Jack Shadbolt & Butterfly
In my youth, I toiled away in my studio in Vancouver, determined to become the next Pablo Picasso.
Like the master of the canvas, I was also an abstract expressionist, keen on texture, heavily built-up surfaces, and prone to utilize unusual materials to effect the visuals I was attempting to bring to life on the canvasses.
A scrap of corrugated cardboard discarded in the trash might catch my eye and end up as the focal point in one of my passionate creations.
In the early days, the major gallery scene was in Gastown before it shifted up to the lower Granville Street area.
Back in 1972, I was part of a successful group show which featured a handful of promising of artists, which was installed at the Galerie Allen.
On that occasion, I received my first professional art review by local critic Joan Lowndes.
Ytte Allen - the director & owner of the boutique-style gallery - was a tall pretty woman determined to single-handed turn the sleepy little seaside town into a major International art scene.
But, it was a tough row to hoe.
With a potent glass or two of vintage wine coursing her over-sexed veins - without warning - she would transform into a dragon lady who often cornered locals and business owners with a bit of arm-twisting if necessary to push sales.
Her approach - even if the rendering was a mere lithograph - was that the coveted purchase was an investment for the future.
The well-heeled Vancouver crowd turned out for the openings to see and be seen, sip on a sherry and snack on crackers and imported cheese - even chat up other art-lovers - while the paintings remained a pretty backdrop that were often glanced over but rarely taken too seriously as cultural must-haves.
Yes, in those heady days of the burgeoning art scene on the West Coast, the sales were slow-going.
If Ms. Allen landed a sale of a Dali print or two, that was considered a coup.
The elite on the West Coast admitted they didn’t know much about Art, but knew what they liked!
Where have I heard that one before?
At that time, it infuriated me that buyers would spring for a Robert Davidson canvas, but pass on an important American painter like Jim Dine or Rothko.
Davidson’s paintings - which consisted of a labyrinth of trippy images which favored a dark palette - reminded me of what a stoned hippie might dredge up when wiped out on a potent joint or pungent rock of hashish.
Hideous.
There’s nothing worse than an art collector with a lot of moolah and no taste!
Shortly after I unveiled a one-man exhibition at Galerie Allen (1974) - and local Arts Patron Rosemary Poll (a lovely woman) signed on as a silent partner more-or-less - I ended up parting ways with the emotional Dane after she urged me to “paint on the right side of the paper.”
At the time, I was experimenting with the idea of “transparency”, and created a couple of unique pieces that were to be framed in such a way as to allow the art work to viewed from both sides.
The notion was wild and un-artist-like to Allen.
She was in for a rude awakening - and forced to eat crow - when I pointed out that a couple of her darlings in the art world experimented with major works along the same lines, too.
About that time, I submitted a couple of paintings to a City Commission set up to hire a handful of artists to create pieces to be housed in Government buildings around the lower mainland.
Jack Shadbolt - who was married to Doris (the well-respected director of the Vancouver Art Gallery at the time) was one of the established artists selected to judge the works.
Shadbolt, who was a mainstay at the Bau-xi Gallery (a prestigious outlet for artists I pined to be part of), was also a teacher for many years in the Vancouver area.
Over the decades, Mr. Shadbolt experimented with various styles of painting - but it was not until he developed the metamorphosis series - that I came to appreciate his creative efforts.
Mr. Shadbolt was clever (as my artist pal Les might grumble in passing), prone to be influenced by other popular artists (he often copied or borrowed bits and pieces from their styles), and often took the safe road which ended up stifling his creative potential.
In spite of that, Shadbolt became one of Vancouver’s top celebrated artists.
Needless to say, I expected a little professional jealousy when he surveyed my own work for a potential commission, and was pleasantly surprised - when he elected instead - to give my original painterly style a nod.
On the heels of that decision, I delivered up four major art works, that were summarily installed in the corridors of power in City buildings around the lower mainland.
Doris Shadbolt, was a generous woman, who often included me in multi-media shows at the gallery (which I was thankful for since I was just starting out).when the opportunity arose.
For a brief stint after that period, I resided in NYC (yes, the Big Apple), and returned home quite inspired.
In 1974, I crossed paths with Art Collectors - Audrey & Nelson Skalbania - who generously funded a one-man exhibition for me at the Contemporary Royale Gallery.
The series of paintings were coined from the subways of the underground in Manhattan.
Post: 03/03/09
http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/03/nelson-skalbaniawheeler-dealer-with.html
A profile appeared in the Vancouver Sun.
Unfortunately, I hung up my brushes - and packed away my paints - when I moved to California to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.
To this day, I often toy with the idea of setting up shop once again, and turning out a series of new paintings.
About two years ago, I framed a dozen or so small pieces with that in mind, but before they saw the light of day the whole lot was stolen by employees at Kitsilano storage facility.
I expect years from now, if they turn up in private or public collections, I shall have to make a legal bid to recover the pieces which were some of my finest creations to date at that time.
Over the past couple of years, my “canvasses” tend to be those mixed-media posts that I daily design and publish on my Tattler and Pop Culture web sites.
The medium, after all, allows me to express myself in a myriad of ways that I could never hope to accomplish on a lone canvas.
Indeed, the rich media - and multi-faceted software - has allowed me to project dynamic visual lay-outs that have delighted and entertained the teaming masses cruising to my web pages for the past three years or so.
For a short while, I maintained an online gallery, and may be inspired to take up the task once again once I get cracking in the studio again.
What will materialize on the canvas at that time remains a total mystery to me.
But, when the moment of inspiration arises - watch out - I’ll be painting up a storm that Picasso would be envious of.
Vancouver Art Gallery
(reference to Georgia St. location)
No comments:
Post a Comment