Robert Fones wins Governor General's Award for Visual Art

The eight recipients of the 2011 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts were announced on February 22, 2011, by the Canada Council for the Arts at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.

Among the photographers, filmmakers and metalsmiths was Coach House author and visual artist Robert Fones, who, like all the other award winners, will receive a $25,000 prize and a special issue medallion. The medallion will be given to the eight winners on March 23 during a ceremony at Rideau Hall.

Of Robert Fones's work, the Canada Council said, 'Whether creating a unique font for use in his work, teaching design and design history, writing, curating or producing his own art, Toronto artist Robert Fones expresses his large-scale vision with sincerity and directness.'

Fones produced the Coach House title Head Paintings, which anthropomorphizes geometric shapes through precise rendering into a series of faces. Head Paintings is now available again in a limited edition of 40 copies from Coach House. Or you can view the pages of the book online.

For more details on all the 2011 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts, visit the Canada Council website.

Photo portrait: Canada Council for the Arts / Martin Lipman