David Kearn and his self portrait: “Eighteen Pieces of Me”, Acrylic on Canvas
This summer I promised myself, I’d make time to check out more art shows in the city; it’s something I love but rarely have a chance to do while running my business. Recently I visited “Portraiture by the Foot” an exhibition by my friend painter, David Kearn. I was fortunate to be given a personal tour of the show by David and his wife France… two very animated souls who are passionate about art. Thoughtfully arranged by Eliane Saheur, the exhibition is integrated into the first floor AOE offices of the Shenkman Arts Centre. Visitors are able to view 33 portraits along its corridors and walls as well as in the offices of its employees. Unlike many exhibitions that are contained in the standard contemporary “white cube” setting, I love this show because it has a real lived in feel; one that can be enjoyed by visitors and occupants alike.
David Kearn's portraits are seamlessly integrated into the office space of the AOE: (left) “Lanie” (his sister-in-law), Oil of Canvas; (right) “Mindy”, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
The first part of my tour featured the talents of David’s students. I was impressed by three large grid panel portraits they had made of famous Canadians. As part of the process, each student was given a square fragment of a photo portrait to reproduce and complete in the medium of their choice. In final form, these slightly askew, collage-like renderings are fascinating animated portraits of three of Canada’s cultural heroes as well as a fine testament to David’s role as teacher. As I expressed my pleasure with them, David was excitedly off on a tangent pondering which great Canadian he’d select next … “Perhaps opera star Measha Brueggergosman!”, he exclaims in his charming British accent.
The work of David's students on the right: "A Sum of Parts” (Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire; side view of writer Margaret Atwood), Various Media
No exhibition of portraits is complete without at least one portrait of the artist himself. David’s includes four. An iconic, fluid watercolour one which he has photographed and then transformed into a much larger piece composed of small panels arranged in a grid – his largest portrait to date. Inspired by his work with his students, this latter self portrait “Eighteen Pieces of Me” is a serene representation of the soft-spoken artist. Ever ready to push the boundaries of his portrait making, the show also includes an expressive pastel portrait of him as well as another abstract version “Mosaic One” composed of loosely painted squares. From a distance they come together to form his face in a manner that mimics the pixels in a digital photograph. Throughout the show, there are several examples of David working with the same subject in various styles and mediums – one even includes glitter, “but very tastefully done”, his wife France adds.
David Kearn, “Emergence Three” (Michaële Jean former Governor General of Canada), Oil on Canvas
Equally alluring are his portraits of others. One such is former Canadian Governor General, Michaële Jean. David captures her likeness in spontaneous flowing brushstrokes, unusual layered pops of colour as well as his trademark style of leaving portions of the portrait unfinished. I like this latter tactic – it reminds me as a viewer, like the sitter whether in painting or real life, we are all works in progress. I’m drawn to the unexpected fleshy forest green colours beneath Jean’s skin – they beautifully complement her dark-skinned features and pink tones of the piece. I note, however, that she has no hair! I tease David about this and he jokes: “She was always changing her hairstyle then so I left it out!” And yet, he still manages to capture her effervescent personality and infectious smile. In other portraits, David’s ability to reveal the psychological interior of his sitters is made evident through his use of colour, texture, background/landscape and title. In “Boundless” a nude model sits, somewhere between heaven and earth, on a mirror-like tiled floor which reflects the sky; in “Disquiet” a young woman slumps against the backdrop of a ghostly brick wall; and, akin to Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais’ “Ophelia” in “Slipstream” a woman’s seemingly lifeless body floats, face up, along the banks of a river… haunting portraits that lend insight into the stories behind the mindscapes of the sitters as David imagines them.
David Kearn, (Left) “Disquiet”, Acrylic on Canvas; “In a Landscape”, Oil on Canvas
Among my favourite portraits are those of David’s wife and niece. It’s interesting to note that many of the pieces have the sitters’ reaction to their portrait posted on the wall beside them – in each case all are pleased with the results. A portrait of wife France situates her between the twin cities of Ottawa and Hull. She divulges this is because she’s a blend of French and English Canadian, and further adds that David has accurately captured her abnormally large hands!… a detail that escaped me because I’m particularly struck by way he’s harnessed the real life intensity of her gaze… never leaving the viewer; scrutinizing them… ready to make some profound observation about the world around her. I tell David France’s stare and the hazy landscape behind her make me think of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” (“La Gioconda”). This delights him. It would seem he consciously incorporates the strategies of old masters into his some of pieces. Even the arresting portrait of his young niece, Carolyn, who glances knowingly at the viewer, echoes another famous portrait “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Dutch painter Jan Vermeer. Rather than pearls, however, in David’s contemporary version “Carolyn by Moonlight” she sports large hoop earrings. I can’t imagine anything more perfect than to be immortalized in such a classical manner. It’s no surprise Carolyn and France take great pride in David’s skills as an artist.
David Kearn: (Left) “Carolyn by Moonlight" (detail of niece), Oil and Acrylic on Canvas; “On Both Sides" (detail of wife France), Acrylic on Canvas
As with all stimulating exhibitions, “Expressive Portraits: Portraiture by the Foot” leaves me excited about the potential of portraiture and how I could use some of the ideas I’ve discovered in the show to build on my own portrait making skills. I was also inspired to try my hand at painted or charcoal portraiture… David, you may see me in yet another one of your classes! I’d really love to take part in the creation of a famous Canadian grid panel session!
If you’re in town, be sure to check out David Kearn’s show at the Shenkman Art Centre in the AOE Gallery which is on until August 23, 2012. Summer hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm at Shenkman Arts Centre at 245 Centrum Boulevard. Be sure to see his website and Break a Brush blog for more photos from the show. Thanks for a memorable tour David and France! Thanks too, to the AOE staff for warmly welcoming me to photograph their facilities and answering my queries.
If you have any thoughts about David’s work, I’d love to hear from you.
Other Related Links:
Defying My Comfort Zone: A Plein Air Class with David Kearn
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