing the Polaroid camera and how quickly it evolved thereafter, it also surveys several of his many inventions and his involvement with the US government. 

 

Two years ago, I landed on this book while browsing in the small book aisle at Homesense. ANDY WARHOL Polaroids 1958-1987 was published by Taschen in 2020 with model, singer-songwriter, actress Grace Jones on its cover. 

 

The original Polaroid OneStep camera was introduced in 1977. It became an instant best seller and a global phenomenon. I once owned a One Step during the mid eighties, which was probably influenced by Nick Rhodes, the keyboard player of Duran Duran who was becoming a photographer in his own right and often hung out at the Factory with Andy Warhol (he appears on page 374).

A week after acquiring this book, I found a listing for a One Step Polaroid camera on eBay. I knew instantly that I was going to use it as a prop for a painting. In the meanwhile they were displayed together in an open shelf console television table in the den next to my studio. 

The One Step Polaroid Land Camera uses SX-70 film. That code was often used as reference for the iconic square format of the picture with a distinctive white border that is wider on the bottom if you wished to write on them. Polaroid images are known for their soft-hued, slightly out-of-focus, and dreamy visual style. The colors may not be perfectly true to life, and lighting can be unpredictable, contributing to an authentic, "imperfectly perfect" charm that digital photography often imitates with filters.

Andy Warhol died on February 22, 1987 at the age of 58 following complications after gall bladder surgery. I would actually complete my first original painting that same month. I've always felt a strong attraction to his body of work. While furniture shopping at IKEA shortly after my wife and I married in 1986, we stumble upon the last remaining Warhol exhibition poster of Ingrid Bergman (with hat) printed by Galerie Borjesön in Malmö Sweden. Since it was the last poster and the one in the display case, I asked if I could buy it. After consulting the floor manager, it was discounted for $2. These are still available and often sell upwards of a grand. 

The Andy Warhol self-portrait image used for my painting is from a serigraph on canvas he created in 1964. Like many of his serigraph prints, he used that same image and produced a whole series in various colors. Christies recently sold one at auction for 3,300,000 USD. On August 10, 2002, the US Postal Service (USPS) issued a 37 cents stamp honoring Andy Warhol using the same 1964 imagery. This is quite possibly the least amount of money you can spend to acquire a Warhol. I've affixed one of these stamps on the back of my painting. 

As for Andy Warhol's Polaroids, they are also highly sought after. These were often used as reference photographs for his silkscreen prints of celebrities and other subject matter.  Artsy has a page dedicated to these original photographs, selling upwards of 20,000 USD each. 

This painting is part of a group exhibition entitled 

ENCHANTED - Nov. 14 - Dec. 31, 2025

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Racines Acadiennes

 

16 x 12", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel

painting #303, 2025

These two local history books belongs to the clients who commissioned this painting. Both grew up in Acadian villages, but in different provinces. This painting is an homage honoring their ancestors and Acadian roots. 

Father Anselme Chiasson, the author of Chéticamp, histoire et traditions acadiennes (1961) is also the co-author of Sainte-Anne-de-Kent (1886-1986) which was co-written by Arthur Poirier, father of one of the clients.

Father Anselme Chiasson (1911-2004) was an Acadian Catholic priest, historian, ethnographer, and folklorist. He was a staunch defender of Acadia, both for it's language and culture. His name is associated with the founding not only of the Université de Moncton, but especially of the Centre d'études acadiennes (Center for Acadian Studies) which, under his leadership, became a reference on Acadian history, culture, and genealogy. While representing the Church and preaching the faith throughout his life, he denounced injustices toward the Acadian community.

He played a prominent role in promoting historical research. In 1960, he co-founded the Acadian Historical Society in New Brunswick with Father Clément Cormier and journalist Émery Leblanc. He also served as an archivist. In 1961, he founded Les Éditions des Aboiteaux, the first publishing house in Acadia, of which the book of Chéticamp pictured above was published that same year. He himself is the author of some fifteen books.

On the occasion of his 70th birthday, author Antonine Maillet wrote: "Of all the Acadians I know, Father Anselme Chiasson is the most Acadian." Father Chiasson was named an officer to the Order of Canada  along the designations of Chevalier to several French orders.  

While these books carry significant importance to their owners, the Sainte-Anne-de-Kent book is especially significant to me personally. Upon graduating from Nursing School, I would spent the next five years working in a rural hospital located in this community. It is here that I would meet my future wife and where I did my first painting. The artwork on the book cover is by the artist René Hébert. Hébert was born in Moncton in 1932. He studied fine arts at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal. He initially worked as a graphic artist in Toronto before moving to Sainte-Anne-de-Kent along the Northumberland Strait where he would set up his art studio and raised his family with his wife. He paints with an economy of brush strokes using bold and expressive colors exploring rural life and the landscape of Eastern Canada. He was a friend of the Quebec artist Tex Lecor. It's evident that they were influenced by the artists of the Group of Seven. I visited his studio during the mid 1990's and acquired one of his iconic paintings.

Prior to the publishing of this book, the wooded Roman Catholic Church in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent depicted on the cover had received the designation of Provincial Historic Site. The interior featured 48 iconographic frescos and paintings by local artist Édouard Gautreau, a Murano glass chandelier and sculptures by its' architect Léon Léger. I remember attending mass here and zoning out of what the priest was saying as my head was always going around in circles looking at the artwork. That church was often referred to as the Acadian Sistine Chapel. Sadly, on June 29, 2005, the church was hit by lightning and quickly burned to the ground. Only a few removeable pieces of artwork were saved. Growing up in Cap-Lumière, I was an alter boy while attending church in Richibouctou-Village. A massive painting of Saint Antony of Padua also painted by Edouard Gautreau hung above the alter. It's certainly the first great work of art that I saw as a child and have probably spend hundreds of hours admiring it. Sainte-Anne-de-Kent is also where my own mother was born and grew up. 

As retirement was looming for the couple who commissioned this painting, they decided to leave big city life, change province and built their dream home on rural ancestral land. This painting is to grace their new house. I proposed using my Preserve mason jar for the peonies, her favorite flower. The original purpose of these canning jar is to preserve food. Symbolically, I often use them as a vehicle for preserving memories. The composition rests on is a Danish/Scandinavian inspired mid-century modern side table. This piece of furniture had sentimental value to her since it brought flair and style to her former workplace. I was pretty much given full artistic license as they wanted the artwork to be painted in my signature style. I chose an outdoor setting as I wanted the peonies to bask in natural light. 

During the late 1980's, I became a fan of the Canadian alternative rock band Chalk Circle. In 1987, they released an album entitled, Mending Wall. The inspiration for the title was borrowed from a Robert Frost poem of the same name. Good fences makes good neighbors, a line from that poem also appeared in the lyrics of their song N.I.M.B.Y. (not in my backyard). Since then, every time I see a fence, the Robert Frost reference always comes to mind. With that said, I've opted for a fence in the background as I've done in several previous painting.

Mending Wall, a poem by Robert Frost 

N.I.M.B.Y  (not in my backyard) - by Chalk Circle

Music video filmed in Dartmouth and Peggy's Cove, NS.

-Private Collection