Steven MacTaggart
Born June 15, 1967
Vancouver, Oakville, Toronto, Peterborough.
From his first life drawing classes at age seven, Steven has been exploring shape and the interplay of light and shadow in his paintings. Always passionate about the arts, he continued to hone his artistic view during his high school years, constantly drawing, regardless of the class subject at hand. At the Ontario College of Art (OCA) in Toronto, he chose the Experimental Art Program to avoid potential limitations on his creative energy. While there, he stretched his talent in new directions, including found art, film, video, sculpture, photography and other media.
Immersion into the art community and art history gave Steven a new freedom in his own work, as the constraints of a realistic art form began to give way to full expression of his vision of what art could be. "If I can understand the techniques and tricks of the masters, then I can better understand what choices I can make in my own work," said Steven, when asked why he loves studying art history.
Steven continued his art education by working in painting—from houses to murals, the latter becoming a business. Eventually settling in a Queen Street East warehouse, he found an exciting group of artists, actors and musicians to keep his energies alive and fuel his work with new ideas and diverse perspectives. The expansive studio space gave him the freedom to discover larger-scale work, explore multiple media and pursue ideas that had been percolating over time. As he found his artistic voice, he was drawn to the expressionist style through his personal love of the historical painters and as a natural extension of the way he paints.
Steven’s love of people, architecture and the outdoors is reflected in his painting with subjects that are diverse, provocative and emotional. He has explored both traditional and unconventional subjects and media, often mixing them in seemingly unrelated ways to create a fresh perspective on something ordinary or run of the mill. It is this unique approach and perspective that has kept his art fresh, interesting and new.
When asked why he liked being an artist, Steven responded, "I like to make people think, to have them feel something when they experience my art. It may not be a photo realistic picture of their childhood or the day they fell in love, but somehow the painting has evoked that feeling in them. Then my work has been fulfilled. That is a success for me."
Through extensive travel in Canada, New Zealand, Europe and North Africa, Steven continues to develop both his style and his perspective on life. As a student of humanity and nature, he is always learning about his world, and this understanding is reflected in what he shares with the viewer through his art.
Steven currently lives in Peterborough, Ontario, where he works from his studio and remains close to his family cottage and Northern Ontario, from where he has drawn so much of his inspiration.
Vancouver, Oakville, Toronto, Peterborough.
From his first life drawing classes at age seven, Steven has been exploring shape and the interplay of light and shadow in his paintings. Always passionate about the arts, he continued to hone his artistic view during his high school years, constantly drawing, regardless of the class subject at hand. At the Ontario College of Art (OCA) in Toronto, he chose the Experimental Art Program to avoid potential limitations on his creative energy. While there, he stretched his talent in new directions, including found art, film, video, sculpture, photography and other media.
Immersion into the art community and art history gave Steven a new freedom in his own work, as the constraints of a realistic art form began to give way to full expression of his vision of what art could be. "If I can understand the techniques and tricks of the masters, then I can better understand what choices I can make in my own work," said Steven, when asked why he loves studying art history.
Steven continued his art education by working in painting—from houses to murals, the latter becoming a business. Eventually settling in a Queen Street East warehouse, he found an exciting group of artists, actors and musicians to keep his energies alive and fuel his work with new ideas and diverse perspectives. The expansive studio space gave him the freedom to discover larger-scale work, explore multiple media and pursue ideas that had been percolating over time. As he found his artistic voice, he was drawn to the expressionist style through his personal love of the historical painters and as a natural extension of the way he paints.
Steven’s love of people, architecture and the outdoors is reflected in his painting with subjects that are diverse, provocative and emotional. He has explored both traditional and unconventional subjects and media, often mixing them in seemingly unrelated ways to create a fresh perspective on something ordinary or run of the mill. It is this unique approach and perspective that has kept his art fresh, interesting and new.
When asked why he liked being an artist, Steven responded, "I like to make people think, to have them feel something when they experience my art. It may not be a photo realistic picture of their childhood or the day they fell in love, but somehow the painting has evoked that feeling in them. Then my work has been fulfilled. That is a success for me."
Through extensive travel in Canada, New Zealand, Europe and North Africa, Steven continues to develop both his style and his perspective on life. As a student of humanity and nature, he is always learning about his world, and this understanding is reflected in what he shares with the viewer through his art.
Steven currently lives in Peterborough, Ontario, where he works from his studio and remains close to his family cottage and Northern Ontario, from where he has drawn so much of his inspiration.