Coronation explores the visual imagery of the headdress. The series takes its departure from the things we display on our heads: crowns, halos, veils, fascinators, even fruit arrangements. People adorn their heads for a variety of reasons: for the purpose of protection, the identification of gender, a signification of authority, a craving for ritual or to make a fashion statement. Such adornment can play a significant role in the establishment of social order, such the visual signifier of a monarch’s connection to the divine or sky.

 

Coronation

Deanna Musgrave

Peter Buckland Gallery
35 Duke St., Saint John, NB

Reception: Friday, November 15, 5 – 7 pm

Saint John artist, Elizabeth Grant, having spent the previous three years living in and making art in one of the world’s artistic hotspots, Berlin, Germany, has just spent the last year at the Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, Scotland. The college, one of the world’s most important art schools,  recently launched a unique one year degree program, Masters of Letters: Fine Art Practice. Elizabeth was privileged to be accepted into the rather small class for this degree. Last month she participated in an exhibition of work by the graduates of this rigorous program.

A short film about this program has been made, and includes interviews with Elizabeth. Here is a link to the film.

http://vimeo.com/74458357

Elizabeth will be participating in an exhibition in London, England later this fall. In March the Peter Buckland Gallery will be featuring a new series of paintings by Elizabeth Grant.

PRESENT

JACK HUMPHREY, FRED ROSS, ARCHIE HARPER, MILLER BRITTAIN, FRANK ALLISON, AVERY SHAW, TED CAMPBELL, ROSAMOND CAMPBELL, JOSEPH KASHETSKY, JIM STACKHOUSE

What happens when two well established Saint John galleries decide to work together on an exhibition? More artists, more art and a much stronger exhibition.

Earlier this year, I learned that Mario Brideau, owner/director of the Citadel Gallery was planning to host an exhibition of art by the late Archie Harper, along with work by other Saint John greats. Many of you may not be familiar with the name Archie Harper, however, he grew up in Saint John and was an art student under Ted Campbell, alongside fellow student, Fred Ross. Subsequently, Harper moved and spent his adult life in northern New Brunswick, where he produced an impressive body of artwork.

When I learned of Mario’s plan, I suggested that we collaborate as I was planning an exhibition featuring artists from this earlier period in Saint John’s history. It did not take us long to realize that together we had a very impressive body of artwork by many of this city’s finest 20th Century artists.

We selected our date, Thursday, September 26, and decided that we would use my space as it is a bit larger. Today I’m going to give you a wee preview of what you can expect to see next week.

FRED ROSS

Little needs to be said of this City’s major living artist. Fred Ross is one of Canada’s most celebrated painters, admirably represented in Canada’s National Gallery, recipient of The Order of Canada and The Order of New Brunswick. Utterly collectable. Blue Chip. Absolutely stunning work will be featured.

ARCHIE HARPER

A fellow student with Fred Ross at Vocational School in the 1940’s, both under the guidance of artist, Ted Campbell, Archie Harper, lesser known than his friend, Fred, nevertheless created an impression body of painting in his lifetime. This may be the first time for most in Saint John to see the work of this fine artist.

JACK HUMPHREY

Often referred to as the Dean of the Saint John painters, Humphrey garnered a well-deserved national reputation for his work during his career. Humphrey studied in both Boston and New York, and later traveled the world, finally returning to Saint John where he produced a remarkable body of work in his lifetime. His work continues to fetch impressive prices. This exhibition will feature oils and watercolours.

TED and ROSAMOND CAMPBELL

The Campbells, Ted in particular, were very important to the artistic community that flourished in this city during the mid 20^th Century. Ted was an influential teacher, who encouraged his very gifted student, Fred Ross, among many other young artists at the time. Ted’s studio was a focal point for the artistic community during this period. In the early 1970s he and Rosamond, also a very fine painter, relocated to San Miguel in Mexico. Rosamond, who died in July of this year, is one of several women being honoured at the restored chapel, El Refugio, for their contributions to the San Miguel community.

FRANK ALLISON

Yet another noted Saint John painter from the early part of the 20^th Century, Allison maintained a studio in the City, but also traveled widely in Europe, North Africa and the Caribbean. He created a large body of work that essentially disappeared from view following his death in 1951. The work resurfaced in the 1980s, reviving his reputation and establishing his work as much valued by collectors since then. In 2005 our gallery featured 26 watercolours from his sketchbooks. The exhibition was sold out within two days of its opening.

