THE OPTIMISM OF COLOUR: WILLIAM PEREHUDOFF, A RETROSPECTIVE
William Perehudoff
Central Gallery
March 26 to May 28, 2011
For six decades, since his first solo exhibition in 1950, William Perehudoff has been regarded as a leading Canadian artist and one of the most influential abstract painters in Western Canada.
In 2004 Kamloops Art Gallery acquired eight major Perehudoff works as a donation from the artist. They span some of his most productive years from 1964 to 1997.
Curated by Karen Wilkin, a New York based independent curator and critic, The Optimism of Colour is the first comprehensive survey of Perehudoff’s entire career. The exhibition traces the evolution of his work from the early figurative and landscape works, which reflect his desire to enlarge upon the special character of his surroundings and his interest in Impressionist colour theory, to the radiant abstract paintings that established his international reputation.
The retrospective chronicles Perehudoff’s career from his studies in the 1940s and early 1950s, with Amédée Ozenfant and French/Mexican muralist Louis Henry Jean Charlot in New York and Colorado, to his work in the late 1990s. It is a timely examination of one of the most dynamic periods in Canadian art and traces the evolution of visual culture from before the Second World War to the dominance of Modernist painting, design and architecture in Canada.
Organized and circulated by the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Canada. This project has been made possible in part through a contribution from the Museums Assistance Program, Department of Canadian Heritage.
Generously sponsored by Radio NL
Installation view of The Optimism of Colour: William Perehudoff, a retrospective
Photo: Kamloops Art Gallery
