Ted Tucker is an Ottawa-born artist now living and working in Toronto. Tucker graduated with a focus on Painting and Drawing from the Ontario College of Art and Design (now OCAD University) in 2002 and a Masters of Fine Arts from Concordia University in 2013. He was the recipient of multiple awards and visual arts grants from his respective schools as well as the Ontario Art Council and Toronto Arts Councils. Additionally, he was also a finalist for the 2011 Kingston Prize People’s Choice Award for his watercolour on paper piece, Liam. His work has been displayed in multiple galleries across Toronto from the Drake Hotel to the Fran Hill Gallery and has also been featured at global events like the Toronto International Art Fair and Scope Basel Art Fair in 2010.
Ted Tucker’s artistry has been described as a “frat fantasy,” exuding a sense of machismo that was often seen in 1980’s to early 2000’s movies and media. Inspired by his experiences with loud parties, football, beer, forests, and the jock adolescent experience, Tucker’s work remembers a period in his life that he holds dear. The result of his jumbled and fragmented recollections of these moments are these graphic paintings: a series of memorabilia from both true and exaggerated life stories. Using a myriad of different mediums from watercolour to a mix of oil and acrylic, his work intentionally invokes scenes and posters that could come right out of a high-energy teen comedy or a supernatural slasher film echoing the essence of popular culture from Tucker’s youth. Tucker’s work has been featured in Christopher Cutts Gallery since the “BlazeDays” exhibition in 2006 and the “NC-17” show in 2008. More recently, Tucker’s work was also displayed at the “Director’s Choice II” event from February to March 2015.
