This summer, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery and Durham Art Gallery are partnering to present Content is Just a Glimpse, a two-part exhibition exploring the life, work, and creative circle of Robert Markle (1936–1990). Presented simultaneously across both venues, the exhibition offers a multifaceted portrait of one of Canada’s most distinctive artistic voices.
Markle emerged as a major figure within Toronto’s art scene in the 1960s. Best known for his expressive and often provocative depictions of the female nude, he developed a multidisciplinary practice that moved between painting, sculpture, music, writing, and teaching. Driven by curiosity, experimentation, and a commitment to creative freedom, he became one of the most distinctive artists of his generation.
A significant turning point came in 1970 following a serious motorcycle accident that temporarily limited his ability to paint. Soon afterward, Markle and his wife and lifelong muse, Marlene Markle, left Toronto and eventually settled on a rural property near Holstein. The move transformed the context in which they lived and worked, bringing them into closer contact with the rhythms of rural life.
While the female figure remained central to his practice, Markle’s work increasingly reflected an interest in movement, colour, and vernacular artistic traditions. Beginning in the mid-1980s, he created a series of colourful kinetic sculptures he called whirligigs.
Inspired by examples he collected throughout rural southwestern Ontario, these wind-driven works translated recurring themes from his paintings into three dimensions. Unlike traditional whirligigs depicting farmers, animals, or scenes of everyday life animated by spinning parts, Markle’s versions feature nudes, paint brushes, snakes, and even the artist himself. Their movement and theatricality reflect his sense of humour and long-standing interest in performance and improvisation.
A highlight of the exhibition is a newly commissioned film produced collaboratively by the Tom Thomson Art Gallery and Durham Art Gallery. Created by filmmaker Jesse McCracken, the video documents the reassembly of a large whirligig sculpture that Markle created decades ago, and which had remained in pieces in his former studio. Working alongside staff from both galleries, Marlene Markle reconstructs the sculpture in front of the home they once shared while reflecting on her life with Robert.
Drawing primarily from works in Marlene’s personal collection and the collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Content is Just a Glimpse traces the people who informed the artist’s work—his muses, artistic peers, and creative community.
Together, the exhibition and film offer a rare opportunity to encounter Robert Markle not only as an influential artist, but also as a husband, collaborator, musician, and enduring presence within Grey County’s cultural landscape.
Shannon Bingeman is the Curator of Exhibitions & Collections at Tom Thompson Art Gallery.