Exhibitions

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY (B. 1978): Todd Lawson’s artwork has graced many international commercial projects and has been displayed in art galleries throughout North America; including Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver and the UK. Though born in Canada, Todd grew up in Southern and Central Florida. After a turbulent youth built around a love of loud music, sketchbooks, skateboarding, and friends he left the South to return to Canada where he attended Sheridan College’s Illustration and Post-Graduate Illustration programs. Originally started as a commercial artist and transitioned into a gallery artist in 2005. In 2010 his work progressed to larger pieces and a more traditional painterly style from its previous graphic, surreal-pop art style with a focus on landscapes and landmarks. Work has covered topics from the fantastical to dystopian theme parks to the French Quarter in New Orleans to known landmarks and locations across Canada.

He currently lives in Kingsville, Ontario a block from Lake Erie, and continues to focus on capturing landscapes with a twist in his work.

“I could tell you about how deep my work delves; personally, emotionally, and conceptually. I could tell you how much time I spend overthinking, sketching, and painting, how ideas get stuck in my head until I can think of nothing else, how I get stuck in my head, how the work juggles themes, concepts, and narrative metaphors on subjects that interest me. But in reality, I am a curious person by nature who is more comfortable expressing ideas and emotions visually and like to create work you and I can escape into and capture others in a moment. I am fascinated with symbolism, landmarks, roadside attractions, pop culture, nostalgia, and human nature. I will often go looking for a new subject or point of view to explore and become obsessed with.

Work is often rendered with precision and detail as I possess a distinctly logical mindset and am drawn to trying to solve different problems visually. However, I don’t allow reality to trap me and favor contemporary surrealism over pure representational work. This allows me to use various imagined figures, animals, and objects like actors, props, and backdrops on a theatre stage. Creating worlds with mixed stories and points of view for my audience to digest, discuss, and reflect upon. Most importantly feeding my curiosity. It’s been called whimsical, too sassy, awkward, smart, pretty, odd, offensive, challenging, and all sorts of adjectives. I prefer to simply say it reflects my interest in creating a different world. A world with a twist or two. Escape into my world for a little while.”

Spirits
Elaine Fleck Gallery
Toronto, ON
July 2022
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Visitors
Elaine Fleck Gallery
Toronto, ON
July 2021
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Idols
Elaine Fleck Gallery
Toronto, ON
June 2020

Paranoia by Submission
The Staircase
Hamilton, ON
June 2005