David Alexander : the shape of place

121 Pages·2012·5.99 MB·English

by  Alexander

DAVID ALEXANDER

The Shape of Place
EDITED BY LIZ WYLIE
D A V I D A L E X A N D E R
PUBLISHED FOR THE KELOWNA ART GALLERY BY MCGILL-QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY PRESS
MONTREAL & KINGSTON • LONDON • ITHACA
©McGill-Queen’sUniversityPress2012 DavidAlexander:theshapeofplace/editedbyLizWylie.
isbn978-0-7735-4035-4 PublishedfortheKelownaArtGallerybyMcGill-Queen’s
UniversityPress.
Legaldepositfirstquarter2012
BibliothèquenationaleduQuébec Includesbibliographicalreferences.
isbn978-0-7735-4035-4
PrintedinCanadaonacid-freepaperthatis100%ancient
forestfree(100%post-consumerrecycled),processed 1.Alexander,David,1947–—Criticismandinterpretation.
chlorinefree 2.Landscapepainting,Canadian.3.Painting,Canadian—
20thcentury.I.Wylie,Liz II.KelownaArtGallery
McGill-Queen’sUniversityPressacknowledgesthesupport
oftheCanadaCouncilfortheArtsforourpublishing nd249.a44d382012 759.11 c2011-907817-1
program.Wealsoacknowledgethefinancialsupportofthe
GovernmentofCanadathroughtheCanadaBookFund Thisbookwasdesignedandtypesetby
forourpublishingactivities. studiooneononeinAdobeGaramond10/14
Frontispiece:DetailfromIceland’sEarth’sKitchen,2001,
acryliconcanvas,58(cid:2)52in.
Pagevi:DetailfromRockyScratch[Rockies],2004,
gouacheandink,10.25(cid:2)9.75in.
Contents
ListofIllustrationsandPlates vii vii
Acknowledgments DavidAlexander andLizWylie xi
Introduction:TheLandscapeIstheEvidence LizWylie 3
Landscape,Nature:DavidAlexander SharonButala 17
DavidAlexander,andBeingSurroundedbyThingsWeHaveNotMade Ihor Holubizky 35
ALandofWater Gilbert Bouchard 49
An“Other”Iceland:MusingsontheAlexanderLandscape AðalsteinnIngólfsson 57
TheMarvelandtheMenace:DavidAlexanderTalksaboutLandscape RobertEnright 71
Chronology 86
DavidAlexanderBibliography 97
ExhibitionsandCollections 100
Contributors 108

