(Mendelson Joe / Instagram)
Artist, singer-songwriter and longtime activist Mendelson Joe died Feb. 7 at his home in Emsdale, Ont., through the provision of Medical Assistance in Dying, with his wife, Karen Robinson, by his side. He was 78.
Joe's works are in the permanent collections of the Canada Council Art Bank and the Portrait Gallery of Canada, as well as in numerous private and corporate collections.
He had solo shows at the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris and the Lake Galleries in Toronto, among others.
Born Birrell Josef Mendelson on July 30, 1944, in Toronto, Joe grew up there and in Maple, a rural community 20 miles north of Toronto. In 1966, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor's degree in arts.
A self-taught guitarist, he pursued a decades-long career as a blues musician, teaming up with fellow guitarist Mike McKenna to form the McKenna Mendelson Mainline.
In 1975, after finding paints in the garbage, Joe began painting "just to see what it was like." He soon developed a unique style of folk art, best known for its satirical depictions of Canadian politicians.
"I've learned my craft the only way I know how," Joe wrote in his self-penned obituary, published on his website shortly before his death. "I’m a self-taught writer, painter, musician. It’s the way I learn. I did the job."
Joe recorded 30 albums and wrote several works of fiction before retiring to his home west of Algonquin Park to paint landscapes.
In his last years, Joe's battle with Parkinson's intensified, and he was unable to continue making art. "I have ended my job as multi-media artist with the provision of MAID on February 7, 2023," he wrote in his obituary, titled "That's It Folks."
"I see MAID as a sign of a civilized society," he wrote. "To be born Canadian is a great blessing. We have free speech. We have healthcare. We have MAID. Thank you Canada."