Jeffrey Spalding collaborates on new Trianon exhibit

FORMER U OF L GALLERY DIRECTOR AND SASKATCHEWAN PRINTMAKER JOIN FORCES

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Trianon Gallery in Lethbridge inaugurates its 2019 season with a very special project. “Ghosts and Angels ”is organized and circulated by director and curator Kim Houghtaling of the Art Gallery of Swift Current and curatorial director Jennifer McRorie of the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery with the assistance of Novak Graphics of Admiral, Sask. in co-operation with Savill Group Architecture.

The exhibition runs Saturday until Feb. 16 with a reception tomorrow at 8 p.m. The gallery is located at 104 5 St. S.

Through the use of chance and happenstance, Canadian Artist Jeffrey Spalding has created exciting and unexpected expressive abstractions.

Working with printmaker Gordan Novak of Novak Graphics, Spalding uses the off-cast printmaking materials and found colours gathered from the works of other artists. The results have a very dynamic 1950s abstraction meets pop art vibe. These inspired works conjure a sense of past artists, both those involved in the elements of each piece and those known and appreciated by Spalding (the Ghosts).

In collaboration with Novak, Spalding is using a very specific monotype printing process designed to ensure the development of seemingly random compositions (the Angels).

Spalding is an artist, writer, and curator. His art works are in the principal national public collections including the National Gallery of Canada, The Canadian Embassy, Washington, Vancouver Art Gallery, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Musee d’art contemporain de Montreal, McMichael Canadian Collection, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Art Gallery of Alberta, Glenbow Museum, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, The Banff Centre, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Remai Modern Mackenzie Art Gallery among others.

He has served as director at major art museums, including Glenbow Museum, University of Lethbridge, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Appleton Museum of Art, Florida; Artistic Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Calgary and Chief Curator Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Currently, Spalding is an art consultant at Tao Hua Tan Cultural and Creative Company and Lifetime Senior Artist at Tao Hua Tan International Artist Creative Residency in Tao Hua Tan, Anhui, China.

Spalding organized Canada’s art exhibition for Expo 93 Korea and is author of numerous books and exhibition catalogues for museums such as the Tate Gallery, Phoenix Art Museum and Russia’s Hermitage Museum. Spalding was President of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts 2007-2010, recipient of the Alberta College of Art and Design Board of Governors Award of Excellence (1992), awarded the Order of Canada (2007), and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012). He was named Adjunct Professor, University of Calgary and is a consulting editor and a regular contributor to Galleries West magazine.

Gordan Novak, of Novak Graphics Studio, has a distinguished 50-year career as a master printmaker, gallerist and respected art consultant throughout Europe, Canada (notably Toronto and Edmonton) as well as China. He is well known for his work with significant international artists such as John Chamberlain, Dorothea Rockburne, Malcolm Morley, John Lennon, and Canadian artists of senior achievement: Jean-Paul Riopelle, Gershon Iskowitz, Tony Scherman and many First Nation artists, notably Carl Beam and Anong Migwans Beam.