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Alex Colville Retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario

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The woman with the strong arms holding binoculars up to her eyes, the man behind her reclining and obscured…

I will never forget that image. The first time I saw it I was in my BFA undergrad studies at the University of Alberta. The lecture theater was darkened and I sat on a wooden folding chair as the art history professor projected the image, “To Prince Edward Island” by Alex Colville as large as the wall. I never imagined seeing “To Prince Edward Island” in person; that thought never occurred to me back then. When I was in Toronto for work recently, I snuck in a visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario and was pleasantly surprised to find a retrospective of Colville’s work.


 ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE

The smooth manner Colville painted skin tone, his stylized approach to form and the way his characters seem to float in their environments; the artwork is captivating and timeless.

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEX COLVILLE ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE PAINTING AND DETAIL

When Alex Colville died in July of 2013 at 92 years old, it was the loss of a great career artist. He worked at his paintings for more than seventy years, a similar length as his marriage to his wife Rhoda. Their love story can be seen on many of Colville’s canvases. I found it so compelling, and romantic, that the artist used his wife as a muse and painted her at every stage of her life, doing simple every day things. Colville also painted her, and himself, near the end of their lives, their bodies obviously changed from the youthful images found in early paintings like “To Prince Edward Island.”

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEX COLVILLE ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE QUOTE AND WIFE

There is something magical about seeing famous art in person. It is mesmerizing and surreal. I cherish these opportunities to lean in close to witness first hand every brushstroke, each tiny detail. Colville’s fine details seem to vibrate on the canvas, the surface work of the paint so skillfully applied I imagine the artist being a patient man with a steady hand.

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEX COLVILLE ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE PAINTINGS

The retrospective was inspiring. It runs from August 23, 2014 to January 4, 2015 at the AGO. If you have the chance, I strongly recommend seeing it.

Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5T 1G4
Call 1-877-225-4246 or 416-979-6648

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO DUNDAS WEST ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE

NOTE: There was an additional $5 fee to access the Colville Retrospective on top of the gallery entrance cost. 

White Walls and a Welcome Title, My Artist Residency has Begun

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When I walked into my new studio at Harcourt House for the first time, I was startled to see the previous Artist in Residence had white washed the walls. I really appreciate the thoughtful gesture but the stark white shocked me. It was almost like the terror of a writer faced with a blank page or an artist with a virgin canvas.

 

I had a moment of panic thinking, “Oh God! Can I do this?”

 

Photograph copyright Alexis Marie Chute

 

Then I noticed that the blinding white walls were not perfect. At the base were a few inches of paint drips remaining untouched. Who knows how many individuals and previous artists in yearlong residencies mixed the colours that flowed from beneath the white down the wall and onto the floor.

 

That little bit of imperfection was (and is) my saviour. As an imperfect person on the cusp of a dream opportunity, I know there will be failures and successes, good days and bad. The imperfect walls and floor give me the breathing space to not worry about mess, to get my hands dirty and be a brilliant experimenter of creative thought.

 

Photograph copyright Alexis Marie Chute

 

I am overflowing, literally running over with joy and thankfulness for this opportunity, for my (imperfect) white walls and my welcome new title. Artist in Residence. I’m so ready.

 

Check out my Alexis Marie Chute website for more blog posts about my artist residency. Here is a post called: “Moving into Harcourt House, Artist in Residence Studio”

 

Photograph copyright Alexis Marie Chute

Can Art be Practical and Helpful?

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I was wondering, why is art therapeutic for some people? What magic does it possess to help us through difficult times, rebuild our lives and re-learn the act of hope? An epiphany came to me in an idle moment of thought:

Art is a tool for healing because it pulls our attention from the past hurt to the present moment.

When we are creating something in the here and now, we experience its tactile nature, the flow of the paint, the coolness of the clay as we begin to kneed it between our fingers, the click of the shutter as we react to at the perfect moment. These physical qualities of art making draw us into the present moment where we can be mindful of our blessings, that we are here, alive and that life is a beautiful gift worth living in the fullest manner possible.

While art grounds us in the moment, it also teaches us to look forward, to anticipate.

What will the photo look like in the end? Will the sculpture endure the kiln? Will my words resonate on the page tomorrow? Or the week after? Or next year? Once the paint ceases to drip, what will remain? In the same way, art helps us heal by bringing our attention to the future, allowing us to hope for better days and cultivating faith in our purpose and identity.

What a revolutionary epiphany!

Many people think of art as overpriced creations by eccentric individuals, displayed at stuffy galleries for the ‘cultured’ but devoid of practical use in our everyday lives. To some, this may be their only experience with art. It is true that some people make art inaccessible to the average viewer.

Despite negative experiences with art, and I’m sure most of us have had such experiences, art does have an amazing redemptive capacity when applied to an open, willing and searching soul.