AVERY SHAW

An architect, musician, writer and painter, Shaw was, for a time, the curator of the Art Department at the New Brunswick Museum. He had a studio on Prince William Street, and was very much a significant part of this City’s art community during its golden age.

MILLER BRITTAIN

An artist of incredible intensity and remarkable vision, Brittain’s work remains among the most sought after in the country. His art, from the earlier social realist paintings through to the religious works and the deeply penetrating works late in his career, established Brittain has one of the most important painters in the history of art in Canada.

JOSEPH KASHETSKY

Those knowledgeable regarding the art from this period are aware that our city can boast of two fine painters named Kashetsky. Joseph Kashetsky, elder brother to Herzl, created remarkably good artwork during the 1960s and very early 70s. Unfortunately, Joe died prematurely in 1974, but not before creating a strong body of painting and drawing that have assured his place of importance in the history of art in Saint john.

JIM STACKHOUSE

Jim Stackhouse, maintained a significant career as a commercial artist in this city for several decades. He also, throughout his lifetime, created an impressive body of fine art and is well known to collectors in this region. In 2009, the Peter Buckland Gallery hosted a posthumous exhibition of his work, recognizing his importance as a member of this mid 20^th Century group.

I have simply provided a glimpse of the work that Mario and I will be presenting next week.    We look forward to seeing you next Thursday at 35 Duke Street for this remarkable exhibition.

Peter Buckland Gallery, 35 Duke Street, Saint John NB

Reception: Thursday, Septrember 26, 5 – 7 pm

Fall is almost upon us, and with the fall season come various exhibitions at our gallery and elsewhere. I’m in the process of installing an exhibition of new work by Toby Graser that opens here next Friday, September 6. In the meantime, other gallery artists are busy opening exhibitions, installing public works and beginning artist residencies in various locations on the globe.

TOBY GRASER – SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES

Toby Graser is an intuitive painter, exploring myriad possibilities of line, colour, shape and texture. With this new series of paintings, Toby Graser eschews colour, something that has been a significant element in her work over the years.  Yet, there is a richness to be found in this absence. In this series, the lack of strong colour forces the viewer to contemplate line and texture, and to muse about what lies beneath the surface of these highly charged paintings. The viewer comes to the surface of these paintings much like one approaches a fine piece of music, knowing that there are layers to be discovered through prolonged exposure.

Toby Graser says,  “Like a musician I feel no obligation to mirror the realities of the physical world in my creations, but as in music, the necessity exists to make any artistic statement coherent, complete and a vehicle of communication.”

Exhibition opens at the Peter Buckland Gallery on Friday, September 6, 5 – 7 pm.

PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS PUSH PETER POWNING TO FOREFRONT OF CANADIAN SCULPTURAL WORK

Peter Powning has completed two major installations this month, one in Toronto and one in Burlington, Ontario. In Toronto, he has installed an extremely large piece, Strata, which is actually the portal into Cinema Tower in downtown Toronto. Measuring sixty feet across, eighteen feet high and fourteen feet deep, Peter says that Strata is meant to evoke a sense of geological time that puts the human era into perspective. It will include impressions from historical artifacts cast in bronze in one statum, what the artist calls an “archeological crust”

The other work, Spiral Stela, has been installed in front of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre in Burlington, Ontario.

UNB ART CENTRE EXAMINES A DECADE OF PAUL MATHIESON

The UNB Art Centre, in Fredericton, will open an exhibition of paintings by Paul Mathieson that span the years 2002-2013. The Centre’s press release says, “Paul Mathieson’s Notes from a Visual Song and Dance Man is an exhibition of acrylic on canvas paintings inspired by contemporary culture that portray the human condition with wit and precision. Although primarily depictions of the city of Saint John, they have a distinctly cosmopolitan character presenting the artist’s take on the urban landscape. Whether interior or exterior, they act as theatrical sets for scenes filled with the frenetic life of the highly stylized and urbane city dweller. Sophisticated and complex, the canvases are filled with symbolic references and strange juxtapositions that carry multiple layers of meaning.”

1. Paul Mathieson, Paradise Row – The Island Is Closed, acrylic on canvas

2. Paul Mathieson, An Exchange of Gifts, acrylic on canvas

ELIZABETH GRANT AT THE GLASGOW COLLEGE OF ART

Saint John artist, Elizabeth Grant is participating this month in an exhibition in Glasgow, Scotland. She has recently completed her Master of Letters in Fine Art Practice from the Glasgow College of Art, an institution that is considered one of the most important fine art colleges in the world.

This exhibition is the culmination of an intense twelve-month programme at the school. Working within the pathways of painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture, the artists on this course have produced diverse and exciting new work that plays with the boundaries of these disciplines.

I received images for two of Elizabeth’s new works: 1. Trotsky the Chicken In Exile In Mexico 2. Lenin The Chicken With Turkey Nurse. 

MATHIEU LEGER’S DRAWINGS: A CULMINATION OF FIVE YEARS OF PRACTICE

Building Transects (Drawings, 02008 – 02012)

This exhibition of drawings is compiled from 5 years of production by artist Mathieu Léger. All drawings were produced during residencies in Austria, Canada and Finland between 2008 and 2012. These drawings are a series of ideas on paper, a sketching space, a place to assemble concepts and reflect on the act of drawing itself. Chronologically, the drawings relate to a period where the artist used drawing as a means to reflect on video editing processes and narratives, the deconstruction of sculptural and drawing elements, and finally how scientific concepts can be analyzed through mark-making. All the works are transected by the artist’s cautious use of space and brevity of trace.

The series represented in this exhibition are:

Graz (Austria, 02008), ReMaking Through Trace (QC, Canada, 02009-02010), Untitled (Works at Sillis) (NL, Canada, 02010), Blank [Form] Stundars (Finland, 02010), Blank [Form] Cast (MB, Canada, 02011), Photosynthesis Group 1: Radiolarian Set (QC, Canada, 02011), Fiscus (NB, Canada, 02012)

This exhibition is on display at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre in Moncton until early October

At the time of this writing, Mathieu Leger is on route to Winnipeg to begin his latest artist residency.

LOTS MORE TO COME FROM PETER BUCKLAND GALLERY THIS FALL 

- MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY SAINT JOHN ARTISTS (a joint venture with Citadel Gallery) Includes: JACK HUMPHREY, FRED ROSS, ARCHIE HARPER, AVERY SHAW, FRANK ALLISON, JOSEPH KASHETSKY, TED CAMPBELL and more

- AMBER YOUNG: NEW WORK

- DEANNA MUSGRAVE: NEW PAINTINGS

One of the tasks I truly enjoy is the installation of an exhibition at the gallery. Whether it is new work from a single artist or artwork from a group of artists, I take the placement of work seriously. Where work is placed is important. Often the juxtaposition of two pieces is critical to the ultimate success of both. The placement of two works of art, side by side, is a factor in how either work is received.

Artists make important decisions when creating a work of visual art. I believe we must give serious thought to how and where work is placed once it comes into our possession. We have a role to play in the successful presentation of a work of art.

Lately, I have become preoccupied with the ways in which two works can communicate with one another. When the marriage of different works of art is done with careful consideration the result can be quite powerful.

With the summer gallery hop approaching (August 16) I have decided to give myself a challenge. I intend to create 10 pairings of art by different artists, using work that is currently within the gallery’s inventory.

The two works above are by James Wilson and Bruce Pashak. On the right, the new painting by Bruce Pashak arrived just three weeks ago. It was such a dramatic piece, so well executed and with the additional bit of wit from the framing. I wanted to include this, but what could I possibly place next to such a powerful work. Then I remembered Jamie’s San Miguel Madonna Over Toronto. A strong match.

Above, details from a graphite drawing by Herzl Kashetsky and a painting/collage by Romeo Savoie. These two works are quite different in size, shape and media, yet, they each focus on the human eye. One cannot pass by these pieces without being drawn in by the eyes that stare back at the viewer. In Herzl’s case, it is his own eye that peers out at us, one of his many self portraits completed throughout his career.

The two works above, one an ink on paper by Colin Smith, the other an oil painting by Raymond Martin. One contains people while the other has animals from the wild. Yet, they sit comfortably together, sharing the theme of trees and certain similarities with regard to pallette. I was struck by how Raymond’s white roses echo Colin’s clouds.

This was the first pairing selected when I began this process. I had placed these two works, one by Peter Powning, the other by Bruce Pashak, together one day recently, and was surprised at how much they shared regarding colour and texture.

I have challenged myself with the creation of ten pairings. At the time of this writing I have nine. A tenth eludes me for the moment, but I have a few days yet. I hope you will drop by to see this selection next friday during the summer hop.

This week the blog post is not about art, nor is it about cooking, even though the accompanying photo might suggest it. The photograph, which I shot this week, is of my wife, Judy, in her brother, Andrew’s kitchen. I’m using this to introduce her to you. It’s the most recent image I have of her, and I like the shot.

Although, it is not very clear in this picture, Judy is wearing a very cool watch, and that’s the reason I have asked her to write this week’s post. The watch is one of the watches she has been importing into Saint John over the past couple of years. She has a keen eye for design and she has made this search for great looking watches her mission. So today, rather than have me talk about art, I’m going to let Judy tell the story of the watches.

JUDY’S STORY . . .

My interest in watches began one summer in 2008 when my husband Peter and I took a trip to New Hampshire. It was in a small shop in Portsmouth where I spotted a watch that took my eye.  I was informed by the shopkeeper that it had been created by a local artisan. Although, I did not purchase the watch I found myself thinking about it for many months after that trip.  I decided that I would return to the shop and purchase it on our next trip to Portsmouth.  When that day finally came I discovered, to my dismay, the shop no longer carried watches by this artist.

Fast forward to March 2010.  I had the opportunity to visit my friend, Debbie, who was living in Japan for one year. I clearly remember thinking, as I flew out of Saint John, that I would make it my mission to find a “cool” watch in Japan.    To my delight I returned with a new watch on my arm.  Interesting though, this watch had not been designed nor made in Japan, but in Sweden. My fascination with watches was growing, and this new watch fueled my interest for more. I did not, however, at this point consider the idea of promoting and selling watches.

 The Axcent Frosted, my find in Japan (Alas, no longer available)

It was not until Peter and I visited the Musee de Beaux Arts, in Montreal, that the idea of promoting and selling watches myself occurred to me. I was browsing in the Museum’s boutique when I discovered the Projects Watches line.  I thought these were extremely interesting watches.  The sales person told me that these watches were unique in that they were created by architects/designers.  I was fascinated, and made a mental note of the company. Upon returning home I contacted Projects Watches to inquire about the possibility of becoming their New Brunswick distributor.  I was informed that Projects would only sell their line of watches to galleries and museums. Voila!  My lucky day. They agreed to check out the Peter Buckland Gallery website and the rest is history.

I have been carrying the Projects line of watches for several years now in addition to several other lines, most notably Mr. Jones Watches, from London, England. We recently received a shipment from Mr. Jones that includes two new clocks along with the watches.

Cyclops: Summer Nights Edition: I love this new version of the Cyclops. A very elegant black to offset the coloured circles.

Love Knows Not; And, no one else will know but you and the one you love. The letters on this watch align once per hour to spell the phrase Love knows not what time is. For the rest of the time the letters of the text form an illegible pattern – a secret message shared between lovers.

The Coundown Clock: This is one of the new clocks. You can change the wording in the window depending on the event. We all count down to certain days: a birthday party, a vacation or even an important exam: this clock keeps track of the days remaining until your big day!

The Accurate Clock: Live in the moment is the message from this piece, the clock version of the very popular watch. My husband, Peter, wears the watch version of The Accurate.

Projects Watches continue to surprise with their terrific designs. I like the idea of wearing a watch designed by an architect.

The Free Time: This one by architect, Laurinda Spear, is a great design. Everyone does a double take the first time they meet this watch. The wearer quickly gets the hang of knowing the time, but it’s the look that makes this one special.

Past, Present & Future: A meditation in time by designer, Daniel Will-Harris, this watch reminds us that the best time is the present time. A great design with a great message.

Towards:  This watch, designed by Denis Guidone, is unique in that the case is tilted toward the wearer, giving proper consideration to ergonomics. I love the reorientation of the number 12 on this one. You get a lot of comments with the Toward Watch.

10-one-4 Watch: Designed by Tibor Kalman this one has an understated elegance – an interesting fit with the “little black dress”. This was the first watch to be selected for the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

* Watch images courtesy of Projects Watches and Mr. Jones Watches

Cathy Ross, Fall Still Life, watercolour       Herzl Kashetsky, Tree Roots, graphite

The natural world has been a significant theme for the making of art since humans first scratched the images of animals on cave walls. The approach to representing nature in art has changed, due to our increased access to more sophisticated materials and to our own changing relationship with the natural world. Our fascination with nature and with our own place within the natural world remains a preferential subject in art

Sitting in the gallery this afternoon, surrounded by so much good artwork, I’m struck by the diversity, of both form and content, as current artists engage with the natural world, using oils, watercolours, woodcuts, embroidery and found objects.

