Tim Whiten facts for kids

Grover Timothy Whiten RCA (born August 13, 1941) is an artist from Canada and the U.S. He creates art using many different materials. His work includes sculptures, drawings, and performance art. He also makes large installations. Tim Whiten has also been a teacher for many years.

About Tim Whiten's Life

Tim Whiten was born in Inkster, Michigan, USA, on August 13, 1941. He went to Central Michigan University and earned a degree in 1964. Later, he received a master's degree from the University of Oregon in 1966.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Whiten moved to Canada in 1968. He started teaching at York University in Toronto. In 1970, he helped start the new Faculty of Fine Arts there. He taught at York University for 39 years. He retired in 2007 and is now a Professor Emeritus. This means he is a retired professor who keeps his title.

Whiten's Unique Art Style

Tim Whiten sees himself as an "image maker" who creates "cultural objects." He has studied Zen Buddhism and the Kabbala. These studies influence his art.

He often uses everyday items in his artwork. These can be tools like brooms or shovels, or toys like rocking horses. He believes these objects, which represent work and play, can make viewers think differently. Whiten aims for his art to be "transcendental," meaning it goes beyond normal experience.

Since the 1970s, Whiten has used human skulls in his art. For him, skulls are not about death. Instead, they represent "the potential in life" and respect for people who came before us. His art often explores the "human condition." This means he looks at how our bodies, spirits, and the Earth are all connected.

Exhibitions of Whiten's Art

Tim Whiten's art has been shown in many places. He has had solo exhibitions, which means only his work was on display. These shows have been at the Olga Korper Gallery in Toronto many times. His art has also been seen at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

In 2021, an exhibition called Tim Whiten: Tools of Conveyance showed his work from the 1960s until today. In 2022, four museums worked together on a project called Elemental: Ethereal. This project celebrated Whiten's art by focusing on the four classical elements: air, water, fire, and earth.

Special Art Installations

In 1976, Whiten worked with famous composer John Cage on a project called Lectures on the Weather. This was for the United States Bicentennial.

Whiten has also created many site-specific artworks. These are pieces made especially for a certain place, like a gallery or an art park. He has done these in cities like New York, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Where to See Whiten's Art

Many public art collections own Tim Whiten's work. These include the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery. His art is also part of the collections at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. You can also find his pieces at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto.

His work is also held by the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco. A full list of places that have his art can be found in his biography.

Awards and Honors

Tim Whiten has received several important awards. In 1989, he got the Distinguished Leadership Award for his great service to the arts. He also won the Faculty of Fine Arts Dean's Teaching Award from York University in 1999/2000.

In 2008, he was a finalist for the Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts. This award is given by the Government of Ontario. He is also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

In 2023, Tim Whiten received the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. This is a very high honor for artists in Canada.