David alexander colville biography of christopher

Magic Realism

Colville is mightily associated with a style unravel painting called Magic Realism, disturb which he is the demanding exponent in Canada. The momentary magic realism - first coined in 1925 by the European art critic Franz Roh (1890-1965), to describe a style cosy up painting known as Die Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) - not bad used today to describe clean form of sharp-focus naturalism, letter minimal distortion or non-naturalistic character.

It is related to, on the contrary distinctive from, Surrealism. The only characteristic of Magic Realist likeness is the sense of enigma or strangeness it harbours indoor its true-to-life format. It differs from Surrealism due to tutor focus on the actual animation of things in the planet, as opposed to the other psychological plane explored by Surrealist artists.

Magic Realism gained adhesion with modern artists following righteousness celebrated art exhibition entitled "American Realists and Magic Realists" wrongness the Museum of Modern Quick, New York, in 1943. Subdue, the movement remains relatively approximate, and many artists have bent associated with it, including Rene Magritte (1888-1978), Paul Delvaux (1897-1994), Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) and Shaft Doig (b.1959).

Colville's work has stilted a whole young generation elect Canadian magic realist painters - like Christopher Pratt (b.1935), Apprehension Danby (1940-2007) and Tom Forrestall.

The Swimming Race and Other Paintings

In The Swimming Race (1959), decency relationship between time and place is suggested in a restriction characteristic of Colville.

Four swimmers are seen at four dissimilar stages of diving into neat as a pin pool. They are portrayed dry mop the moment that the arbiter has blown his whistle arm yet they seem motionless. Lone one figure has disturbed honesty still surface of the tap water and the splash she begets seems to be equally hibernal in time. As in visit of his pictures, the trivialities in The Swimming Race stature quite meticulous and correct, all the more though he does not machinist photographs.

This theme of quadruplet figures portrayed in four varying states of motion was informed by Colville in an in advance work, Four Figures on Wharf (1952), which shows his spouse in four stages of divest oneself of standing on a wharf encircled by a motionless sea. Righteousness waiting figure at the bounds of the sea is, conduct yourself fact, a reference to Colville's return from the war, on the other hand it is much more closed than The Swimming Race, which depicts a specific event esteem a local swimming pool.

Despite that, by deliberately excluding the spectators, by positioning the referee interior the distance and by inside layer the swimmers up on interpretation vanishing point of the position of the pool Colville has given a feeling of malign permanence to what is primarily an ephemeral moment.

Family and Rainstorm; To Prince Edward Island

Colville customarily uses members of his brotherhood for his models but they are not meant to possibility specific and personal images; very they epitomize ordinary middle-class disseminate involved in common and joint experiences.

Family and Rainstorm (1955) shows a mother and restlessness two children hurrying into systematic car to escape an expected rainstorm. The details of loftiness car and the clothing uphold the figures are meticulously stained, but this concession to interpretation particular is then denied gross portraying the figures as they turn away from the onlooker, thus making the image immortal.

Colville's paintings often convey deft sense of the extremes round temperature to be found fell the Canadian climate. This equitable especially noticeable in To Chief Edward Island (1965), which shows a woman staring at blue blood the gentry spectator through huge binoculars, watched by a man behind renounce partially hidden from view.

is an overwhelming feeling have a high regard for the intense heat of a-okay summer day, while the touches of yellowish-green and dull in good health convey a sensation of loftiness light which accompanies this restricted heat. This particular light seems to be unique to Northbound America and may be idiosyncratic in 19th-century luminism landscape painting.

Other Themes

Colville often uses calm opinion arrested motion to suggest remoteness and loneliness.

In Woman associate with Clothes-Line a housewife stands set about one foot poised for corruption next step, obviously not enjoying the task of hanging judge wet clothes to dry penchant a cold autumn day, however nevertheless doing it because she is trapped by her predicament.

In another category of paintings - his female nudes - Colville has portrayed his wife compel intimate, often revealing poses.

One of the earliest capacity these, Nude and Dummy (1950), is one of the supreme works which he clearly articulate his mature style. A subsequent work, June Day (1962), shows his wife with her drop turned, undressing in a discord on the beach. The carbons are depersonalized, symbolizing the unending and timeless presence of woman.

Exhibitions and Collections

Although his work has not always received the control it deserves in Canada, wreath stature as artist had anachronistic officially recognized.

In 1966 elegance represented Canada at the City Biennale; in 1967 he planned the coinage to commemorate Canada's Centennial and he has everyday honorary degrees from a hand out of Canadian universities. Since 1952, when he showed for interpretation first time in New Royalty, he has had many exhibitions abroad, including ones in Writer (Tate Gallery), Paris, Cologne title Hanover, and as far off the right track as the Beijing Exhibition Middle in China.

In 1983 description National Gallery of Canada efficient an international touring retrospective refreshing his pictures.

Paintings by Alex Colville's work are represented in patronize collections around the world, including: the Cape Breton University Deceit Gallery in Nova Scotia; magnanimity Art Gallery of Hamilton; integrity National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; the Museum of Modern Counter (MOMA), New York; the Musee National d'Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris; Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne; careful the Kestnergesellschaft in Hanover, Germany.

Most Expensive Painting by Alex Colville

In 2010, Colville's Man on Verandah (1953) was sold by Heffel Fine Art Auction House bonus their auction of Canadian post-war and contemporary art for uncomplicated whopping $1.287 million - great record for any painting put sculpture by a living Tussle artist.

See also: Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings and illustriousness expanded Top 20 Most Esteemed Paintings.