Quiet Nature: The Woodblock Prints of Walter J. Phillips

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Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, "Quiet Nature: The Woodblock Prints of Walter J. Phillips," 2019

SEASON OPENER | SATURDAY, MARCH 9 | ALL DAY | ADMISSION BY DONATION

“Since boyhood my ambition was to make prints.”

- Walter J. Philips

Walter J. Phillips’ early goal was finally achieved when the British-born artist moved to Winnipeg at the age of 29. There he learned the etching process from a fellow artist. In the years following, he moved on to the woodcut technique, first teaching himself, and then, in London, learning from English printmakers, and notably, from the Japanese artist Mokuchu Urushibara (1888-1953).

“Phillips is considered to be the artist who brought the tradition of the Japanese woodblock print to Canada,” said exhibition curator and AGGV Chief Curator, Michelle Jacques. “He had learned to make etchings from Winnipeg artist Cyril Barraud in 1915. How­ever, attracted to the “beautiful simplicity” of woodblock print­ing, beginning in 1917, he set out to teach himself its methods.”

During an extended stay in England in 1924-25, Phillips con­nected with William Giles, one of the most innovative British printmakers of the early 20th century. Phillips learned much from Giles, and through him, met Yoshijiro Urushibara (1888-1953), a Japa­nese woodblock printmaker who had moved to London in 1908. Urushibara had a successful career in London, and was influen­tial in the revival of colour woodblock printing in England. From Urushibara, Phillips learned Japanese techniques for register­ing (lining up) his paper on the woodblock, and sizing his paper (treating its surface with a solution of water, gelatin and alum so that the paper is less porous and the printed image is sharp­er).

Quiet Nature: The Woodblock Prints of Walter J. Phillips contains work exclusively from the collection of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

Added Jacques, “although Phillips didn’t produce any new work upon moving to Victoria, his connection to the city has influenced the AGGV’s holdings of his work. There are 140 works by Phillips in its col­lection; nearly half of them were donated by the artist himself. In addition, after his passing, his wife, Gladys Phillips, donat­ed the beautiful 1957 watercolour entitled Experimental Farm, near Saanichton, to the Gallery.”

Organized in conjunction with Landscapes of Edo: Ukiyo-e from the AGGV’s Collection and Fiona Tan: Ascent, the exhibition considers the influence of Urushibara and other Japanese printmakers on Phillips’ work and his important role in popularizing the Japanese woodcut tradition in Canada.