Masters Gallery

Painters Eleven member, Hortense Gordon, was well into her artistic career when she moved away from figurative work to fully embrace abstraction by the end of the 1930s. Through this period, she found influence in French Cubism and studied under Hans Hoffman. "Figure in Solution" is a work from Gordon's late career with powerful colour harmony, angular form and linear structure, making for an engaging and dynamic composition.

On Tuesday evening, Masters Gallery President, Ryan Green, spoke on the life and art of Nicholas de Grandmaison to a crowd of almost 200 at Calgary's spectacular New Central Library. The building was recognized by the New York Times as one of the top places in the world to visit in 2019 and it was an honour to be part of its incredible forward-thinking and community-minded programs and services.

Inspired by the classic Etta James song, "At Last," this romantic Amy Dryer painting was a commissioned wedding gift for a very lucky couple.

The en plein air oil sketch is synonymous with Tom Thomson. Even Lawren Harris admitted later in his career, "I'll never paint as good as Tom." In just five years (1912-1917) Thomson produced an unprecedented body of work which changed the perception and practice of art in Canada. In this work recently sold by Masters Gallery, "Canoe Lake, Autumn Tapestry," the vitality, directness and sheer beauty of a revolutionary vision can be seen. He would go on to make a larger canvas of this sketch now in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.

"Different artists or personalities lead to different styles. I am not primarily a realist. A lot of people think that when you are doing a realist painting, there's no abstraction. In fact, it's all abstraction. I paint the light, not the objects." -Andrew Valko

William Perehudoff's work took notable influence from the flat, linear qualities of the vast Saskatchewan prairies. "Nani no. 13" is a minimal abstract that employs vivid colour, linear structure and a command of negative space to create a powerful composition.

Janet Mitchell's colourful palette and stylized forms make for wonderfully playful compositions. "Moonbirds Fly Overhead" is a vivid street scene, rich with energy and whimsy.

Philip Surrey was an important leader in expanding Canadian landscape painting to the urban realm. Surrey's vibrantly coloured "Carré, St. Louis" is a candid capture of the streets and people of late night Montreal.

Celebrated worldwide, William McElcheran's busy, portly bronze figures are a lighthearted satire of the structures that guide the corporate world.

Cameron Douglas's delightful bronze sculpture, "Taking Flight", is an elegantly simple reflection on the act of embarking on a new adventure.

Patrick Douglass Cox's deep ties to the land and history of the West make his rural heritage a large source of inspiration for his art practice. "Wrap" captures a scene of routine labour with careful precision; a beautiful and dignified reflection of Western farm life.

Chris Flodberg's mountain series transports viewers to the highest, most inaccessible peaks of the Earth. These sublime works exhibit Flodberg's Romantic influence, both awe-inspiring and intimidating versions of untouched natural landscapes.

This series of paintings by James Wyper was originally inspired by aerial photos of poppy fields in the Netherlands, where long bright rows of flowers are interspersed with ponds or irrigation ditches.

"Through photography and painting, my work investigates the urban environment and the complex interactions therein. This setting is the place where the sociological, economic, and interactive images of our contemporary culture are on continual and ever-changing display." - Laura Pope

In his formal art training, David Thauberger saw many of the guidelines given as challenges to oppose rather than rules to follow. Having been told to never place the horizon line in the center of a painting, he often does just that. And, in spite of being taught to use only one painting method to achieve consistency, he'll apply paint in as many ways as possible to prove otherwise.

"Stripes to the Right" and "Red, Orange, Green" are both 1965 works that were completed when Jack Bush had fully committed to the ideas surrounding the Colour Field movements. His works from this period exhibit flat planes of colour and ordered, geometric compositions. Under the influence of Clement Greenberg, his works became much more simplified during the early 60s. "Stripes to the Right" and "Red, Orange, Green" exist as a part of a 1965 portfolio entitled "Five Colour Prints" and are powerful examples of the work Bush was making at the height of his career.
Jack Bush, RCA, "Stripes to the Right" 1965, serigraph, ed. 67/100, 25.5x20 in.
Jack Bush, RCA "Red, Orange, Green" 1965, serigraph, ed. 67/100, 25.5x20 in.

"I have tried just about everything that can be done in painting, from translucent thin washes on canvas to the integration of 3D objects on board. My process involves both experimentation and inner search. I have been interested in both painting as and art and as a means of investigating the self and its relationship to the outer world" - John R. Barkley

"Light Lunch" was painted in 1994, after Pratt had separated from her husband, Christopher, her children had grown and she had control over her own time to focus entirely on her practice. On its surface, "Light Lunch" presents a quiet and contemplative composition, a snapshot of a moment in time. The objects in Pratt's still life works are often packed with personal and cultural meaning. Here her presentation of fruit is both vulnerable and sensual: "The reality comes first, and the symbol comes after. I see these things and suddenly they become symbolic of life."

"Remember, the soul of the artist must be free, forgetting all the rules, letting the painting speak." -Horace Champagne
An exquisite collection of works by master pastellist, Horace Champagne, is a feature of our Holiday Exhibition and Sale, hanging until December 22nd.

Want to go on an adventure?!



Yesterday afternoon, my parents and I took my boys and their cousins (12, 10, 9 and 6 yo) to Masters Gallery on the corner of 4th Street and 22nd Avenue SW. It was fascinating and the people who run the gallery are incredible. It’s free to go in and all four kids were warmly welcomed and even offered a juice box when they arrived. We were encouraged to walk around and ask questions about anything in the gallery.



Both the 10 and 9 year old boys had already been in two separate field trips with school and were curious to go back. The paintings and sculptures on display had all changed since the boys’ trip so I think you can probably go often and see something new every time. I know it won’t be my last adventure there.