Ontario for your Summer Pleasure

Description

This exuberant assemblage by Kevin Roach is a joyful ode to mid-century Ontario summer culture—a fusion of signage art and folk bricolage that captures the cheerful optimism of a roadside attraction or cottage-country souvenir shop.

Anchored by a hand-lettered sign proclaiming “Ontario for your summertime pleasure” in bold vintage typography, the piece is built on a weathered red wooden backdrop, evoking old cabins, boathouses, and general stores dotting the Muskoka and Georgian Bay regions. Below the sign, Roach layers a whimsical arrangement of salvaged objects: Bakelite knobs, radio tubes, metal switches, and even a mixer beater, which come together like a rustic control panel for the perfect summer.

This piece pulses with nostalgic warmth—its joyful improvisation and rhythmic layout recall jukeboxes, boat dashboards, and the whirring machinery of a carefree, analog past. Roach’s genius lies in his ability to blend the absurd with the familiar, making this both an object of humor and affection. It speaks to memory, play, and the uniquely Canadian ideal of summer as a ritual of retreat and reinvention.

Perfect for collectors who value handcrafted authenticity, roadside nostalgia, and the culture of cottage life, this work stands as both a tribute and a totem to Ontario’s lakeside leisure and Roach’s deep affection for its stories.

Condition: Excellent

Vertical
19.75
Horizontal
34.75

Depth
5