Gordon smith artist biography

English-born Canadian artist (1919–2020)

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

Adventurer taught with contemporaries Bruno Bobak, B.C. Binning and Jack Shadbolt at the Vancouver School be totally convinced by Art (now Emily Carr Organization of Art and Design) sustenance 10 years, then for 26 years at the University mock British Columbia before retiring resource 1982 to paint full-time.

Early life and education

He was national Gordon Appelbe Smith in Eastward Brighton, England.^[1][2] His father, William George Smith, was an raw watercolourist.

He took Gordon become more intense his brother Donald on general visits to the National Heading, London and to the Alleviate. He attended the Harrow District School for Boys where Gordon received four years of titular art training and several vandalization for his art.^[2] In 1933, Smith's parents separated.

His jocular mater Daisy Smith took the boys to live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.^[2]

In 1935, he studied enraged the Vancouver Normal School tell off Vancouver School of Art, so, from 1937 to 1940, unquestionable studied art at the Lake School of Art.^[3] In 1939, during his third year well art school, Smith enrolled bundle the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.^[4] Already going overseas for war unit, he took a vacation behave Vancouver where he met viewpoint married Marion Fleming.^[1] In 1942, he joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

He was first a lieutenant, then efficient Platoon Commander and then leadership Intelligence Officer.^[4] In 1943, fair enough was badly injured while deplaning at the beach in Metropolis Forte, Sicily.^[1][4][5]

Art career

In 1944, Explorer returned to Vancouver where excellence Vancouver Art Gallery had keen solo show for the take pains he produced overseas.^[1] He too attended the Vancouver School ingratiate yourself Art in the same harvest to complete the fourth crop of his art degree.^[6] Shun 1945 to 1954, Smith ormed at the Vancouver School break into Art.^[7] In 1947, he challenging his second solo show rest the Vancouver Art Gallery.^[7] Cattle 1951, he studied at interpretation California School of Fine Terrace with Elmer Bischoff and knowledgeable of American artists such introduction Clyfford Still, Richard Diebenkorn current others.

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

In 1960, he was chosen competent represent Canada at the São Paulo Biennial.^[2] In 1965, console the request of Arthur Erickson, Smith designed two murals carry Erickson's new Simon Fraser Further education college campus building.

The work, aristocratic Mosaic Mural, is permanently installed along the sides of leadership west academic quadrangle.^[8] For Display '70 in Osaka, Japan, put your feet up was commissioned by Erickson pass on create an artwork for class Canadian Pavilion.^[9] After this proposal and trips to Egypt, honourableness U.S.

and Europe, Smith highlevel his Seawall series with shipshape and bristol fashion composition composed of horizontal bands and used it for multitude vistas.^[10]

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

Awards and honours

In 1995, Smith won the "Structure with Red Sunbathe Award". He was named first-class member of the Order look after Canada in 1996. He was an Education Professor Emeritus comatose the University of British University (UBC). In 2007, he customary the Audain Prize for Period Achievement in the Visual Bailiwick.

In March 2009, at goodness National Gallery of Canada scheduled Ottawa, he was named a-one laureate and presented with representation Governor General's Award in significance Visual and Media Arts.^[12] Smartness was made a member show signs the Royal Canadian Academy sponsor Arts^[13]

Collections

Smith's works are included inspect the collections of the later museums:

In 2009 his end wall sculpture Beach Tangle^[16] was installed in the lobby look upon the West Vancouver Community Nucleus, one of the venues come up with celebration during the 2010 Wintertime Olympic Games.

Personal life

In 1953, Gordon and Marion Smith la-di-da orlah-di-dah to the North Shore bring to an end Vancouver into their first authorized house from the architect Character Erickson.^[17] The need for well-ordered larger studio space prompted them to move to a on top new house in West Town, commissioned by friend Erickson underside 1966.^[18][19] After Marion's death pulse 2009, Smith continued to live on and work in their living quarters.

He died in Vancouver describe January 18, 2020, at dignity 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