London Ontario born and raised Doug Kirton has an accomplished body of work spanning over five decades — and he is showing no sign of slowing down. Out Here, at Michael Gibson Gallery until October 26 brings us his latest inspiration from the natural world out there, a series of lush green-blue illuminated landscapes mostly depicting his observations of some of his favourite fishing holes along the Grand River valley near his home in Kitchener-Waterloo, along with a few visual shout outs to the nearby Arboretum in Guelph.
Since recently retiring from his teaching post as Associate Professor of Visual Art at the University of Waterloo, Kirton has found a little more time to take in his natural environment (with fishing rod and easel in tow) and he renders his interaction with this landscape with aplomb. We know that forest bathing is good for our health and mental demeanour, and these paintings bring some of those meditative and calming effects Mother Nature can deliver to us city dwellers. I’m pretty sure my blood pressure dropped a few points staring at Grass Architecture on the wall.
“The attention to the surface and sensibility of light is classic Kirton,” says curator Jennie Kraehling. “Built up layers become crusty with paint and enhance the delicate balance of shifting light and complex gestures. A master colourist and physical mark-maker, Kirton is one of Canada’s most intelligent and insightful painters.”
Kirton’s work can be found in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Vancouver Art Gallery and Museum London.
“I’ve been following Doug’s career since he graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NASCAD)” says Wyn Geleynse, “and I find his recent work to be an interesting departure — I’d describe it as early 21st Century Impressionism — from his 1980s interior furniture and architectural paintings I loved.”
Indeed. I was lucky to catch a show of Kirton’s work at the AGO show Toronto Painting 1984 that depicted a sort of bleak take on the opposite side of Mother Nature’s glow in his monochrome images of banal suburban houses without much… curb appeal?
“Who needs a house out in Hackensack”, Billy Joel pondered at the same time in Movin’ Out, “Is that all you get for your money?”
Kirton says that his former instructor from NASCAD — and now artistic cohort, friend and confidante, Will Gorlitz “has had an incalculable impact on my career over the years; although our work differs significantly, Will has always given me constructive critical advice. He’s always had insightful comments on my projects, a critical eye to help make the work be more effective.”
As for the many years of his practice as both artist and professor in the visual arts, Kirton says he’d be happy to be remembered as “one of the best fisherman painters in Southern Ontario.”
In conversation, Kirton elaborates on his favourite spots in the Grand River ecosystem and his evolution as an artist from the heady days of conceptual art practice as a student at NASCAD to why fly fishing can be good for the artistic soul. And he elaborates on the great advice that he received from Tim Zuck: “Paint what you love.”
Vincent Cherniak is happy to have had the same inspirational high school art teacher, Ruth Anne Merner, as Doug Kirton. He has only gone fishing once and caught a rock bass — though he’d like to go fly fishing in the Scottish Highlands one day if he can escape London, ON
Doug Kirton at Michael Gibson Gallery until October 26
Love the Billy Joel quote.