Natalie Wood, Lawn Jockey (blue) (2025)
Natalie Wood
Lawn Jockey (blue)
2025
linocut print on canson paper, wire, beads, cowrie shells, acrylic ink, markers, and paillettes
unique variant
4.5 x 3.25 inches
Natalie Wood was invited to "do" the tree at our 29th edition of Christmas Spice. This series is called May You Always Find Your North Star. The original holiday exhibition inspired by the idea that someone might one day acquire or gift their first work of art, for as little as $2 (remember those temporary tattoos by FASTWÜRMS?), with new works and works from the vault, made by gallery and guest artists.
Born and raised in Trinidad, Natalie Wood arrived in Toronto in 1984 to study psychology, sociology and women's studies at the University of Toronto before obtaining her studio training at Ontario College of Art. Wood then went on to complete an MA in Art Education from OISE, at the University of Toronto, in 2000.
We first encountered Natalie’s work on Queen St West in 2001, in a series of grass roots group and solo exhibitions at Zsa Zsa, a small artist-run gallery a block away from us, with Thin Lizzie (2001), The Michael Jackson Project (2003), Relay (2003, a solo exhibition), and Pot Modern (2005), all curated by artist Andrew Harwood. Shortly after, her work was curated by, amongst others, Michelle Jacques, Nuit Blanche (2007), Scott McLeod, Prefix Institute (2007), Pamela Edmonds and Carla Garnet, Streaming Alterity Art Gallery of Peterborough (2012) and Geneviève Wallen, OCADU (2015). Wood's video works have been screened at festivals including, the New York Mix Film and Video Festival, Inside Out, Images Festival, Pleasure Dome and the Mpenzi Film and Video festival where she won the Audience Choice Award in 2006. Recent exhibitions include the Aird Gallery (2020) in conjunction with the CONTACT Photography Festival (2020) and Charles St Video (2020). Wood's work was featured in the solo exhibition They Say We Can’t Breathe Underwater at A Space in 2022 and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea at Paul Petro Contemporary Art in 2024.
Wood's work cohabits the areas of popular culture, education and historical research, spanning the visual and media arts. The practice includes painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, video and performance, and extends into Wood's work as a curator, educator and community-based queer activist.
Wood is currently a tenured Professor in the Social Service Work Program at George Brown College where she co-founded and coordinated their Social Innovation Hub, an early stage incubator. She is also pursuing a PhD through the Faculty of Environmental Studies program at York University. Exordium is Wood's first exhibition at Paul Petro Contemporary Art.
