A Retrospective

At 2260 Oak Bay Avenue

Nov. 1 - 21, 2009

Preview
Saturday, October 31, 2009   10 am – 5:30 pm
(work subject to prior sale)

Opening:
 Sunday, November 1, 2009
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Elizabeth Ely, harpist;   Karel Roessingh, pianist

Flemming Jorgensen emigrated to Canada from Denmark in 1956.  He arrived here in his early 20s and first worked as a designer doing Eaton's store windows and interiors, and as a graphic artist, but soon became a full‐time artist.  Jorgensen studied commercial art under Herbert Siebner (1958-61), and travelled and painted with Toni Onley in Greece in 1973.  Working in oil, casein with wax, acrylic and watercolour, his style ranged from figure studies to semi-abstract landscapes inspired by specific locations to abstract expressionist works.  He worked as a painter, printmaker, and sculptor ‐‐ and excelled as a teacher.  He co‐founded the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts and was nicknamed ‘Maestro’.  Jorgensen also taught at the University of Victoria, Lester B. Pearson College, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria College of Art and Victoria College of Art and Design.

Print‐maker Pat Martin Bates met him in the 1960s and said he was "a consummate designer, one of the truly finest multifaceted serigraphic (silkscreen) artists in the country.  He was witty, funny, kind, elegant, charming and handsome, "to the end our Noble Dane."

Two years ago, Jorgensen donated many works to raise funds for a press and to establish a print program at the Vancouver Island School of Art.   Last year, he donated pieces to Abkhazi Garden and raised about $20,000.   Jorgensen received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the University of Victoria in 1998 and took part in international shows in France, Switzerland, England, Brazil, the U.S. and many Canadian cities.  He exhibited with the RCA in 1970 and 1976, the MMFA in 1960, 1961 and 1964, and held solo exhibitions at the AGGV in 1961, 1965 and 1974 and the Maltwood Art Museum at the University of Victoria in 1985.  His work is in the collections of the AGGV, BAG, CCAB, CCAG, NGC and WAG.