Alex Colville

Key facts

Lived

1920–2013, Canadian^[2]

Works held in

7 museums^[1]

Wikipedia

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• Infantry, near Nijmegen, Holland

  Canadian War Museum

  LeBreton Flats, Canada

  31 works

  Museum detailsMap

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• What is Alex Colville known for?+

  Alex Colville is known for his paintings that depict scenes from ordinary life, but carry the weight of someone who has seen what ordinary life can turn into. His best-known painting, To Prince Edward Island (1965^[2]), uses a precise geometric structure to make an everyday ferry crossing feel loaded with meaning. Several of his paintings appear in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980).
• What is Alex Colville's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to identify one single work as Alex Colville's "most famous". His career produced many pieces now held in prominent collections. In 1964^[2], Colville completed "Bridge", "Golden Day", "Half Way", and "Three-Thirty". The following year, 1965, saw the completion of "Grave Light", "Nobid", "Saturday Night", "Plunge", and "Largesse". In 1966, he created "Approach", "Dark Sweet Cherry", "Sound", "Shift", "Shade", "Dry Shift", "Deep Pillot", "Strand", "Blue Shift II", "Pause", "Warm and Cool", "Approach", "Untitled", "Must", and "Solar Edge". "Via Blues", "Powder", "Rainbow", "The Time", and "Seamline" were all completed in 1967. These works are held in collections such as The Davidson Family, Toronto; The Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Canada; and the Robert A. Rowan Collection. Others are in private collections in Toronto, Chicago, Boston, and New York.
• What should I know about Alex Colville's prints?+

  When considering Alex Colville's prints, bear in mind the distinction between an original print and a reproduction. An original print is conceived and executed solely as a print, often in a numbered edition, and signed by the artist. Each print is created from a matrix, such as a plate or screen, and is individually inked and pulled. In contrast, a reproduction is a copy of a work initially created in another medium, such as painting or watercolour, often produced photomechanically. Numbering and signing a reproduction does not alter its essence; it remains a copy, not an original print. The Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada (PADAC) has defined these terms, which are accepted by major arts organisations in the country. The intent behind the image is what distinguishes an original print from a reproduction. If the aim is to replicate an image best created as a painting, it is a reproduction, regardless of the technique used.
• What style or movement did Alex Colville belong to?+

  Alex Colville is difficult to place within a specific art movement. Colville's career began in the mid-20th century, after the heyday of modern art movements. The Canadian^[2] Group of Painters was founded in 1933^[2], with the intention of maintaining values of free expression in pursuit of a Canadian style, as put forth by the Group of Seven. The Group of Seven were interested in presenting the possibility of aesthetic involvement to a large number of people. They felt that art societies, with their European-oriented view of the painter's profession, were doing little to foster cultural awareness in Canadian society. What was needed, they felt, was a direct mode of painting derived from Canadian experience. Some general tendencies can be blocked in before we view the assembled works.
• What techniques or materials did Alex Colville use?+

  While information on Alex Colville's specific techniques is limited, we can discuss materials and methods common to artists. Artists often prepare their painting surfaces with gesso, applied to canvas or hardboard panels. The gesso provides a suitable ground for the paint. Oil painters frequently use mediums and thinners to modify the consistency and drying time of their paints. Thinners, such as turpentine or mineral spirits, evaporate quickly. Mediums, containing oils or varnishes, alter the paint's composition and texture. A common medium can be created by mixing linseed oil, damar varnish, and turpentine. Sketching is a standard practice. Artists employ sketch pads and pencils for preliminary studies. Canvases come in various textures, with medium-textured canvas being a popular choice. Some artists stretch their own canvases, while pre-made canvases are also available. For rigid supports, Masonite boards can be prepared with multiple coats of gesso.
• What was Alex Colville known for?+

  Alex Colville (1920^[2]-2013^[2]) was a Canadian^[2] painter known for his precise, realist style. He often depicted scenes from everyday life in Canada's Maritime provinces, where he lived for many years. Born in Toronto, he moved to Amherst, Nova Scotia, as a child. During the Second World War, Colville served as a war artist, documenting events in Europe. This experience influenced his later work, which often explored themes of conflict and tension. After the war, he taught at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, for many years before retiring to paint full time. His paintings frequently feature animals, figures in sparse settings, and carefully calculated compositions. Works such as *Bridge* (1964^[2]) and *Grave Light* (1965) illustrate his use of acrylic on canvas. Colville developed a meticulous technique, using mathematical ratios to determine the placement of elements within his pictures. His work can evoke a sense of stillness, but also of underlying unease.
• When did Alex Colville live and work?+

