Gallery Exhibits
May 31 to June 25
ABANDONED OUTPORTS AND DISAPPEARING BARN
Icons from Two Distinct Environments
Bronson Smith - Peterborough
The abandoned outports of Newfoundland and the disappearing barns of Ontario
are captured in large wood relief paintings.
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 2 at 7 pm
Artist’s Bio
Geoffrey Smith was born in Ottawa, 1955, and is a self-taught artist who began experimenting with wood relief paintings in 1983. He changed his name from Geoffrey to Bronson (a family name) on June 2, 1994, as part of his personal growth.
His paintings started out as flat enamel paint on ¼” plywood (good one side) with balsa wood strips to build up the areas. He was inspired by the Paterson Ewing’s work to use a router to add depth and detail to his work. He initially used a regular router, but switched to a smaller dremel moto-tool router. When the manufacturers of flat enamel paint phased out the line of paint he used, he switched to Liquitex acrylic paint. That move changed his entire colour palette and intensity of his artwork.
The early paintings focused on images of rural and urban Ontario (cows and barns) and Toronto (streetcars and old Victorian rowhouses). He started capturing scenes of eastern Canada, primarily Newfoundland and Labrador where his Dad was stationed during WWII, influenced by the relocation and abandonment of isolated Newfoundland outports in the 1960’s.
Since moving to Peterborough from Toronto in 2007, his work is often based on his new surroundings. He continues to capture elements in our lives, such as old barns, rural scenes and abandoned outports before they disappear.
He exhibits in many art shows, and his works are found in a number of corporate collections. He has had gallery representation over the years and participates in charity shows and fundraising auctions.
Artist’s Statement
I have been drawn to decay and the transitory nature of the world around us. Buildings and communities age and disappear into the mist and are confined to stories of days past.
I feel the need to capture the images of the outports of Newfoundland and Labrador and the barns of Ontario. These solid structures become fragile as they are subjected to the elements of neglect, the environment and despair.
My paintings hold onto the world that is lost or disappearing – sometimes in the blink of any eye.
Bronson Smith
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