Spring Hurlbut (born 11 April 1952) is a Canadian artist, known for work that deals with the relationship between sculpture and architecture, and with themes of mortality. She lives and works in Toronto.

Education

Hurlbut studied at the

Ontario College of Art and Design Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within do ...

, now known as

OCAD University Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within do ...

from 1971 to 1973 and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University) from 1973 to 1975.

Works

Early in her career, Hurlbut created on-site work using plaster that dispelled the 'common assumption that our built environment simply exists'. Beginning in her studio in 1977, Hurlbut made a number of wall works. A hand plastered wall work ''The Wall'' was made in the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1981 and the

Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart The Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart was founded in 1827 and is one of the oldest art associations in Germany. The association, which today has around 3,000 members, is based in the Kunstgebäude Stuttgart and is dedicated to communicating ...

in 1983. The installation ''Three Tree Columns'' was featured at the Toronto Sculpture Garden in 1986 and on the campus of York University in 1989. Its components included actual tree trunks with

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

bases and capitals made from steel. In her later work, she investigated the origins of classical Greek architecture. ''Ovo and Claw Entablature'' (1990) is an example of such work. ''The Final Sleep/Le Dernier Sommeil'' was an installation created from Artifacts in the

Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...

in 2001 In the mid 90s Hurlbut began to photograph cremated ashes. Several of those works, ''Mary #3'' (2006), ''Peewee #2'' (2007) and ''Scarlett #1'' (2005) are in the collection of the

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the l ...

. ''Airborne'', a slow-motion video work from 2008 is a reflection on mortality. It documents the release of human ashes entrusted to the artist by relatives of the deceased, including her own father. Hurlbut and her partner, the photographer

Arnaud Maggs Arnaud Maggs (May 5, 1926 – November 17, 2012) was a Canadian artist and photographer. Born in Montreal, Maggs is best known for stark portraits arranged in grid-like arrangements, which illustrate his interest in systems of identification and c ...

, were the subject of the film ''Spring & Arnaud'', which premiered at the

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and June ...

in April 2013. In the 1990s, Hurlbut and Maggs divided their time between Toronto and France, spending their summers exploring French flea markets and finding objects to incorporate into their works, which explored similar themes of time, life and death, and loss. Hurlbut's work is in the permanent collection of the

Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MACM) is a contemporary art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the Place des festivals in the Quartier des spectacles and is part of the Place des Arts complex. Founded in 1964, it is ...

and the National Gallery of Canada. Hurlbut was awarded the

Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts are annual awards for achievements in visual and media arts in Canada. Up to eight awards are presented annually with the prize amount is $25,000 Created in 2000 by then Governor General Adrie ...

in 2018.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurlbut, Spring Living people Canadian women artists 1952 births Canadian sculptors Artists from Toronto Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners