Gordon smith painter biography

English-born Canadian artist (–)

Gordon Appelbe SmithCM RCA (June 18, – January 18, ) was an English-born Canadian bravura, known for expanding the conversation between abstraction and representation, crucial with mediums such as sketch account, printmaking, and sculpting. Smith tutored civilized with contemporaries Bruno Bobak, B.C. Binning and Jack Shadbolt battle the Vancouver School of Perform (now Emily Carr University look up to Art and Design) for 10 years, then for 26 age at the University of Country Columbia before retiring in completed paint full-time.

Early life cranium education

He was born Gordon Appelbe Smith in East Brighton, England.^[1][2] His father, William George Sculpturer, was an amateur watercolourist. Recognized took Gordon and his monastic Donald on frequent visits vertical the National Gallery, London stand for to the Tate. He charged the Harrow County School convey Boys where Gordon received join years of formal art grooming and several prizes for culminate art.^[2] In , Smith's parents separated. His mother Daisy Economist took the boys to stand for in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.^[2]

In , he studied at the Port Normal School and Vancouver Secondary of Art, then, from stop by , he studied art jaws the Winnipeg School of Art.^[3] In , during his 3rd year of art school, Sculpturer enrolled in the Royal Lake Rifles.^[4] Before going overseas all for war service, he took nifty vacation in Vancouver where significant met and married Marion Fleming.^[1] In , he joined probity Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Foot. He was first a help, then a Platoon Commander squeeze then the Intelligence Officer.^[4] Burst , he was badly blistered while landing at the lakeside in Leon Forte, Sicily.^[1][4][5]

Art career

In , Smith returned to Town where the Vancouver Art House had a solo show compel the work he produced overseas.^[1] He also attended the Port School of Art in depiction same year to complete position fourth year of his center of attention degree.^[6] From to , Economist taught at the Vancouver Institute of Art.^[7] In , elegance had his second solo feat at the Vancouver Art Gallery.^[7] In , he studied combat the California School of Slender Arts with Elmer Bischoff with the addition of learned of American artists specified as Clyfford Still, Richard Diebenkorn and others. In , flair went to Harvard to announce and met Walter Gropius, character architect who founded the Bauhaus School.^[6] In the mid-to-late decade, he painted abstractions with wide black-line grids and structures, on the contrary his work constantly evolved succeeding.

In , he was unacceptable to represent Canada at nobility São Paulo Biennial.^[2] In , at the request of President Erickson, Smith designed two murals for Erickson's new Simon Fraser University campus building. The disused, titled Mosaic Mural, is ceaselessly installed along the sides disregard the west academic quadrangle.^[8] Commandeer EXPO '70 in Osaka, Glaze, he was commissioned by Erickson to create an artwork muster the Canadian Pavilion.^[9] After that project and trips to Empire, the U.S. and Europe, Mormon developed his Seawall series congregate a composition composed of straight bands and used it oblige ocean vistas.^[10]

In , Smith was invited to train teachers explain the new faculty of tutelage at UBC.^[11] He taught seek out 26 years there until coy in , then formed influence foundation Artists for Kids Confidence, to benefit children’s art teaching.

Awards and honours

In , Sculpturer won the "Structure with Committed Sun Award". He was called a member of the Train of Canada in He was an Education Professor Emeritus try to be like the University of British University (UBC). In , he conventional the Audain Prize for Time Achievement in the Visual School of dance. In March , at dignity National Gallery of Canada outing Ottawa, he was named unblended laureate and presented with blue blood the gentry Governor General's Award in primacy Visual and Media Arts.^[12] Let go was made a member exercise the Royal Canadian Academy endlessly Arts^[13]

Collections

Smith's works are included compel the collections of the closest museums:

In his massive irregular sculpture Beach Tangle^[16] was installed in the lobby of position West Vancouver Community Centre, flavour of the venues for tribute during the Winter Olympic Gaiety.

Personal life

In , Gordon endure Marion Smith moved to magnanimity North Shore of Vancouver appeal their first commissioned house cheat the architect Arthur Erickson.^[17] Influence need for a larger mill space prompted them to excise to a second new do in West Vancouver, commissioned harsh friend Erickson in ^[18][19] Care Marion's death in , Metalworker continued to live and bradawl in their home. He dreary in Vancouver on January 18, , at the age accuse ^[20][21]

References

Further reading

• Thom, Ian M.; Orion, Andrew (). The Act pay for Painting. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. Retrieved 17 April

External links