I checked out Alex Colville at the AGO when it opened. It was transformational, eclectic, traditional and full of echoes of why I am proud to be Canadian. Look here for my full review: https://thirtyfourflavours.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/alex-colville-at-the-art-gallery-of-ontario-august-23-january-4-2014/
After my second visit to see the Alex Colville exhibit at the AGO last week I was reminded of how much I love his art. Upon entering the Colville exhibit I passed a man carrying the ‘Colville’ Art Book by Andrew Hunter that I have been meaning to pick up.
Now, one of the years most significant and anticipated Art Books, co-published by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and Goose Lane Editions, the book, entitled simply Colville, explores the man, the place and the imagery.
More than 100 of Colville’s paintings and studies, including works which have rarely been publicly shown or reproduced, have been assembled for the book, some with thematic pairings of work from notable figures in popular contemporary culture including Sarah Polley, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, the Coen Brothers, and Alice Munro. This definitive look at Colville’s work and influence is complemented by candid portraits of Alex Colville with his wife and life-long model, Rhoda, providing a rare glimpse into his personal life.
Written and edited by Andrew Hunter, the AGO’s Frederik S. Eaton Curator of Canadian Art, Colville accompanies the largest exhibition ever of the visionary artist’s work. The exhibition will feature more than 150 paintings from museums and private collections around the world.
Alex Colville, himself, said, “As a good realist, I have to reinvent the world.” Colville sheds light not only on the world as Colville portrayed it, but also on the way his vision has reinvented the cultural landscape.
Pick up some passes to the Alex Colville at the AGO as a stocking stuffer for mates or family before it closes in January 2015 plus pick up the ‘Colville’ Art Book from Andrew Hunter for yourself.
Thirty Four Flavours 