Painting dreamscapes

OLGA LIVSHIN

Opening night of Dreamscapes, the new exhibit of work by Jack Rootman, was a squeeze. One could hardly see the paintings on the walls beyond the densely packed crowd. Many guests milling about the gallery were Rootman’s colleagues in his alter ego-persona of prominent eye surgeon. But they were there to see the doctor as artist.

Since childhood, Rootman has liked drawing, but art wasn’t considered a serious occupation in his family. His father, a hard-working Russian-Jewish immigrant, wanted to his son to have a respectable education.

“I’ve always been fascinated by science and medicine,” Rootman told the Independent. Medical school was the obvious choice. But, even there, Rootman drew anatomical and pathological details rather than taking notes. “That was how I learned,” he said.

At 40 years of age, already well established in his profession, an unfortunate event occurred – he injured his back and was forced to spend a month in bed. To cheer him up, his wife bought him art supplies and suggested that he paint. “I started painting, first still life and then clowns,” he said about the beginning of his artistic career. “As soon as I started, I was hooked.”

Rootman considers clowns to be intriguing subjects. “Clowns are like caricatures of one element of their personalities. A clown always wears a mask, real or imaginary, and I was interested to see behind those masks.... Besides, it was a safe subject for me. Doctors usually have to be conscious of their impact on their patients. Clowns don’t have to be self-conscious; they can be themselves. And they are easy to paint: it’s like a painting of a painting. Clowns paint themselves first.”

Even after resuming full-time medical work, Rootman didn’t stop painting. “I painted eight to 14 hours every week, usually in the early mornings. And I wanted to become a competent painter, so I started taking classes at Emily Carr [University], learning from different artists.” He also participated in several shows, spurring him to further delve into the artistic realm. In 1995, Rootman took a year off work to study figurative painting in New York.

Over the years, his art has become not so much a hobby as a refuge for the doctor, keeping him calm and focused. “Surgery is a sort of controlled violence,” he said gravely. “As a surgeon, I hurt people, even if it’s for their own good. But my paintings – they can’t hurt anyone. Painting is calming, for an artist and a viewer both.” To share the calm and joy of art with medical patients, Rootman has been very active in the recent campaign to bring donations of artworks to Vancouver-area hospitals.

“I love what I do as a doctor but I have to say that my art affects my medical work. For me, eye surgery is an artistic endeavor. I use my brain in surgery as an artist; I visualize what I have to do, what my alternatives are.” The two sides of Rootman’s personality enrich and influence each other constantly. “Art conveys who I am,” he said.

Rootman likes experimenting in art, often embarking on new tangents and he has tried numerous subjects, techniques and media: landscapes, portraits, figurative art and still life, using acrylics, watercolor and pastels.

“Watercolors are the best medium to learn principles and techniques of painting,” he explained. He also used oil paints, oil sticks and collages for his expressive compositions. In 1998, when arthritis threatened to destroy both his careers, he dove headlong into yet another exploration, painting a series of miniatures.

His latest project consists of dreamscapes in pastel, his favorite media for the past few years. “I had fun doing this series,” Rootman said. In his interpretations, dreamscapes are constructed from beddings and pillows, but the seemingly mundane subjects sparkle with multiple meanings in the artist’s thoughtful renditions. Light and shadows, colors and patterns dance across the images, reflecting the nuances of dreams and relationships. Every bed has a story, and every arrangement of pillows resonates with human interactions. Sensual and spiritual, the artist’s fluid dreamscapes invite his viewers to join him in his search for understanding.

Dreamscapes is at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery until Wednesday, Oct. 13.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She is available for contract work. Contact her at [email protected].

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