MAX BATES AND HIS ART

Maxwell Bates is a major figure in Canadian art who stands alone as an expressive figurative painter. His work portrayed the foibles of society around him; the individuals, events and landscapes, with great clarity. It is charcterized by intentionally harsh lines, strong, occasionally garish colours, and an unblinking honesty….

ART IN VICTORIA: 1960-1986

In an historic first for the city of Vicoria, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria saultes 75 Victoria artists in an exciting showcase of the visual arts. The artsists, chosen from over 250 submissions by professional artists, were selected for their contribution to Victoria’s artistic community and/or their national or international reputation. Artists include Fenwick Lansdown, Herbert Seibner, Robin Hopper, Myfanwy Pavelic, Glenn Howarth, and Carol Sabiston.

CATALOGUE

ARTS OF THE MIDDLE KINGDOM: CHINA

Chinese art objects dating from the 16th century B.C. to 1911 A.D. including ceramics, bronzes, jade, textiles, lacquer, stone sculptures, cloisonne and paintings pay tribute to China’s craftsmen who produced wonderous works of art in every age. The works represent a history of Chinese art as well as a cultural history of China including its philosophy, religion, and literature.

CATALOGUE

CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN SCULPTURE

A rare look at Canadian sculpture in every possible media from the permanent collection, this exhibit surveys the richly diverse styles of many important 20th century sculptors including Victoria’s own Elza Mayhew.

HISTORICAL VANCOUVER ISLAND

A fscinating glimpse into pre Great War times on Vancouver Island, this exhibition features a variety of media depicting the people, places, and events of the Island from colonial times to 1914.

HARVEST OF THE SPIRIT: ILLINGWORTH KERR

Saskatchewan’s first native-born professional painter, Illingworth Kerr was one of the first painters in Western Canada to approach the landscpae with native, as opposed to imported, vision. The exhibition includes his landscapes, animal studies, portraits, townscapes, abstracts, and automatic paintings.

CANADIAN PRINTS OF THE 1960s

Over 30 prints made by Canadian artists during the 1960’s make up this graphics exhibition which includes hard-edge works by Micheal Morris and Brian Fisher, examples of innovative printmaking techniques of Pat Martin Bates and the distinctive prints of Takao Tanabe and Donald Harvey.

EUROPEAN LANDSCAPES: 17TH – 20TH CENTURY

KARMA OF THE BRUSH

An exhibition of of contemporary Chinese-Canadian and Japanese calligraphy, a highly esteemed artform in Asia, appreciated for the beauty of the characters themselves as well as the thoughts they represent. Various styles will be shown, allowing for comparisons.