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Jan. 25, 2008
Show of Canadian comfort
B.C. painter gains inspiration from his natural surroundings.
BAILA LAZARUS
There's something welcoming and comfortable about an exhibit where you feel you've seen the subjects of the artwork firsthand. In the case of Nature Speaks, it's a given, since the subjects of artist Alec Becker's work are British Columbia landscapes.
A cabin at Lighthouse Park, trees in Stanley Park, snow birds at Jericho Beach, Stellar sea lions sunning themselves on rocks – all make an appearance in the exhibit that's currently showing at the Sydney and Gertrude Zack Gallery. The trees, the colors and the scenes all have that distinctly Canadian feel.
Although much of the artwork won't be mistaken for photographs, there are some pieces that do stand out for their depiction of reality. "Trees at Stanley Park" and "Reflections" are two examples of the artwork that made people passing by the gallery on opening day do a double take.
"People were stopping by all day, saying they look so real," said gallery curator Reisa Schneider, who also commented on the auspicious timing of the exhibit, which opened the week before Tu b'Shevat, Jan. 22.
While definitely realist in style, the paintings seem to draw upon several other styles as well. There's an interesting pointalist feel to some pieces. Up close, "Splendor in the Grass" and "Tootsies Pansies" are mere daubs of green and orange, laid on in thick acrylic. Stepping back, the colors merge so they are no longer distinct, and it looks like an actual giant flower has been pressed right into the canvas.
In "Trees in Stanley Park" and "Trees I," the lighting has a Vermeer-like quality, coming from off-canvas somewhere, lighting just a portion of the scene. And, of course, there is the Canadiana feel, causing comparisons to the Group of Seven.
Becker has been painting for much of his life – attending the old Vancouver School of Art with well-known B.C. art instructors Jack Shadbolt, Gordon Smith, Don Jarvis and Peter Aspell – but only took up acrylics in the last decade or so, after retiring as a lawyer in 1993.
"This is what I always wanted to do. I took up law as a hobby," said the 76-year-old. "At first, I was terrible [at using acrylics], but then I started catching on and I haven't even begun. I've got a long way to go.
"Your hand just holds the paintbrush, but it's your brain that tells you how to organize the painting. You really have to think with your head."
Using oils, he said, has its advantages, being able to apply paint thickly, for example. But he likes acrylic now for how fast it dries. Sometimes he'll apply some oil over top of the acrylic for that thickness or shininess that he can't get from acrylic.
Given that much of Becker's current work is comprised of landscape, it's not surprising that he might find painting the backgrounds of thousands of trees a little tedius. So he'll often work on several canvases at a time, putting one down when he gets tired of it, so he can work on another piece.
Of his inspiration, Becker said his most successful works have come from Stanley Park, such as "Trees at Lost Lagoon." It's a testament to the advice given to him by Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris, when Becker was in art school. Harris said that whenever the students were trying to figure out what to paint and were feeling uninspired, they should go to nature. "So I took his advice and went to nature," said Becker.
Nature Speaks runs until Feb. 6. Gallery hours are Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-Shabbat closing; Saturday, closed; Sunday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 604-257-5111 for more information.
Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, photographer and illustrator living in Vancouver. Her work can be seen at www.orchiddesigns.net.
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