A Life Rooted in London

Greg Curnoe lived much of his life within a small radius of his childhood home in London, Ontario. Born on November 19, 1936, at Victoria Hospital, he grew up in a house built by his grandfather, surrounded by the familiar landscapes of Southwestern Ontario. His early years were shaped by the simple joys of local surroundings, such as the bright colors found in comic books and the quiet observation of his neighborhood. This deep connection to his surroundings eventually became the foundation of his creative output.

His formal education took him from H. B. Beal Technical and Commercial High School to the Doon School of Fine Arts in Kitchener, and later to the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. While his time in Toronto brought him into contact with new ideas, his heart remained tied to London. Upon returning home in 1960, he did not merely settle into a studio; he began to build an entire community for artists. He helped launch Region magazine and the Region Gallery, creating spaces where local production could flourish. His commitment to his peers was practical and fierce, leading him to help found the Canadian Artists' Representation to advocate for the rights and royalties of creators across the country.

The Language of the Everyday

Curnoe’s work often felt like a personal diary, recorded through a variety of media including painting, sculpture, video, and photography. He had a particular way of using text to ground his images in reality. In 1961, he began using rubber stamps with uppercase letters, a technique that allowed him to list names of childhood friends or record daily observations directly onto his supports. This practice of stamping, stencilling, and handwriting turned his canvases into something more than just pictures; they became documents of a life lived.

His interest in the Dada movement brought an element of play and anarchism to his practice. He was not afraid of the unconventional, co-founding the Nihilist Spasm Band, a group that made music on homemade instruments. This spirit of experimentation extended to his early artist books, such as Rain and The Walk from 1962, which are noted as some of the first of their kind in Canada. Whether he was working with 16mm film or large-scale paintings, Curnoe focused on the minutiae of his world—the people, the politics, and the local culture that defined his existence.

A Legacy of Regionalism

The movement known as London Regionalism grew from the energy Curnoe helped cultivate in Ontario. His work was often characterized by bright, saturated colors and a strong sense of Canadian identity. He used his art to engage with politics and popular culture, sometimes expressing a clear anti-American sentiment or a deep patriotism for his home. One of his most ambitious projects was the mural Homage to the R34, a massive work of over 32 meters in length created for the Dorval International Airport in Montreal. The piece featured a stream-of-consciousness mix of autobiographical details and historical figures, though its controversial nature led to its eventual removal.

Curnoe’s career took him to international stages like the Venice Biennale and the Sao Paulo Bienal, yet he remained an artist of his specific place. His life ended tragically on November 14, 1992, when he was killed by a vehicle while out on a bicycle ride with his club. He left behind a body of work held in major institutions such as the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Through his activism and his art, he ensured that the local experiences of London, Ontario, were recorded with clarity and conviction.