Earlier Works

Scroll down to view a chronological survey, from 1966 to 2008. Most works are representative of a larger group of paintings mediated through similar formal processes. As well as being primarily concerned with colour as an element of painting, they are abstract responses to a particular moment of time. The transitions that take place from one work or group to another are usually gradual, as each suggests more than one possible avenue for the next to take. There have been instances of sudden change in my conceptual viewpoint, and some may be evident in this overview.

 

The influence of abstract expressionism, colour field and minimalism is evident in the earliest paintings. This gave way in the mid-seventies to an intuitive, spontaneous, and visceral way of working that more directly engaged with my life in the world – relationship to the land, the forces of nature, and a broader and deeper expression of thought and emotion. In the eighties these works gradually shifted into more cerebral and minimalist explorations of colour and gestural form. Over time these works became more horizontal and vertical in orientation.

 

Although the grid had always been more or less there as the supporting form for colour, in the early nineties I decided to more directly engage the simple orthogonal grid, wanting to focus more attention on colour’s potential for expression. The 1990 debacle over the National Gallery of Canada’s purchase of Barnet Newman’s The Voice of Fire confirmed my desire to remain true to the notion of the essentials of painting with which I had begun my journey as an artist. The long period of working with the simple grid has opened an endless number of new avenues. I continue to explore some of them.

 

acrylic/canvas, 63" x 63"
Colour Form # 18 (1966), acrylic/canvas, 63″ x 63″
Wing (1968), acrylic/canvas, 72" x 138",
Wing (1968), acrylic/canvas, 72″ x 138″, private collection

 

Phoenix (diptych) (1973, 108" x 108"
Phoenix (diptych) (1973, 108″ x 108″
Looking Glass (1974), acrylic/canvas, 48" x 72"
Looking Glass (1974), acrylic/canvas, 48″ x 72″
Freeplace (1975), acrylic/canvas, 72"x 60"
Freeplace (1975), acrylic/canvas, 72″x 60″
Matisse Red (1976), acrylic/canvas, 60" x 48"
Matisse Red (1976), acrylic/canvas, 60″ x 48″, private collection
Georgia (1977), acrylic/canvas, 78" x 90"
Georgia (1977), acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 90″, private collection
Cellebrate ((1978), acrylic/canvas, 78" x 78"
Cellebrate ((1978), acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 78″, private collection
After Rameau's Nephew (1978) acrylic/canvas, 78" x 90"
After Rameau’s Nephew (1978) acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 90″, collection Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Accelerated Yellow (1978), acrylic/canvas, 60" x 120
Accelerated Yellow (1978), acrylic/canvas, 60″ x 120″, collection Canada Council Art Bank
Devil Blues (1979), acrylic/canvas, 78" x 78"
Devil Blues (1979), acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 78″, collection Sherbrooke University
Motive (1981) (diptych, acrylic/canvas, 66" x 156"
Motive (1981) (diptych, acrylic/canvas, 66″ x 156″, collection Vancouver Art Gallery
Silver Circle (1982), acrylic/canvas, 72" x 60"
Silver Circle (1982), acrylic/canvas, 72″ x 60″, private collection
Grieg's Rest (1983), acrylic/canvas, 78" x 78"
Grieg’s Rest (1983), acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 78″
Japan Suite (1984), acrylic/canvas, 78" x 78"
Japan Suite (1984), acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 78″, private collection
April, Sunny Day (1988), acrylic/canvas, 78" x 180"
April, Sunny Day (1988), acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 180″
The Virtue of White (1989), acrylic/canvas, 48" x 84"
The Virtue of White (1989), acrylic/canvas, 48″ x 84″, private collection
China (1989), acrylic/canvas/panel, 34" x 26"
China (1989), acrylic/canvas/panel, 34″ x 26″, private collection
Ways of Seeing (1990), acrylic/canvas/panel, 34" x 26"
Ways of Seeing (1990), acrylic/canvas/panel, 34″ x 26″
Horizontal Cross (1992), acrylic/canvas, 36" x 120"
Horizontal Cross (1992), acrylic/canvas, 36″ x 120″, collection Department of Foreign Affairs, Canada
Green Thinking Grid (1993), acrylic/canvas, 66" x 66"
Green Thinking Grid (1993), acrylic/canvas, 66″ x 66″, private collection
Syntax (1994), acrylic/canvas, 42" x 78"
Syntax (1994), acrylic/canvas, 42″ x 78″, private collection
Implications of the Grid (diptych) (1996), acrylic/canvas, 78" x 168"
Implications of the Grid (diptych) (1996), acrylic/canvas, 78″ x 168″, private collection
Land and Sea (1996), acrylic/canvas, 48" x 48"
Land and Sea (1996), acrylic/canvas, 48″ x 48″, private collection
Judd (1998), acrylic/canvas, 90" x 78"
Judd (1998), acrylic/canvas, 90″ x 78″
Yellow (2000), acrylic/canvas, 72" x 60"
Yellow (2000), acrylic/canvas, 72″ x 60″
The Logic of Ambiguity/The Ambiguity of Logic (installation set of 5), acrylic/panel/wall paint
The Logic of Ambiguity/The Ambiguity of Logic (2001), (installation set of 5), acrylic/panel/wall paint
Yellow Blue Screen (2003), acrylic/canvas, 36" x 36"
Yellow Blue Screen (2003), acrylic/canvas, 36″ x 36″
Modular Quartet (2004) (set of 4), acrylic/panel, 16" x 16" ea.
Modular Quartet (2004) (set of 4), acrylic/panel, 16″ x 16″ ea.
Medieval Modernism (2004), acrylic/canvas, 60" x 48"
Medieval Modernism (2004), acrylic/canvas, 60″ x 48″, collection of Department of Foreign Affairs, Canada
Blue Stars (2007), acrylic/canvas, 60" x 60"
Blue Stars (2007), acrylic/canvas, 60″ x 60″
Colour and Meaning: an Incomplete Palette (2007), (set of thirty) acrylic/silkscreen/panel, 12″ x 12″ ea., collection of Department of Foreign Affairs, Canada
New Day Grid (2007), acrylic/canvas, 66" x 66"
New Day Grid (2007), acrylic/canvas, 66″ x 66″