Paul Sérusier’s “Celtic Tale” steals the show at Impressionist Exhibition put on by the AGO

BYLINE: Bushra Azim Boblai, Arts & Culture Editor

I had high expectations for the Art Gallery of Ontario’s The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse, which is on display from July 1 for annual pass holders, and July 7 for the general public, until October 18. 

It was particularly grating at the media preview, to hear one of the curators go on and on about how much of a revolution this loosely defined movement was. This so-called revolution only came about because of actual revolutions like the Industrial Revolution and the Paris Commune. 

However, “Celtic Tale”, the 1894 piece by Paul Sérusier, a French post-Impressionist who studied under Paul Gauguin, made up for it. The halo-like outline of the druid figures in a field of light greens is beautifully contrasted with the darker tones of reds, greys, yellows, and greens used to depict the human life of the Celts who inspired the folklore of this painting. Sérusier also imparts a charming animistic quality to the stream flowing over a rock that is in line with Celtic mythology. 

The haunting presence of modern, possibly priestly figures who are spying on this dreamy vision from a corner adds another dimension to the complexity of this painting. A must-visit!

Florence Pernet’s World Cup photographs through the TV screen

BYLINE: Bushra Azim Boblai, Arts & Culture Editor

Florence Pernet, a Paris-based international sports photographer, who has photographed events like the most recent Summer and Winter Olympics and ad campaigns for Nike and Lacoste, was denied accreditation to this year’s FIFA World Cup. Despite not being able to shoot the events live, Pernet has managed to produce beautiful work from TV broadcasts.

Her photograph of Kylian Mbappé, the legendary French soccer player, presents a Janus-like blur of his face in frown. Mbappé’s jersey, due to Pernet’s angle and edit, looks like it is still in motion while his face is captured still.

A picture of two football teams, one in white, one in blue, mid-play, looks like electronic sheep in a fantastic hallucination against the green of the pitch.

The World Cup is a time of heightened emotion on display. Pernet’s images of a dystopian, techno, hypercapitalist version eerily capture the spirit of this year’s North American tournament.

Olivia Rodrigo debuts best album yet

BYLINE: Taimoore Yousaf, Sports Editor

As someone who was too young for The Weeknd’s Trilogy mixtapes and didn’t fully appreciate Justin Bieber’s iconic rise, I am glad to witness the emergence of a new superstar. Olivia Rodrigo’s latest album is a triumph — her best one yet! 

you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love draws influence from new wave and synth-pop, particularly The Cure — frontman Robert Smith is even the singular feature on the album, appearing on “what’s wrong with me.” The result is an incredibly polished and confident record. 

Rodrigo’s vocals soar over producer Dan Nigro’s lush instrumentation. She continues to display versatility, effortlessly balancing standout ballads like “honeybee” with high-tempo bangers like “expectations.” Rodrigo’s pen has sharpened; her blend of wit and raw emotional depth makes the record feel deeply personal yet universally resonant. 

I typically reserve the ‘generational’ label for those who redefine the pop landscape, but with you seem pretty sad, Rodrigo has solidified her position as the defining modern pop star.

The bizarre return of Phoebe Bridgers

BYLINE: Bushra Azim Boblai, Arts & Culture Editor

There has been much speculation about the return of Phoebe Bridgers. The patron saint of sad music hasn’t released new music as a solo artist in six years. Her last release was with her band boygenius in 2023. The rumour mill exploded in January, when the singer’s mother reposted a fan theory on Instagram about a new album from her daughter coming out this year.

We now know that Bridgers’ third album, Lost Weekend, will be released next month on August 14. The album’s first single, “Lost Boys” was released last Thursday on June 25.

Bridgers keeps toying with the techno-gothic doomsday Americana aesthetic, and its presence in this song and music video feels repetitive at best. Additionally, the references to the group of boys from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan who never grow up feel very common and overused. Even Bridgers’ scream does not have the effect it did in “I Know the End.” 

Then there is the criticism of the phone. Bridgers will be banning cell phones from all stops on her upcoming tour. In “Lost Boys” she also makes reference to her dislike of the technology through a refrain in the prechorus: “This machine is killing me.” 

In my opinion, Lorde executed the condemnation of the phone in a better way on Solar Power, when she throws away her cell phone in the water at the beach and can no longer be reached by the movers and shakers of the music industry. However, I am still holding out hope that the rest of Bridgers’ concept is more exciting than this initial single.

Jinwoo Park’s Oxford Soju Club is the perfect read for a hot day

BYLINE: Bushra Azim Boblai, Arts & Culture Editor

Spy novels hit different in the summer. Even now that I have very little time to lazily lounge in the sultry heat, reading this novel from Montréal author Jinwoo Park and Toronto publisher Dundurn Press, was a summer highlight.

The book centres around Yohan Kim, a young North Korean spy whose mentor, Doha Kim, has just been murdered, and Yunah Choi, a Korean American CIA agent trying to uncover a North Korean spy cell. The two circle each other as they each try to find answers without being taken out.

I appreciated how well fleshed out the North Korean characters are in this book. Park does not resort to cheap tropes and ignorant stereotypes. Instead, we are given a heartwrenching story about belonging, diaspora, and sacrifice.