  Alex Colville was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1920^[2]. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Amherst, Nova Scotia, where he spent his childhood. Colville received his formal art training at Mount Allison University, graduating in 1942^[2]. His studies were interrupted by military service during the Second World War, where he served as a war artist. This role saw him documenting events in Europe. After the war, Colville returned to Mount Allison University, this time as a faculty member. He taught there from 1946 until 1963. During this period, he developed his signature style of precise realism. In 1963, Colville resigned from his teaching position to devote himself fully to painting. He moved to his home in Sackville, New Brunswick, where he continued to live and work until his death in 2013^[2]. Throughout his career, Colville received numerous awards and honours, solidifying his position as one of Canada's most important artists.
• Where can I see Alex Colville's work?+

  Alex Colville's work can be seen in many public collections. In Canada, the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto) hold examples. Other locations include the Mackenzie Art Gallery (Regina, Saskatchewan). In the United States, museums with Colville's pieces include the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, D.C.), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). His art is also held by the Art Institute of Chicago. Outside North America, Colville's work has been displayed at the Australian National Gallery in Canberra and at the Tate Gallery in London. These galleries provide opportunities to view selections of Colville's paintings, prints, and other media.
• Where was Alex Colville from?+

  Alex Colville was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 24 August 1921^[2]. However, he spent a significant portion of his childhood elsewhere; in 1929, his family moved to Amherst, Nova Scotia. Colville's connection to the Maritimes remained strong throughout his life. He returned to the region to study at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. There, he met his future wife, Rhoda Wright. Although he travelled and exhibited his work internationally, Colville’s artistic inspiration often came from the landscapes and people of Nova Scotia. He lived and worked in the province for many years. He eventually settled in his hometown of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where he died on 16 July 2013^[2].
• Who did Alex Colville influence?+

  A.Y. Jackson, a member of the Group of Seven, supported the development of younger Canadian^[2] artists. In 1966^[2], Jackson suggested that Robert McMichael acquire work from artists such as Ogilvie, York Wilson, Alan Collier, Colville, Forestall, Comfort, and Lemieux. Jackson appeared to dislike some modern artists, such as Paul-Émile Borduas, but he still supported artists from across Canada. Many young artists who began their careers between 1925 and 1930, during the height of the Group of Seven, comprised the Canadian Group of Painters. The Group of Seven's struggle with tradition gave hope and direction to these younger painters. The Canadian Group of Painters' main purpose was to sustain the values of the Group of Seven. The Canadian Group of Painters' creative years occurred during a difficult time for art, and few of its members achieved fame.
• Who influenced Alex Colville?+

  Identifying specific influences on an artist's work is complex, but broad sources can be identified. Some artists have noted the importance of artistic community. The unconscious collaboration between artists, whether through agreement or disagreement, can compel one to improve. Contact with other artists helps destroy isolation. Artists learn from predecessors and contemporaries alike. Exposure to a range of art, museum and gallery shows, and visits to other artists' studios can influence an artist's direction. One artist noted being affected by Analytic Cubist drawing early in their career. By 1950^[2]-51, Pollock, de Kooning, and Rothko had become mentors. They also saw work at Betty Parsons's gallery by Still, Rothko, and Newman. In the later 1950s and early 1960s, they were moved and intrigued by Louis's Veils and Unfurleds and Noland's targets and chevrons.
• Who was Alex Colville?+

  Alex Katz is a painter, draftsman, and illustrator. He has a worldwide reputation. Throughout his painting career, Katz has gathered subject matter from his own life, while his eclectic styles are borrowed from traditional art sources. Katz's work, although largely figurative in content, made no attempt to provide a consistent illusion of reality. The expressionistic qualities of his painting are constantly brought to the viewer's attention through the way he used a wide variety of technical and stylistic devices. Like many of Katz’s friends, one writer sat for him when asked. The sitter has to keep still only now and then. A neighbour looks in, a domestic interruption occurs, Alex tells stories, discusses an event or a mutual friend, all while painting rapidly or sitting back scowling at his canvas. Suddenly he peers at the sitter with concern: “Five minutes more, or do you want to stop now?” then he picks up the conversation where he dropped it and paints. The portrait is finished in a few sittings.