Bio + CV

Will Gorlitz was born in Buenos Aires in 1952 and currently lives near Toronto in the city of Guelph. He studied art at the University of Manitoba School of Art as well as the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design and was a Professor in Studio Art at the University of Guelph.

As a representational painter, Gorlitz deploys an engaged painterly approach that foregrounds visuality just as it critically pursues a discourse with other media technologies. His metaphorical subjects entwine personal experience with broader cultural matters.

Gorlitz has exhibited widely since the early 1980s, with major solo/survey exhibitions at Chromazone, YYZ Artists' Outlet, the Art Gallery of Ontario, 49th Parallel (Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art), Centre culturel canadien Paris, Artspeak, Oakville Galleries, Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. Solo commercial exhibitions of his work have been held at the Sable-Castelli Gallery, Galerie René Blouin, Birch Libralato and Michael Gibson Gallery. His artwork is in numerous public permanent collections including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Museum London, University of Toronto Art Centre, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Glenbow Museum, Art Gallery of Guelph, Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, MacLaren Art Centre, Hamilton Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the National Gallery of Canada.

Solo Exhibitions

• 2012Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario
  (+2009)
• 2010Birch Libralato, Toronto, Ontario
  (+2008, 2005)
• 2010Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, Ontario
• 2009Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Ontario
• 2009Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• 2008Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario
• 2007Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 2007Harbinger Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
• 2004Galerie René Blouin, Montréal, Québec
  (+1999, 1996, 1991)
• 2002Sable-Castelli Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
  (+1998, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1983)
• 1994The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
• 1991Centre culturel canadien, Paris, France
• 1991Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario
• 1991McIntosh Gallery, London, Ontario
• 1990Oakville Galleries, Oakville, Ontario
• 1989Artspeak Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1988Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• 1988Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1988Concordia University Art Gallery, Montréal, Québec
• 198749th Parallel, New York, N.Y.
• 1987K.A.A.I., Kingston, Ontario
• 1986The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
• 1984YYZ Artists' Outlet, Toronto, Ontario
• 1983Plug In Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba
  (+1980, 1978)
• 1983ChromaZone, Toronto, Ontario

Selected Group Exhibitions

• 2015 Beaverbrook Art Gallery Masterworks Now!
• 2014 Barbara Edwards Contemporary Jared Sable Collection
• 2013 MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario collection feature: Landscape, Still Life and Portrait
• 2013 The Boarding House Gallery, Guelph, Ontario 1
• 2013 Michael Gibson Gallery, London Art and Value
• 2012 National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Builders: Canadian Biennale 2012
• 2012 The McMichael Art Gallery, Kleinburg, Ontario The McMichael Tree Project – Form and Substance
• 2012 Humber Arts and Media Studios, Toronto 60 Painters
• 2012 Museum London, London, Ontario Janice Gurney: Credits (extended)
• 2012 McMichael Canadian Art Collection The Tree: Form and Substance
• 2011-15 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal Grassfire in permanent collection galleries
• 2011 Museum of Contemporary Art Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Art from Calgary Collections
• 2011 MacLaren Art Centre Figure Out of Place
• 2011 Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery 5th KW|AG Biennial - The Black and the White: An Allegory of Colour
• 2010 Elissa Cristall Gallery, Vancouver Sudden Frost
• 2010 Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario Behind the Curtain II
• 2010 Birch Libralato, Toronto, Ontario Twentieth Anniversary Show
• 2008 The Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta The Big Gift: Calgary Celebrates Art from Canadians
• 2006 Elora Centre for the Arts, Elora, Ontario Road Trip
• 2006 Birch Libralato Gallery, Toronto, Ontario The Essential Works Show
• 2005 Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia From New Image to New Wave: Legacy of NSCAD in the Seventies
• 2004 Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario Bloom (Will Gorlitz, Henri Fantin-Latour, Gerhard Richter)
• 2004 McMichael, Canadian Art Collection, Kleinberg, Ontario Identities: Canadian Portraits
• 2004 Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Ontario Skies
• 2003 Galerie de l’UQAM, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec Épreuve de Distance
• 2003 Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario 1^st Annual KW|AG Biennale
• 2003 Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art Painters 15
• 2002 Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China Painters 15
• 2002 Art Gallery of North York, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art and the Koffler Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Regarding Landscape
• 2002 Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Ontario Guelph 2002: A Celebration of Guelph and its Artists
• 2000 London Regional Art and Historical Museums, London, Ontario The Single Tree
• 1999 Galerie René Blouin / Galerie Lilian Rodriguez, Montréal, Québec Les peintures
• 1999 MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario Re-imagining Modernisim
• 1997 Trépanier Baer Gallery, Calgary, Alberta Painting in the 90's Part I: Sandra Meigs/Susanna Heller/Will Gorlitz
• 1995 S. L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Milieu: of the order of presentation
• 1993 Galerie René Blouin, Montréal, Québec Pierre Dorion/Charles Gagnon/Will Gorlitz
• 1992 The Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough, Ontario Tree Designations
• 1991 Extension Gallery, Toronto, Ontario A Public Room
• 1989 The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario Canadian Biennial of Contemporary Art
• 1987 Hallwalls, Buffalo, N. Y Toronto Exchange
• 1987 Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario Written Images
• 1986 Sable-Castelli Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Will Gorlitz/Douglas Kirton
• 1985 Sao Paulo, Brazil Sao Paulo Bienal
• 1985 Plug In Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba Plug In Redux
• 1985 Galerie Walcheturm, Binz 39, Zurich, Switzerland Fire and Ice
• 1985 Art Gallery at Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario Late Capitalism
• 1985 Aorta, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Doppelgänger
• 1985 Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario The Allegorical Image
• 1984 Mercer Union, Toronto, Ontario (circulating) Open Space, Victoria, B.C. Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, B.C. 80/1/2/3/4 Toronto: Content/Context

