By Beth Stewart
This is the sixth in an ongoing series in which The Beat Magazine 2025 takes readers “Behind The Scenes” to meet the talented creative individuals who make the London area such a vibrant arts and culture community.
In this segment, Beth Stewart profiles Visual Artist Derek McLarty.
(Pictured: Derek McLarty, “Underwood”, oil on canvas, 24 by 30 inches. Image courtesy of the artist.)
Derek McLarty paints everyday items that have acquired a certain patina as the result of their journey through time. He describes his art as a reaction to our disposable society. His subjects are often analogue objects from a time when we did not “gorge our landfills” with items whose only crime is to have fallen out of fashion. Examples are a black rotary dial phone and a quintessential Underwood typewriter.
His works evoke nostalgia as well as admonishment. He explains, “For viewers, there may be a certain nostalgia in seeing objects that they remember from childhood, but that is not my purpose. I aim to remind viewers of objects that have disappeared from everyday life to draw attention to society’s rampant consumerism.”
While he uses a representational style, he is not a slave to creating a photographic representation of his subjects. He purposely leaves visible brushstrokes and uses an “economy of marks”. He explains, “Leaving traces of the artist’s hand reminds the viewer [a painting is] human-made – rather like many of the objects represented”.
(Pictured: Derek McLarty, “Land Line version 2”, oil on canvas, 16 by 20 inches. Image courtesy of the artist.)
His drive to create is complicated. McLarty admits there is a certain satisfaction in mastering the formal aspects of painting – creating a pleasing composition, choosing colours effectively and even the craft of creating an effective illusion of reality. He also finds that painting is an effective method of communicating his dissatisfaction with society’s “addiction” to “the new, the shiny and the fashionable”.
McLarty is involved in the annual London Artists’ Studio Tour, and his work can be seen in Museum London’s shop as well as at Westland Gallery. In addition, he displays work at Marten Arts Gallery in Bayfield, in the annual Paint Ontario show, and more recently in the Summer and Grace Gallery in Oakville.
His work “Perfect Mason” is a finalist in the 2026 Kellogg’s Art Competition.
(Pictured: Derek McLarty, “Ball Mason Jar”, oil on canvas, 24 by 16 inches. Image courtesy of the artist.)
To learn more about Derek McLarty, visit www.derekmclartyart.com / Facebook: Derek McLarty / Instagram: @derekmclaryswork / Pinterest: DerekMcLartyArt
By Beth Stewart
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The Beat Magazine 2025 