At Winchester Galleries on Broad Street

Opening: Saturday, May 6, 2006 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Artist's Talk: 3:00 pm

Introduction by Vanessa Robertson

Exhibition continues until May 30, 2006

The paintings in the exhibition are variously based on location sketches, photographs and found images from magazines and newspapers. The subject-matter makes reference to predominately mundane reality. By purposefully eliminating high drama and a 'society of spectacles' from his thematic narrative the artist sidesteps sensation and topicality in favor of understatement, marginality, and indirectness. The oil painting called Hotel Room Window, NY, for example, is a quietly expressive interpretation of Gotham City and Recycle Bags and Child's Bed Spring enlists discarded materials as subject-matter for the human narrative.

Gary Pearson has a BFA from the University of Victoria and an MA from the University of Saskatchewan. He lives in Kelowna, BC, and is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada and internationally, including recent solo shows at: SCA Galleries, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney (2005); Elissa Cristall Gallery, Vancouver (2005); and a mid-career survey exhibition 'One Way Ticket' organized by the Kelowna Art Gallery (2003) the itinerary being the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon (2003), Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa (2004), and Two Rivers Art Gallery, Prince George (2005). The artist has received numerous grants and awards, including an international studio residency award at PS.1/MOMA, in New York; Vancouver Institute of Visual Arts (VIVA) Award; Triangle Foundation (DUMBO) Studio Award; and a Visiting-Artist-in-Residence Award at the Sydney College of the Arts. His work is in the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery; Kelowna Art Gallery; Kamloops Art Gallery; The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery; University of Saskatchewan; University of Sydney; The Artists Museum, Lødz; The Canada Council Art Bank; and other collections.

This showing, at Broad Street, of Gary Pearson paintings, coincides with his exhibition entitled 'High Early' at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.