Icebreaking

Jesse Stewart, Rebecca Basciano, Louise Saint-André

"Published in English and French, this catalogue features the work of contemporary Canadian artist Jesse Stewart. Drawing inspiration from works in the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, Stewart examines the role of industry on climate change, as well as the related disappearance of ice. Works by Franklin Carmichael, Alan C. Collier, and Claude Picher highlight industrial activities such as mining and smelting in Ontario's Great Lakes region, as well as annual icebreaking to clear shipping channels along the St. Lawrence River. Stewart's work, in turn, seeks to emphasize renewable resources. His use of reclaimed materials, including wood, glass, and plastic, stresses the necessity of upcycling in the face of accelerated toxic manufacturing and consumer consumption. Reflecting on the global ramifications of local pollution, Stewart also looks to melting glaciers and polar ice caps....