Alex Colville

Artistic Profile

Style

Lighting

Minimal shadows; atmospheric clarity; objects don't cast ambient shadows (creating CGI-like effect before CGI existed)

Technique

Meticulous hyperrealism with mathematical precision; thin layers of paint applied dot-by-dot; surfaces sealed with transparent lacquer

Composition

Rigorous geometric construction using golden section, Fibonacci series, Le Corbusier's Modulor system

Perspective

Carefully calculated viewer positioning; lack of atmospheric perspective

Color Palette

Muted, controlled colors; precise shading without dramatic contrasts

Emotional Tone

Disquieting tranquility, latent anxiety, melancholy laconism, underlying existential tension

Execution Time

Months per work; only 3-4 paintings or serigraphs produced annually since 1950s

Unique Qualities

Pre-CGI hyperrealism; bodies modeled piece-by-piece creating doll-like stillness; minimal object-environment interaction; suspended temporal quality

Spatial Treatment

Objects appear weightless; distance ambiguous; viewer positioned as participant rather than observer

Narrative Approach

Brief, concise plots without clear resolution; suggest stories beyond the frame

Evolution

Late Period

1970s-2013 - continued refinement; updated subjects (Kiss with Honda, 1989) while maintaining distinctive approach

Early Period

1940s war art - impressionistic, muted colors, reportage style (e.g., Infantry, London Bridge)

Transitional

1950 Nude and Dummy - shift from war reportage to personal creative direction

Mature Period

1950s-1960s - development of signature style; major works like Horse and Train (1954), To Prince Edward Island (1965)

Medium Changes

Oil → tempera → oil and synthetic resin → acrylic polymer emulsion (after 1963)

Influences

Primary

Edward Hopper (American Precisionism), American Luminists, Stanley Royle and Sarah Hart (teachers, Post-Impressionists)

Rejected

Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Conceptual Art; maintained independence from modernist trends

Acknowledged

Ancient Egyptian art (frontal/profile compositions), European Old Masters (intensive Louvre study), Norman Rockwell (quotidian realism)

Philosophical

Martin Heidegger's Being and Time; existentialism; concepts of temporality and presence

Themes and Subjects

Primary Themes

Everyday life, domestic scenes, human-animal relationships, maritime landscapes, existential anxiety

Recurring Motifs

Animals (particularly dogs, horses, crows), family members as models, vehicles (trains, cars, boats), bodies of water, nude figures

Symbolic Elements

Nature vs. technology conflicts, ordinary moments imbued with mystery, frozen narratives suggesting 'what if' scenarios

Psychological Content

Latent tension, suspended time, ambiguous narratives, 'myths of mundanity', isolation, mortality, danger

Movements and Periods

Primary

Magic Realism / Maritime Realism

Related

Precisionism, Contemporary Realism

Position

Counter to mid-20th century abstraction; maintained realist tradition through modernist era

Influenced Artists

Broader Impact

Established legitimacy of realist figurative painting during abstract expressionism's dominance; influenced Canadian and international contemporary realists

Maritime Realism School

Tom Forrestall (class of 1958), Christopher Pratt (class of 1961), Mary Pratt (class of 1961), Norman Eastman (class of 1952), Hugh Mackenzie (class of 1953)

Canadian Significance

Helped establish Canadian cultural identity through art; compared to Group of Seven in national importance

Contemporary Relevance

Work resonates with current interest in figurative painting and psychological realism; influence on cinema ongoing

International Standing

Respected internationally despite swimming against prevailing currents; exhibited globally

Philosophical Underpinnings

Stated Beliefs

Art should render visible mysteries of supernatural world; ordinary life contains mythical aspects; realism can analyze rather than merely reflect reality

Artistic Mission

Discover 'myths of mundanity' in everyday settings; explore fundamental human situations (loneliness, isolation, love, work, leisure)

Existential Focus

Being and time as central concerns; anxiety as normality; life as inherently dangerous

Conservative Aesthetics

Rejected 'free verse' approach; worked within existing forms; valued order and structure