Andrew James Paterson wins Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts
Alumnus Andrew James Paterson is one of eight recipients of the 2019 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.
An interdisciplinary artist whose work draws upon literature, philosophy, queer aesthetics, performance art and music, Paterson, a University of Toronto alumnus, has a portfolio spanning nearly 40 years. His art is on display at the National Gallery of Canada.
Paterson said he was humbled by the honour and in awe of his fellow award winners, which include Indigenous art curator Lee-Ann Martin and environmental artist Marlene Creates.
“It’s slightly unbelievable because, in some ways, [I think] ‘Me? Among that company?’” said Paterson, who sees some of his art as “conceptual one-liners” that take a critical eye to language, technology, the human body, politics and capitalism.