His skillfully executed realist paintings of conventionally unremarkable spaces or objects provide a sense of familiarity...
Derek McLarty is based in London, Ontario, Canada. Formerly, he divided his time between his career in education and that of a visual artist. Recently, however, he has chosen to pivot to full time artmaking. With his time devoted to artistic pursuits his creative output has grown in quantity while the shift has enabled him to add greater variety to his subject matter and to become more involved in his art community.
Derek’s work has been exhibited in (among others) the following art galleries: The Edward Day Gallery, The Michael Gibson Gallery, The Westland Gallery, The Harbinger Gallery, The Marten Arts Gallery, The Ian Tan Gallery, The Thames Gallery, Gallery 133 and The Glenhyrst Gallery.
Derek's artwork and exhibitions have been consistently reviewed in the local media. His works have also been reproduced in Canadian Art Magazine as well as Toronto Life Magazine. McLarty’s work was featured in the Westland Gallery Artists’ Calendar.
Derek’s work is represented in private collections across Canada. Corporate collectors include Scotiabank (Waterloo offices), Emco Corporation (London ON), St. Joseph’s Hospital (London ON) and Hyatt Lasseline (Windsor). His works have also been displayed by the Thames Valley District School Board and the City of London.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Derek McLarty is a Canadian artist known for his contemplative paintings of urban spaces and vintage objects. His skillfully executed realist paintings of conventionally unremarkable spaces or objects provide a sense of familiarity, an acceptance of calm and a welcome pause for the viewer. While Derek continues to forge a reputation for depicting deserted streets, halls, stairwells, as well as still life compositions of vintage objects, his recent experimentation with human figures is adding a new layer of complexity to his work.