Herzl Kashetsky has come to know his world and his own place within it through his art. His focus on detail and his highly disciplined practice provide a meditative quality to his explorations of the natural world. The artist brings “a reverential attention to detail” (a quote from one of his sketchbooks), evident in his paintings and drawings of raindrops, tree roots and beachstones.

  Herzl Kashetsky, Bird’s Nest, oil on panel

Janice Wright Cheney has set aside paint and pencils in favour of a textile-based practice. Her fascination with natural history is evident through work that engages with our perceptions of other species, encouraging the viewer to confront the ways in which we conceive of non-human nature. Work by Wright Cheney, currently on display at the gallery, examines the insect world through works involving embroidery and found objects. I am particularly fascinated with her Life Stages of a Silkworm Moth in which she creates an embroidered representation of the moth using the silk created by the insect itself.

 Janice Wright Cheney, Life Cycle of a Silkworm Moth, sil embroidery, silkworm cocoons, found material

The art of David Umholtz explores our sense of place in nature, with a particular interest in those spaces where land and water intersect. His representation of nature has a highly symbolic quality, borrowing from the language of mapping and charting.  While artists such as Herzl Kashetsky provide an intimate encounter with nature through highly realistic works, Umholtz allows us to discover a beauty, that while grounded in the real natural world, can only be attained through the process of abstraction.

  David Umholtz, Fire in the Water, woodcut

  David Umholtz, Underground Spring, woodcut

Cathy Ross arrived this week with new watercolours. Her meticulous and detailed still life works indicate an artist in full control of this rather unforgiving medium. Her paintings of arranged flowers and fruit have a complexity of design that is further challenged by her choice of backgrounds. Yet, to it she brings a wonderful sense of control and artistry, emphasizing the colours and textures of her subject.

  Cathy Ross, Land of Hope, watercolour

It is a pleasure to experience the work of these artists whose practices have been formed through rigor and discipline, and whose works remind us of our complex and varied relationships with the natural world.

We are fortunate to have such a strong community of visual artists within our region. I have been privileged to work with so many of our fine artists over the years, and now I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts and my observations on these artists and their work.

You are reading this because you have expressed an interest in receiving notices from the gallery. Now, along with notifications about upcoming exhibitions, you will receive a new piece of writing from the blog every two weeks. I realize that most of us receive a high volume of information through the internet on a daily basis, and that this can, at times, seem overwhelming. I will commit to you that I will never send you more than three emails per week, and often less. If you no longer wish to receive notifications and writing from the gallery, you can, of course, unsubscribe. It is my hope that you will remain on our list and that you will enjoy receiving my blog posts. Furthermore, I look forward to hearing from you from time to time in response to these pieces.

Peter

Angel Gomez is an artist with two countries. His heart belongs to both, Canada, his chosen home for more than thirty years, a country he shares with his children and his grandchildren, and Spain, his native land, the land of his youth.

As a painter he has, through the years, returned, to his homeland more than once. A new series of paintings explores his beloved Castilla, revisiting the abandoned villages of this historic and storied countryside.

In a piece of writing produced by the artist to accompany this series, he says that it is difficult “to not get excited when you put your feet in the ruins of one of these villages”, villages where today “silence is the main character.” Reading his words and viewing the paintings, his love for this place is palpable, as is his sense of loss for the villages that were once full of life.

“We have forgotten, in many cases, their names, the names of their Patron Saints and their celebrations. We have forgotten that there were once children who played happily through their streets. We have forgotten how to plant, to plow the land, to saddle a mule. Above all, we have forgotten the land of our ancestors.”

Yet, the artist has not forgotten. His paintings, beautifully constructed, evocative of this Spanish landscape, with their rich vocabulary of colour and strong textural qualities, pay homage to the towns and villages of another era. Gomez has worked towards greater abstraction during the latter years of his career, an artistic direction that allows for an emotional expression that might have been lost had he been concerned with the realistic details of a more illustrative approach. The result is a lightness in the work and an obvious love of subject, providing balance to the sorrow for something lost.

Angel Gomez paints with passion and intelligence. He makes beautiful paintings.