DANIEL SOLOMON

For collectors of Canadian abstraction, the work of Daniel Solomon represents an important link in the evolution of Toronto modernism. For more than five decades, Solomon’s vivid colour-field abstractions have contributed to the development of postwar Canadian painting, positioning him as a pivotal “bridge” figure between the second generation of modernists associated with Jack Bush and the later generation of painters who extended lyrical abstraction in Toronto. His work is valued for its distinctive chromatic intensity, expressive gesture, and the structural intelligence that underpins his compositions—qualities that place him within the lineage of significant Canadian abstractionists whose practices shaped the visual language of the country’s contemporary art scene.

Born in Topeka, Kansas in 1945 and raised in Salem, Oregon, Solomon initially studied architecture at the University of Oregon (1963–1967). Exposure to painting, drawing, and sculpture during his studies redirected his interests toward fine art, a shift that would ultimately define his career. In 1967 he emigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto, where he quickly became immersed in the city’s thriving modernist painting community. By 1970 he joined the faculty of the OCAD University, where he later became a professor in Drawing and Painting, influencing generations of emerging Canadian artists.

Solomon’s artistic practice is rooted in abstraction and distinguished by complex colour relationships, energetic gesture, and a personal “visual handwriting.” His paintings often feature oversized brushstrokes, rhythmic patterning, and dynamic spatial relationships that convey both immediacy and control. While his work reflects the legacy of the Toronto colour-field tradition, Solomon pushed that vocabulary toward a more improvisational and gestural approach, blending emotional resonance with an underlying architectural order derived from his early training.

Although best known as a painter, Solomon has worked across multiple mediums including watercolour, sculpture, painted wood screens, and stage design. These explorations reflect his broader interest in spatial rhythm, surface, and the physical presence of colour. Early in his Toronto career, Solomon worked at the David Mirvish Gallery (1968–1970), where he encountered many of the leading abstract painters of the period and soon began exhibiting alongside them. His work appeared in key exhibitions of the 1970s, including Canada x Ten at the Art Gallery of Alberta in 1974 and David Mirvish Gallery: A Selection of Paintings in Toronto in 1976, where his paintings were often shown in dialogue with those of David Bolduc.

International exposure followed with his inclusion in 14 Canadians: A Critic’s Choice at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in 1977. Over the course of his career Solomon has exhibited widely through galleries including Isaacs Gallery and the David Mirvish Gallery in Toronto, Elca London Gallery in Montreal, and later the John Mann Gallery (formerly 13th Street Gallery) and Hatch Gallery in Prince Edward County, often alongside fellow abstractionist Paul Sloggett. His work has also been presented in public institutions such as the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Critics including Roald Nasgaard have identified Solomon as a key figure linking the second generation of Toronto modernists with a later wave of painters that includes Alex Cameron and Paul Sloggett. In this role, Solomon helped advance the language of colour-field and lyrical abstraction into a more individualized and gestural mode, reinforcing his importance within the broader narrative of Canadian modernist painting.

Solomon’s work is held in major public and corporate collections including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the University of Toronto, and the University of Lethbridge, among others. Public commissions include a large outdoor mural on Toronto’s Flatiron Building (1971) and Martha’s Vineyard, an outdoor painted metal sculpture installed at 13th Street Winery in 2013.

Recipient of multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Solomon’s career reflects sustained recognition of his contribution to Canadian art. Today, his work stands as an important chapter in the history of Toronto abstraction—one defined by bold colour, expressive gesture, and a lifelong commitment to expanding the possibilities of abstract painting in Canada.

Collector’s Perspective:
From a collector’s standpoint, the work of Daniel Solomon represents an important opportunity to acquire a piece of Toronto’s modernist legacy. As a painter frequently identified as a bridge between the generation of Jack Bush and later abstractionists such as Paul Sloggett and Alex Cameron, Solomon occupies a significant position within the narrative of Canadian abstraction. His vivid colour relationships, bold gestural language, and distinctive compositional structure reflect the evolution of colour-field painting in Canada while maintaining a personal and improvisational visual vocabulary. For collectors building a serious Canadian collection, Solomon’s work represents both historical continuity and artistic innovation within the Toronto abstraction movement.

Equally compelling is Solomon’s long-standing presence within Canada’s institutional and academic landscape. His decades as a professor at OCAD University, combined with exhibitions at prominent venues and representation in major public collections including the Art Gallery of Ontario, underscore the lasting impact of his practice. As attention continues to grow around the third generation of Toronto abstractionists, works by Solomon—particularly strong canvases from key periods—are increasingly recognized for their art historical importance. For collectors, acquiring his work offers not only a visually compelling painting but also a meaningful connection to the evolution of modernist abstraction in Canada.

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