ListofIllustrationsandPlates
AllworksarebyDavidAlexander,inthecollectionoftheartist,andphotographscreditedtoYuriAkuneyunless
otherwisenoted.
plates
1 AReflectedNorthernSaskatchewanLake,1985,acryliconcanvas,47(cid:2)47.5in.Collectionoftheartist.
2 KokaneeGrip,1985,acryliconcanvas,66(cid:2)83in.CollectionoftheArtGalleryofNovaScotia,Halifax.
3 VorticoseTrees(OldGuard),1987,acryliconcanvas,67.5(cid:2)58in.CollectionoftheMendelArtGallery,Saskatoon.
4 CircleIslandDuet,1987,acryliconcanvas,67.5(cid:2)82in.Privatecollection.
5 MadetoBend,1987,acryliconcanvas,67.5(cid:2)58in.Privatecollection.
6 TheTailEndSurrounding,1987,acryliconcanvas,68(cid:2)81in.
7 EnteringtheBeginningsoftheBigDipper’sHorizon,1989,acryliconcanvas,60(cid:2)68in.
8 ContinuousPrairieTargetPractice,1989–94,acryliconcanvas,58(cid:2)67in.
9 EllesmereKnifeClouds,1996–97,acryliconcanvas,57(cid:2)90in.
10 VisualMusicforOzzie,1992,acryliconcanvas,60(cid:2)68in.Privatecollection.
11 WindingthroughtheVault,1992,acryliconcanvas,24(cid:2)118in.CollectionofSunLife,Toronto.
12 HigherGargoyles,1994,acryliconcanvas,60(cid:2)66in.
13 SilenceTriumphsfromthePropheticSawtoothSpine,1996,acryliconcanvas,78(cid:2)23in.Privatecollection.
14 SilentPatienceAmongthePlumedTowers,1996,acryliconcanvas,95(cid:2)23in.Privatecollection.
15 PlaceofDomestication,1998,acryliconcanvas,67(cid:2)58in.CollectionofCareyAlexander.
16 RedsoveraNorthernWinter,1998,acryliconcanvas,57.5(cid:2)66in.
17 NotMuchBelongsintheArctic,1998–99,acryliconcanvas,58.5(cid:2)68in.CollectionofToddAlexander.
18 NewRocklandCanal#3,Bobcaygeon,undated,[c.2000],acryliconcanvas,79(cid:2)102in.
19 WORD/LAND,artist’sbook,1998,mixedmedia,8(cid:2)30in.Frontoutsidecover.
19.1 WesternSitesforJournalists
19.2 Europeans’GreenlandRenamedLandscapesofNoNameForm
19.3 TheGulf WarinYosemitePark
19.4 T.S.MonkJazzwhichisaprobableearthquakecauseofanotherlinedrawingofacontinuousnature
19.5 TheStoryof TwoLetters:AWallisaMountainandaMountainisaWall
19.6 WhataPrairieNationalParkShouldBe
19.7 ADarkLandscapethroughaStormofWords
19.8 WordsAside:astoneland
19.9 Theabuseofwordsintheland
19.10 Doesthewordtop?
19.11 RefiguredLandandalphabet
19.12 Canada’sMusic
20 RimsaroundtheEntrance,2001,acryliconcanvas,60(cid:2)68in.
21 Iceland’sEarth’sKitchen,2001,acryliconcanvas,58(cid:2)52in.
22 MorningunderLaCloche,2001–02,acryliconcanvas,61(cid:2)102.5in.Privatecollection.
23 ThePerfectPond,2002,acryliconcanvas,83(cid:2)65.5in.PrivateCollection.
24 YouGoKnockontheDoor,2002,acryliconcanvas,51.5(cid:2)57.75in.
25 MountainSpin,2006,acryliconcanvas,52(cid:2)58in.Privatecollection.
26 Edith’sDirtyToes,2006,acryliconcanvas,24(cid:2)125in.
27 AnHourBeforetheWindBlowstheColourAway,2007,acryliconcanvas,78(cid:2)96in.Collectionof
McCarthy-Tetrault,Vancouver.
28 McArthur,LakeO’Hara,2007,acryliconcanvas,78(cid:2)96in.CollectionofKellyandElmarKlapstein.
29 TropicalPunched,2007,acryliconcanvas,66(cid:2)57in.
30 JapaneseRain,Shinjuku,Gyoen,Tokyo,2007,acryliconcanvas,52(cid:2)58in.
31 QuixoticShiftsofLily-LiveredYellow,2009,acryliconcanvas,28(cid:2)96in.
32 BackingIdabelFalls,2009,acryliconcanvas,28(cid:2)96in.
33 DrawinginFloats,2010,acryliconcanvas,57(cid:2)66in.
34 SalientRings,BisqueCamouflage,2009,acryliconcanvas,80(cid:2)48in.
35 Fraser’sTower,2008,acryliconcanvas,30(cid:2)22in.
viii
illustrations
Rockies,EarlySpring,1999,gouacheandink,9(cid:2)12in. 3
IvonHitchens(1893–1979),WinterStage,1936,oiloncanvas,23.1(cid:2)61.3in.,©Tate,London2011. 4
Untitled[Valhalla,SlocanValley],2004,inkandwatercolour,14.5(cid:2)5.75in. 6
EastCoast[Newfoundland],1996,gouacheandink,8.5(cid:2)11in. 6
Untitled[Saskatchewan],1990,graphite,7.75(cid:2)21.5in. 18
EmilyCarr(1871–1945),AbovetheGravelPit,1937,oiloncanvas,30.4(cid:2)40.3in.CollectionoftheVancouverArtGallery,
Vancouver,bc,EmilyCarrTrust,vag42.3.30.Photo:TrevorMills,VancouverArtGallery 20
ClaudeMonet(1840–1926),Water-Lilies,SettingSun,about1907,oiloncanvas,28.7(cid:2)36.5in,BequeathedbySimon
Sainsbury,2006(ng6608),NationalGallery,London,GreatBritain.©NationalGallery,London/ArtResource,ny. 22
TomThomson(1877–1917),BurntCountry,Evening,1914,oilonplywood,8.5(cid:2)10.5in,NationalGalleryofCanada,Ottawa,
BequestofDrJ.M.MacCallum,Toronto,1944.Photo©ngc. 36
WilliamHodges(1744–1797),View,possiblyofDuskyBay,NewZealand,originalsketches,drawings,mapsetc.collectedby
AdmiralIsaacSmith,mainlyofCaptainCook’ssecondvoyage(1772–1775).MitchellLibrary,StateLibraryofNewSouth
Wales,Sydney,Australia,callnumberpxd11. 36
RockwellKent(1882–1971),HouseofDread,Newfoundland,1915,oiloncanvas,27.75(cid:2)37.75in.PlattsburghStateArt
Museum,Plattsburgh,ny. 37
Remnants[BaffinIsland],1993,gouache,8(cid:2)9in. 38
Untitled[CathedralLakesPark,BC],2006,watercolour,17(cid:2)6in. 50
RockyScratch[Rockies],2004,gouacheandink,10.25(cid:2)9.75in. 51
AgnesLake[Rockies],1998,gouache,8(cid:2)10in. 52
BaffinWalk[BaffinIsland],1997,gouacheandink,8(cid:2)11in. 59
BlackTimeFlowsEvidence[Iceland],1999,graphiteandwatercolour,8(cid:2)11.25in. 63
KimDorland(b.1974),MorningSwim,2010,oilonwoodpanel,84(cid:2)120in.ImagecourtesyofMikeWeissGallery,
NewYork,ny. 72
AgnesLake,LateOctober[Rockies],1999,gouache,8.5(cid:2)11in. 73
ShaleandScreesinArctic[EllesmereIsland],2001,gouacheandink,6.5(cid:2)9.75in. 77
DavidB.Milne(1882–1953),VillageintheValley,BlackCedars(FromthePaintingHouseII),7January1920,watercolourover
graphiteonwovepaper,15.2(cid:2)21.9in,NationalGalleryofCanada,Ottawa.Photo©ngc. 78
ix