John Oswald is a multi-disciplinary media/sound
artist, composer, musician, dancer and
photographer. Since 1999, he has amassed a
diverse and extensive image database of friends,
acquaintances and strangers. Oswald’s work is
about metamorphosis, and his images, captured
individually and later brought together digitally,
create complex portraiture. His artistic
vocabulary is based largely on experimentation,
and the development of ideas often leads to
discoveries of another nature. Oswald’s trompe
l’oeil images in three transit shelters at the
intersection of Queen Street West and Shaw
Street, coincide with an exhibition across the
street at the Edward Day Gallery – see FEATURE
EXHIBITIONS.

In 2004, Oswald was the recipient of the Governor
General’s Award, and for his previous exhibition at
Edward Day, the Untitled Art Award for Best
Show in a Commercial Gallery. He is well
known for his plunderphonics, which involves
using samples of existing recordings to create a
new work. In recent years, his work premiered at
the Boston Symphony Hall and the Museum
of Technology in Vienna, and his pieces have been
performed by the CBC Orchestra and the National
Ballet of Canada.