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For Immediate Release Maslak McLeod Gallery Alfred Villeneuve - Opus Deo Abstract paintings that capture the spirit of the Ontario landscapeAlfred Villeneuve at Maslak McLeod GalleryThere is a beguiling aspect to Alfred Villeneuve's work which transcends the conventional depiction of landscape; while appearing at first view to be highly representative, closer inspection reveals unusual colour choices - skies of fleshy pink, yellow water, blue clouds - and all over the surface are darkly outlined, granular forms which coalesce to form larger shapes that suggest specific elements. The same pebble-shaped cells create the water, the air, and the land itself, differentiated in tonal values and scale to create an overall surface energy that tricks the eye into building a coherent image of a specific place. The artist speaks of these discrete elements that catch the eye in the natural environment, "the swelling of buds, the sinking of winter ice back into the lake and sudden bare patches appearing after months of snow," and uses his painterly ability to delineate between almost-identical colours and forms. Somehow, through the chaos and churning energy, Villeneuve conveys the very essence of the landscape; in fact, once the eye discerns the larger, representative view, it is only with difficulty that one can return again to focus on the image as a pure abstraction, despite its obvious non-representational nature. While it is tempting to compare Villeneuve's sense of place to the Group of Seven, his paintings echo such predecessors as David Milne and Emily Carr, and more recently Doris McCarthy, in his attempts to convey the spirit of a place rather than simply its visual appearance. In this way, he relates back to the Romantic pursuit of the sublime, and to the Impressionists. He also brings a distinctly native interpretation of the landscape. He states that "through the kinetic memories embedded in my DNA... I continue to ply the trails and waterways of our ancestral homelands", while avoiding the overt influence of Morrisseau and other 'traditional' schools. Beneath the surfaces of his paintings, there is a distinctly native concern for the wellbeing and preservation of the environments he depicts. While his work captures the stillness of the lakes and forests of the Ottawa Valley and Algonquin Park, the artist behind them is passionately engaged in what he views as a last-ditch defense of nature and traditional ways of life from corporate malfeasance. Throughout 2006 and 2007, Villeneuve was involved in protesting the dumping of Tritium - 'heavy water' waste from nuclear reactors - into the water supply. These concerns, and the artist's deeply held beliefs in the stewardship of nature, bubble just below the shimmering surfaces of his canvases. High-resolution images available upon request - 30 - |
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Maslak McLeod Gallery
