Joao Artur da Silva, “untitled,” 1950, oil on canvas, 9.5" x 10"
(photo courtesy of Perve Galeria)
Art Vancouver: A Surrealist in our Midst
From Canada to Kazakhstan, Scotland to South Korea, artists from around the world are set to converge on Art Vancouver beginning today (April 11). Billed as Western Canada’s largest art fair, the 2024 iteration of the annual event runs through April 14.
According to the organizers, “what sets Art Vancouver apart is its commitment to creating a dynamic space for creatives to network and collaborate, surpassing the conventional role of art fairs.”
This includes the “Face of Art” Runway, an opening night program in which exhibitors sashay across a fashion show-inspired catwalk with their creations, allowing “artists and galleries to connect their artwork with the face, personality and individual behind the painting, sculpture, drawing or photography.”
One highlight will be the tribute to Portuguese-Canadian artist João Artur da Silva. Still creatively active at the age of 95, da Silva is the last surviving member of the Os Surrealistas “anti-group,” which he founded in 1949 in Portugal with Mário Cesariny and Cruzeiro Seixas.
Having lived in B.C. since 1991, da Silva has willfully exiled himself from the art market for the past three decades. As a result, he is less than a household name, especially here in his adopted country. Lisbon’s Perve Galeria, organizers of this tribute, are hoping to change that narrative.
“The aim of organizing [this tribute and other exhibitions] is to remedy the lack of knowledge about João Artur da Silva, his career, and his work among the arts public and related institutions, celebrating him as a truly unique artist."
Henri Leopold Masson, “The Blue House,” 1947, oil on canvas. (The Mendel Art Gallery Collection at Remai Modern. Gift of H. S. Southam, 1947)
Views from the Blue House: A Smorgasbord of Canadian Classics
When the Mendel Art Gallery opened its doors in 1964, its inaugural exhibition featured the likes of Emily Carr, Lawren Harris, William Perehudoff and Eli Bornstein. Now known as Remai Modern, the institution has dug into its collecting coffers with Views from the Blue House: The Remai Modern Collection, which offers a look at six decades of art acquisitions.
Yes, Emily Carr, Lawren Harris, William Perehudoff and Eli Bornstein all make appearances, but so do many others, including relative newcomers such as photographer Sandra Semchuk and “anti-aesthetic” multimedia practitioner Ruth Cuthand.
Contemporaneity is beside the point for much of the survey, though. Taking its name from Henri Leopold Masson's 1947 oil on canvas, The Blue House, the exhibition features a treasure trove of works from beloved 20th-century artists. These include as Harris’ fellow travelers Arthur Lismer and A.Y. Jackson, Indigenous art stars such Carl Beam, Alex Janvier, and Pitseolak and Shuvinai Ashoona, and host of Boomer upstarts: David Thauberger, Attila Lukacs, Alison Norlen and more.
No plans on being in Saskatoon anytime soon? Take a virtual dive: the Remai’s collection is viewable online. ■
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