Exhibition Publications

• 2012 Shaughnessy, Jonathan. Builders: Canadian Biennial 2012 National Gallery of Canada
• 2011 Sawtell, Scott. 60 Painters. Humber Arts and Media Studios, Toronto
• 2010 Borys, Stephen. Winnipeg Art Gallery: Guide to the Collection Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg.
• 2010 Donovan, Daniel. The Donovan Collection University of St. Michael's College, Toronto
• 2009 Green, Art. Will Gorlitz New Paintings Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario
• 2009 Ferguson, Bruce, and Peggy Gale, Jeffrey Spalding, David Urban. Will Gorlitz nowhere if not here Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Waterloo, Ontario
• 2005 Falconer, S., Finn, C., Freybe, A. L., Identities: Canadian Portraits McMichael Canadian Art Collection
• 2000 Millard, Laura. The Single Tree London Regional Art & Historical Museums, London, Ontario
• 1997 Willson, Kevin. "Will Gorlitz: Drei Abhandlungen zur Sexual Theorie" University of Toronto Art Centre, Toronto
• 1994 Keziere, Russel. "The Troubled Mirror: Will Gorlitz's Real Time", Real Time The Power Plant Art Gallery, Toronto
• 1993 Bell, Michael. Empowering the Word. Carleton University Art Gallery
• 1990 Bell Farrell, Carolyn. The Three Essays Trilogy. Oakville Galleries, Oakville
• 1989 McGrath, Jerry. Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality - at Home with Freud. Artspeak Gallery, Vancouver
• 1989 Nemiroff, Diana. Canadian Biennial of Contemporary Art. The National Gallery, Ottawa
• 1987 Wood, William. Will Gorlitz. 49th Parallel, New York
• 1986 Fischer, Barbara. "Will Gorlitz / Nancy Johnson" Perspective 86, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
• 1985 Grenville, Bruce. The Allegorical Image in Recent Canadian Painting. Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston
• 1985 Guest, Tim. Late Capitalism. Toronto: the Art Gallery at Harbourfront, Toronto
• 1985 Wood, William. Fire and Ice. Galerie Walcheturm, Binz 39, Zurich, Switzerland.
• 1985 Rhodes, Richard. Fractura Narrativa Propria. Sâo Paulo Bienal, Sâo Paulo, Brazil
• 1985 Sigurdson, D., Gillies, S., "Plug in Redux" Plug In Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1985 Groot, Paul. Doppelgänger. Aorta, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Selected Articles and Reviews

