How a Highway 401 exit in southwestern Ontario inspired several works of art

A certain stretch of Highway 401 is somewhat famous in the art world, even as thousands of its daily commuters likely pass by without so much as a glance.

Exit 232 near Woodstock, Ont. is the subject of an iconic painting by the late London, Ont. artist Jack Chambers. 401 Towards London No. 1, created in 1968-69, is displayed at the Art Gallery of Ontario and is considered one of Chambers' most famous works.

Forty years after its creation, it served as inspiration for London artist, Gary Spearin.

When Exit 232 was moved slightly westward from its original location in 2018, Spearin visited the site to create some art of his own. Now, a work from Spearin's 2018 Woodstock Art Gallery exhibit 401EXIT232 has found a permanent home at Museum London.

Spearin told CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive about how this collection of work was inspired by what Chambers saw in that particular stretch of highway decades ago. The following was edited for breadth and clarity.

Can you tell us about that particular stretch of the 401 and why it's so important to the art world?

Jack Chambers was inspired by the 401 - which was very young in those days - in 1968 and '69. He was inspired by seeing something in his rearview mirror. He said the light in the situation was very intriguing to him. So, he came back the next day and specifically took photos from the Exit 232 bridge that overlooks the highway, looking west towards London. It's become an iconic image, and it really captures that time period of Ontario artwork.

For anyone who's seen it, I'm sure it sticks in their minds. The sky is so big and the horizon is slightly tilted to the left. What do you feel when you look at that painting?

There's a certain awe to it, which is really marvellous. It's a really big painting, so it's wonderful how it encompasses you as you see it. And that curve at Woodstock is also where the weather changes. You either get the Lake Erie winds or the Lake Huron winds running through there, and when you look at the Chambers painting you can see the diagonal movement of the clouds, which is probably a Lake Huron wind coming through.

It also inspired you to create a series of work a few years ago, including this piece that is now part of the Museum London collection. What inspired all of this?

I've driven along the highway many times. Even back in the early '80s, I remember thinking to myself, 'Chambers' painting is around here somewhere.' I'd be thinking about it and looking for it. So, it was interesting to think about how we could celebrate this spot's past, but also think of where we are right now. Woodstock Art Gallery curator Mary Reid contacted Ontario's Ministry of Transportation and they were really supportive. They didn't know anything about the Chambers painting, but they opened up the opportunity for me to go on the new Exit 232 bridge while it was under construction. I went there four or five times and photographed for hours.

The highway has changed since Chambers' day. It's a much, much louder experience now than I'm sure it was in 1968. And there are six lanes instead of four. You just can't believe the constant river of traffic that's flowing through there. And I wanted it. I wanted to capture that in the photographic work I did.

You really get a sense of that. I feel like I can almost hear that noise in that series of photos that you put together.

Yeah, that was really important to note. I was asking, 'what is the experience now?' It inspired me to think, 'what is it now, and how can I can encompass that?'

You also did a painting for that exhibit called Paved Silence. To me, it looks like a sequel to the Chambers painting.

That's from a cellphone picture I took the first day we went with MTO onto the Exit 232 bridge while it was really under construction. I was looking westward, and I really wanted that space between the viewer and the first cars you see to be empty, versus the eastbound side, which is very populated. So you get two extremes happening. And you do get that sense of silence. The pavement has a very silent feel to it.

Most people probably can't picture being inspired by a stretch of highway, or something that's simply part of their daily commute. How often do you find yourself feeling inspiration from something that you see every day?

I take photos every day, so I'm kind of inspired by that. There's inspiration wherever I go. I guess that's part of my practice. It doesn't mean it's going to be in a final work, but I'm looking all the time and it's an enjoyment. It helps me think about things that you wouldn't normally think about as you go through your day-to-day routine. I look for those moments that open up the way I might think about things.

How does it feel to have that work becoming part of the permanent collection at Museum London?

I'm very excited by that. I'm very glad that Museum London will have that work. It's part of London's art history in terms of Chambers, and the highway is part of London's life.