Gordon A. Smith - Selected Influences/Experiences

Selected Influences/Experiences

• 1937-1940 employed part-time as draftsman, Brigden's firm, Winnipeg in design department
• 1939 visit to San Francisco for the Golden Gate International Exposition - exposed to work of European, American and Canadian Modernist artists
• 1941 marries Marion Fleming, his lifelong supporter
• 1942/43 made maps and topographical sketches in England, Scotland and Europe; visited artists, galleries and museums, during WWII
• 1944 employed part-time with the Vancouver Sun, art/design department
• 1944 contacted by painter, educator W.P. Weston (1879–1967) - suggested Smith go into teaching
• 1944 studied under important Canadian Modernists B.C Binning and Jack Shadbolt and became friends with them, as well as becoming part of social group with Alistair and Betty Bell, Arthur Erickson, Geoffrey Massey, Bert and Jessie Binning, Bess and Lawren Harris, Nan Cheney, and the Andrew family
• 1944 first one man show at the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG)
• 1947 second one man show at VAG
• 1947 visits Alert Bay, location known to Emily Carr and other important B.C. artists
• 1949 involved with Design for Living show with Binning at VAG about the importance of design and art in daily life
• 1951 in San Francisco sees Abstract Expressionist art of Elmer Bischoff, Clyfford Still, Richard Diebenkorn etc., starts to focus on the paint as subject in his work
• 1956 invited to join and show with The Canadian Group of Painters
• 1957 influenced by visits to galleries in New York
• 1960 highly experimental work chosen to represent Canada at the São Paulo Bienal
• 1960 visited galleries in Montreal, Europe, revisited the Tate in London, especially revisiting the freedom of technique in the work of J.M.W. Turner
• 1961 taught summer workshops Banff Centre School of Fine Arts
• 1964 asked to design two murals for new Simon Fraser University, Arthur Erickson architect
• 1970 major commission requested by Erickson for Canadian Pavilion, Expo 70, Osaka, Japan
• 1970 first of 3 visits to Egypt, influences his use of colour
• 1976 major retrospective of his work at VAG, work evokes memory of life, place
• 1979 visits and paints in New Brunswick, horizontal light colourful landscapes
• 1982 retires from UBC to concentrate on painting
• 1984 second visit to Queen Charlotte Islands, returns to more sombre colours, frees up painterly markmaking, more abstraction
• 1987 major commission requested by Erickson for the new Canadian Chancery building in Washington, D.C
• 1990 second studio built to work on grand scale paintings
• 1995 visit to Claude Monet's home Giverny start of "Pond" series