- From the Dalhousie Art Gallery: Gerald Ferguson, 9 Drain Covers, 2006. Acrylic enamel on canvas Photo: Steve Farmer
Retired NSCAD prof and influential conceptual artist Gerald Ferguson passed away at the age of 72. For almost 40 years, up until 2006, Ferguson taught at the art university, staying true to the conceptual spirit, while maintaining his own acclaimed practice. Best known his sculptural piece, “1,000,000 Pennies,” which was indeed made up of one million copper pennies, Ferguson told CBC News that “‘1,000,000 Canadian Pennies’ will exist ‘regardless of the vagaries of the art world and my career or anything else. The old adage that works of art appreciate in value over time, well this really will…Because it could be worth a little bit more, unless the whole economy collapses.'”
This article appears in Oct 8-14, 2009.