A remarkable art collection
Trudeau Lobby & Business Mezzanine -
Flight Up
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Andy Warhol’s series of hibiscus ‘Flowers’ welcomes us up the flight of stairs to the Trudeau Lounge & Mezzanine. Again, we have the opportunity to experience the artist’s playful response to a subject.
Keep hold of the handrail while you look up and walk alongside the ocular illusion created by French artist Philippe Decarauzat. Like a striped ascot floating in the wind, the shape of the canvas creates a dramatic effect.
Echoing this shape and use of lines is American artist Michael Kidner. Both his undulating work in plastic on the wall and another work, a chevron series in bronze, feel like maquettes or smaller versions for larger concepts.
Tucked in the corner you will find a very sweet little Pablo Picasso. Appearing to be drawn on a random piece of paper, I imagine him exchanging this drawing for a meal.
David Hockney presents a pleasant poolside scene with his signature blue water swirls.
Patrick Hughes plays with our minds again with this kinetic sculpture, itself a tribute to Andy Warhol, referencing artwork also in the hotel’s collection.
Around the corner, we discover one of the greatest art teams in contemporary art-making history: husband and wife dynamic duo Christo & Jean-Claude (both sadly now deceased). This artifact from the ‘Lower Manhattan Wrapped Building Project for #2 Broadway, New York’, reminds us of their artistic process, which included massively scaled installations as well as more intimate objects like this, created from the project’s materials and sold to recoup on costs.
Provocateur Damien Hirst is featured twice on this level. Facing the lobby, ‘Cineole’, a series of painted circles on a white canvas, suggesting pills of the day. And by the office desk, his ‘Disney Dislocated’, a re-boot to the well-known logo.
Street artists D-Face, Zeus, Mr. Brainwash are featured along this corridor. Playful reminders of the collectors’ interest in art makers from all backgrounds using all techniques.
Xavier Velham has several works on paper in the collection, such as those in the gym, walking down the ramp towards the weights. Here though is a work of sculpture, a beautiful piece that captures the essence of the figure in futuristic sharp lines.
Xavier Velham Spotlight
Artwork by Scottish artist David Batchelor can be seen in the distance, a series of geometric shapes that are lit in pleasant colours. Personally, I’m a real fan of lighted artwork and this one never disappoints. It’s a simple, graceful work that is soothing and stimulating.
At the top of the stairs, we discover two artists that connect the arc of the 1960s American Pop Art movement to today’s contemporary pop era: Roy Lichtenstein and Mr. Brainwash. This placement provides a smart juxtaposition of a quiet work with simple lines and colour blocking versus the multi-layered, many faces and images, found in the original work on paper.
Where it is
