"On Our Radar" is a monthly 49th Shelf series featuring books with buzz worth sharing. We bring you links to features and reviews about great new books in a multitude of genres from all around the Internet.

*****

Introducing Suzy Lake, by Sophie Hackett

"The artist regards us like an unbowed veteran of a long and difficult campaign." 

This career retrospective accompanies the exhibit on now at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Read more about the exhibit, also called "Introducing Suzy Lake," in Rupert Everett-Green's recent review in the Globe and Mail.

*****

Wilf Perrault: In the Alley by Dave Margoshes (Editor), Timothy Long and Donald Kerr

We were pleased to feature an excerpt from In the Alley on our blog earlier this month, a book that commemorates the Wilf Perrault exhibit on at the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Regina until January 4.

"I was never a cutting edge artist," Donald Kerr quotes Perreault as saying. "All I want to be is true to me. I’ll be a cutting edge artist someday."

*****

Norval Morrisseau: Man Changing Into Thunderbird by Armand Garnet Ruffo

In this new biography of the iconic Ojibway shaman-artist, Ruffo creates a rich and innovative portrayal of Morrisseau, a charismatic and troubled figure. In a recent interview, Ruffo affirms the painter's importance:

"[Morrisseau] made it new. He shows the relevance of this amazing culture. He showed that there is so much there that has been overlooked and how artists can use this, whether you’re a writer, playwright, filmmaker, or a visual artist. [The culture is] very rich.” 

*****

Colville by Andrew Hunter

Andrew Hunter's book is part of the Alex Colville Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which runs until January 4. In a recent Q&A with Quill and Quire, Hunter (the AGO's curator of Canadian Art) discussed the experience of writing for the book: 

"It’s a bit like Colville: you never know what’s around the corner. In the book, things just emerge. I didn’t plan on quoting the Talking Heads extensively but then these phrases just kept coming up: 'You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife. And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?"'

I think these are the sorts of philosophical questions that Colville thought about."

*****

Wild Women: Painters of the Wilderness by Joyce Burkholder, Kathy Haycock and Linda Sorensen

Of this collection of paintings that celebrate the wilderness as seen through the eyes of artists Burkholder, Haycock and Sorsenson, author Sandra Gulland has commented:

"Wild Women is an extraordinary collection of brilliant work that captures a uniquely Canadian wilderness. Burkholder, Haycock and Sorensen are talented artists, original and dedicated. One could spend many an enchanted hour turning the pages of this beautiful book. Wild Women may well become a collector's edition."

***** 

A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison by Margriet Ruurs and Katherine Gibson

For kids! In her review in CM Magazine, Reesa Cohen notes:

"This outstanding biography does more than just inform the reader of Ted Harrison's life in a well organized way. A Brush Full of Colour is indicative of the spirit and passion of its subject and richly illuminates a national treasure!"