JOHN FOX RETROSPECTIVE AT KLINKHOFF

Posted by

Chair of Concordia’s Painting Department,  Montreal artist John Fox, RCA, (1927-2008)  is honoured with retrospective at Klinkhoff Gallery.

I love to visit a certain graceful brownstone building on Montreal’s Golden Mile. The Klinkhoff Gallery is an elegantly quiet space. Therein lies Canadian art from the 19, 20 and 21^st centuries. Here you will find no art hanging from the walls or blaring videos.  For almost 60 years this prestigious gallery has advised private and corporate collectors in amassing fine art.  Celebrating a long tradition of hosting retrospectives, this fall the gallery will honour the legacy of John Fox, the renowned Montreal artist and much-loved teacher.  The exhibition will feature works from private collections, as well as paintings owned by Fox’s widow, art historian Sandra Paikowsky.

Many pieces have never been viewed by the public.  I perused the informative catalogue that describes the path of his 50-year career, from his days studying with Arthur Lismer and Goodridge Roberts, his time at London’s Slade School of Art, and his teaching at Concordia University, to his summers in Venice, whose colours, light and architecture he adored.  John is buried on that magic isle of crumbling architecture, byzantine alleyways – and the most gorgeous light in the world.  One of the more interesting talents of this artist was his ability to change back and forth from representing reality, to painting abstract works, whose colours and sense of space are particularly lovely.  Unusually – and, in fact, the first time in the gallery’s 37-year practice of hosting annual retrospectives – some of the works are for sale from the Estate.  Galerie Walter Klinkhoff is a family affair.  It is managed by Gertrude Klinkhoff and her sons Alan and Eric, as well as Alan’s son Jonathan.  The gallery specializes in Canadian art, including works by Paul-Émile Borduas, Emily Carr, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Clarence Gagnon, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Cornelius Krieghoff, Arthur Lismer and Jean-Paul Riopelle.

The John Fox Retrospective is free and open to the public, September 11 – September 25, 2010.

Gallery Klinkhoff

1220 Sherbrooke Street West

514-288-7306

www.klinkhoff.com

WHILE IN THE AREA

You can shop! (and eat)

Holt Renfrew is just around the corner. Montreal fashionistas’ source for couture, a wide choice of cosmetics and ‘it’ bags. And of course – shoes!

Take a pause that refreshes at the Holt’s Café.  Enjoy cakes, tea and / or lunch.

Holt Renfrew

1300 Sherbrooke Street West

www.holtrenfrew.com

514-842-5111

Take a pause that refreshes at the Holt’s Café.  Enjoy cakes, tea and / or lunch.

Top