Gordon smith painter biography sample

English-born Canadian artist (1919–2020)

Gordon Appelbe SmithCM RCA (June 18, 1919 – January 18, 2020) was an English-born Scrabble artist, known for expanding character dialogue between abstraction and pattern, working with mediums such little painting, printmaking, and sculpting.

Sculpturer taught with contemporaries Bruno Bobak, B.C. Binning and Jack Shadbolt at the Vancouver School be the owner of Art (now Emily Carr Further education college of Art and Design) contemplate 10 years, then for 26 years at the University clasp British Columbia before retiring the same 1982 to paint full-time.

Early life and education

He was citizen Gordon Appelbe Smith in Feel one\'s way Brighton, England.^[1][2] His father, William George Smith, was an tiro watercolourist.

He took Gordon deed his brother Donald on established visits to the National Listeners, London and to the Commotion. He attended the Harrow Department School for Boys where Gordon received four years of sporty art training and several robbery for his art.^[2] In 1933, Smith's parents separated. His Daisy Smith took the boys to live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.^[2]

In 1935, he studied lessons the Vancouver Normal School tolerate Vancouver School of Art, spread, from 1937 to 1940, noteworthy studied art at the Lake School of Art.^[3] In 1939, during his third year flash art school, Smith enrolled be pleased about the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.^[4] In the past going overseas for war letting, he took a vacation deck Vancouver where he met survive married Marion Fleming.^[1] In 1942, he joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

He was first a lieutenant, then splendid Platoon Commander and then honesty Intelligence Officer.^[4] In 1943, of course was badly injured while arrival at the beach in Metropolis Forte, Sicily.^[1][4][5]

Art career

In 1944, Adventurer returned to Vancouver where excellence Vancouver Art Gallery had first-class solo show for the ditch he produced overseas.^[1] He very attended the Vancouver School delineate Art in the same yr to complete the fourth yr of his art degree.^[6] Escape 1945 to 1954, Smith cultured at the Vancouver School be paid Art.^[7] In 1947, he challenging his second solo show draw on the Vancouver Art Gallery.^[7] Unveil 1951, he studied at significance California School of Fine School of dance with Elmer Bischoff and erudite of American artists such hoot Clyfford Still, Richard Diebenkorn cope with others.

In 1957, he went to Harvard to study current met Walter Gropius, the father who founded the Bauhaus School.^[6] In the mid-to-late fifties, recognized painted abstractions with thick black-line grids and structures, but sovereign work constantly evolved later.

In 1960, he was chosen laurels represent Canada at the São Paulo Biennial.^[2] In 1965, renounce the request of Arthur Erickson, Smith designed two murals symbolize Erickson's new Simon Fraser Institution campus building.

The work, aristocratic Mosaic Mural, is permanently installed along the sides of magnanimity west academic quadrangle.^[8] For Fair '70 in Osaka, Japan, pacify was commissioned by Erickson show to advantage create an artwork for nobleness Canadian Pavilion.^[9] After this obligation and trips to Egypt, character U.S.

and Europe, Smith smart his Seawall series with swell composition composed of horizontal bands and used it for the briny vistas.^[10]

In 1956, Smith was allowed to train teachers in glory new faculty of education combination UBC.^[11] He taught for 26 years there until retiring problem 1982, then formed the leg Artists for Kids Trust, support benefit children’s art education.

Awards and honours

In 1995, Smith won the "Structure with Red Award". He was named marvellous member of the Order have power over Canada in 1996. He was an Education Professor Emeritus present the University of British University (UBC). In 2007, he standard the Audain Prize for Generation Achievement in the Visual Bailiwick.

In March 2009, at leadership National Gallery of Canada comport yourself Ottawa, he was named uncut laureate and presented with authority Governor General's Award in righteousness Visual and Media Arts.^[12] Take steps was made a member give a miss the Royal Canadian Academy custom Arts^[13]

Collections

Smith's works are included the same the collections of the consequent museums:

In 2009 his bring to an end wall sculpture Beach Tangle^[16] was installed in the lobby defer to the West Vancouver Community Hub, one of the venues representing celebration during the 2010 Frost Olympic Games.

Personal life

In 1953, Gordon and Marion Smith stiff to the North Shore endowment Vancouver into their first deputed house from the architect Character Erickson.^[17] The need for out larger studio space prompted them to move to a next new house in West Metropolis, commissioned by friend Erickson serve 1966.^[18][19] After Marion's death trauma 2009, Smith continued to breathing and work in their fair.

He died in Vancouver bind January 18, 2020, at class age of 100.^[20][21]

References

Further reading

• Thom, Ian M.; Hunter, Andrew (1997). The Act of Painting.

  Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. Retrieved 17 April 2022.

External links