Gordon Smith: The Printed Pictures
Through March 7, 2010
Publication: Available for purchase at the Burnaby Art Gallery. 144 pages – essays by D. Martens, Ian Thom, Rosemarie Tovell
Gordon Smith: The Printed Pictures - is a retrospective exhibition that showcases 49 prints out of an estimated 200 created by this remarkable Canadian artist. The exhibition includes etchings, serigraphs, combination prints, collage, relief and lithographic works that explore Smith’s keen interest in examining pattern, colour and line from 1945 to 2007. A consummate modernist, his experimental methods and insistence on pushing the print medium make him one of Canada’s most important and original printmakers.
“Smith has explored aspects of abstraction, realism and formalism throughout his lifetime,” notes Darrin Martens, Burnaby Art Gallery Director/Curator, “He has consistently created prints to complement, counter or inform his painting, sculpture, collage and photographic practices.”
This collection of prints provides viewers a unique insight into Gordon Smith’s printmaking and how this vein of his artistic career has been translated to other media, including his painting, photographic and sculptural practices. His innovative experimentation with serigraphy throughout the 1950s and 70s produced some of the most accomplished works produced by any Canadian artist. Always eager to explore new printmaking techniques Smith has maintained a consistent interest in composition, line and colour throughout his long career.
Some of the many awards and honours given to Gordon Smith over his 90 years include the Order of B.C. for Outstanding Achievement in 2001, Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Visual Arts in 2007 and Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2009.
Thanks to a generous donation of prints by Marion and Gordon Smith to the Burnaby Art Gallery in 2008, many of the works chosen for the exhibition are from of the City of Burnaby’s Permanent Art Collection. Combining these prints with works from the Vancouver Art Gallery, New Leaf Editions and a private collection the Burnaby Art Gallery has striven to create an exhibition which reflects the varied nuances of Smith’s printmaking and its connection to his painting practice.