Love affair at Coastline Gallery

Trevor Goodwin’s love affair with painting began through an attraction to graffiti art and its use of typography. He set aside his formal training as a graphic designer in 1998 in order to focus on the fine arts full-time, and has been showing his work in solo and groups shows exhibitions across Canada since 2001.

 

While making his mark in Toronto’s arts scene, Goodwin was committed over the years to in many community-based public arts projects; urban arts festivals in Toronto, in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario and Nuit Blanche. Additionally, he curated and operated a gallery dedicated to showing young and emergent artists. These shows also served to further the career opportunities of  participants involved in the festivals he was hosting.

 

His work is driven by bold line and color and the classical themes of love, life, death and introspection. He has also maintained his interest in design concepts, which can be seen in the strong use of line and graphic aesthetics in his paintings today.

 

Presently, Goodwin has focused on mastering the art of tattooing, where his drawing skills were the focus of his artistic evolution. He has now adapted a more comprehensive style that includes a diverse range of influences that include Japanese Ukiyo-e and traditional (North)American Nautical-themed tattoo work.

 

Born in Nova Scotia and raised in Ontario, Goodwin’s love for nature and the ocean brought him back to gather inspiration through exploring his roots. He describes himself as  "a philosophical soul who finds joy and escape through painting, where the world ceases to exist and where I find solitude inside myself."

 

All other things considering, Goodwin gains great satisfaction in creating mystery in an already enigmatic world.