• Aquin, Stéphane. "Will Gorlitz", VOIR, Montréal du 21 au 27 mars 1996, p. 50
• Dault, Gary Michael. "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life", C Magazine March, 1988, no.17, p.70
• Dault, Julia "Will Gorlitz", Border Crossings March 2006, vol. 25, no.1
• Dumont, Jean. "Arts Visuels", Le Devoir, Montréal 2 février 1991, p. C 9
• Duncan, Ann. "Brooding images...", The Gazette, Montreal February 20, 1988, p.D5
• Enright, Robert. "The Visual Gate Entering the Place of Painting". Border Crossings Fall 2009, vol.28, no.3, p.38-51
• Enright, Robert. “The Miss of Sisyphus”. Border Crossings Fall 2002, vol.21, no.4
• Enright, Robert. "Ethics of Uncertainty". Border Crossings Fall 1988, vol.7, no.4
• Fones, Robert. "Will Gorlitz, Sable-Castelli Gallery", Vanguard Dec-Jan 1986-87, vol.15, no.6, p.29
• Guest, Tim. "80/1/2/3/4, Mercer Union, Toronto", Vanguard May 1984, vol.13, no.4, p.43-44
• Hakim, Mona. "Le glissement entre l'absence et la présence". Le Devoir, Montréal 2 Mai 1993, p. C 15
• Klucinakas, Jean. "Will Gorlitz, Galerie René Blouin", Parachute, no.63 juillet-aout-septembre 1991, pp.33-34
• Lebredt, Gordon. "After-Affects: a small matter of some face", C Magazine Summer 1985, no.6, pp.16-19
• Liss, David. "Painting and seeing", The Gazette, Montreal March 23, 1996 p. H 6
• Loughery, John. "Will Gorlitz, 49th Parallel", Arts Magazine Dec. 1987, vol.62, no.4, p.10
• MacKay, Gillian. "Will Gorlitz: The Sable-Castelli Gallery/The Power Plant", Canadian Art Spring 1994, vol.II, no.1, pp.75-77
• McFadden, David. "Late Capitalism", Canadian Art Summer/June 1985, vol.2, no.3, p.18
• McGrath, Jerry. "Will Gorlitz - Axis Mundi", C Magazine no.12, pp.70-71
• McGrath, Jerry. "Will Gorlitz" Vanguard February, 1984
• McIlroy, Randal. "Gorlitz exhibit documents...", Winnipeg Free Press September 24, 1988, p.24
• Murray, Joan. Canadian Art in the Twentieth Century, Toronto/Oxford, Dundurn Press 1999
• Nind, Sarah. "Will Gorlitz", Canadian Art Winter 2002, vol.19, no.4, p.82
• O'Brien, Peter. "Consumed with that which it was nourished by: Will Gorlitz's Literary Landscapes", University of Toronto Quarterly Spring 1997, vol.66, no.2, pp.403-410
• Rhodes, Richard. "Will Gorlitz", Montréal, Canadian Art Fall 1998, pp 18-19
• Scott, Melanie. "A New Group...", Saturday Night, July/August 1997, pp.52-60
• Wylie, Liz. "Bad Faith", Canadian Art Spring 1988, Vol. 5 No. 1, p. 96
• Wylie, Liz. "Will Gorlitz's illumination of the shadows of doubt", NOW Magazine Dec.10-16, 1987

Published Artist Projects

• "Will Gorlitz", Notebook Projects, Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver 1996
• "Intersections: NOW Magazine Media Project", NOW Magazine May 28, 1992
• "Cover", Border/Lines, No. 7/8 Spring/Summer 1987
• "Excerpt", C Magazine Winter 1985, no.4, pp.46-49
• "Left", Impulse Magazine Vol.16, no.1

Published Writing

• "Alienation, Painting and Polemics" London Regional Art & Historical Museum, London, ON, 1999 (Doug Kirton exhibition catalogue)
• "The Grandiose Concocted Plan" Stride Gallery, Calgary, 2008 (Art Green exhibition brochure)

Public Collections

• Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario
• Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
• Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick
• Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario
• Concordia University Art Gallery, Montréal, Québec
• Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
• Hamilton Art Gallery, Hamilton, Ontario
• Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario
• Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Ontario
• Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan
• MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario
• McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinberg, Ontario
• Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, Montreal, Québec
• Museum London, London, Ontario
• National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
• Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
• Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery, Owen Sound, Ontario
• University of Toronto Art Centre, Toronto, Ontario
• Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Public Art Commissions

• Whitby Psychiatric Hospital, Whitby, Ontario
• Simcoe Place; Toronto, Ontario