At first glance, Ripley Whiteside’s suite of drawings appear as menageries of colourful and exotic aquatic species. However, Whiteside’s juxtaposition of rare, beautiful and foreign underwater species now found in the Greater Toronto Area is informed by a deeper investigation of the ecological consequences of both aquacultural development and our need for spectacle.
Originally from North Carolina, Ripley Whiteside is a Montreal-based visual artist. He graduated with a BFA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2008, and earned a MFA from the State University of New York-Buffalo in 2012. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions in the U.S. and Canada, and is the recipient of various grants and residencies.