Exhibition - Down on the Labrador - David Blackwood- 2004

April 17 to May 10, 2004 at Abbozzo Gallery

'Cape Harrison, Labrador Sea' by David Blackwood

'Cape Harrison, Labrador Sea'
2004 - Etching and Aquatint
Plate size 7 x 12 inches
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Abbozzo Gallery was very pleased to host an exhibition of works by the well-known Canadian artist David Blackwood. The show, which opened on Saturday, April 17th, marked the third installment of our trilogy of thematically organized exhibitions devoted to this important artist’s work. This time, the locale shifts to the Labrador Sea, the scene of some of Blackwood’s most characteristic and powerful images of traditional maritime life in Newfoundland. “Down on the Labrador” featured familiar imagery of schooners, icebergs and whales. It included two new etchings on the subject created specifically for this show, several new drawings and watercolours, and a major new painting by the artist. For followers of Blackwood’s work, the exhibition was a wonderful opportunity to view an outstanding selection of his most powerful and poetic works.

"Down on the Labrador: Towing the Nickerson"
2004 - Etching and aquatint, edition of 75
Image size: 24 x 36 inches
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David Blackwood was born in 1941 in the out port town of Wesleyville, to a family with a long seafaring history. Recognized as an artistic prodigy, he received a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art, and by the tender age of twenty-three had one of his etchings purchased by the National Gallery of Canada. He went on to become Art Master at Trinity College School, Port Hope, Ontario, and was then named the first Artist-in-Residence at Erindale College, University of Toronto, in Mississauga. In 1992 the Blackwood Gallery was opened in his honour at the Erindale campus. The same year, Mr. Blackwood was awarded two honorary degrees: a Doctor of Laws from the University of Calgary, and a Doctor of Letters from Memorial University, St. Johns. In 1993, the artist was awarded the Order of Canada by the Federal Government in recognition of his ongoing and important contributions to the cultural life and heritage of our country. In 2003 Mr. Blackwood was awarded the Order of Ontario and was named to the Board of Directors of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Most recently, this past November Mr. Blackwood was named Honorary Chairman of the Art Gallery of Ontario, the first practicing artist to be so honoured. He currently lives and works in Port Hope, Ontario, and maintains a studio in Wesleyville, Newfoundland.

Fire Down on the Labrador by David Blackwood

Fire Down on the Labrador
1980 - Etching and Aquatint
32 X 20 inches (Plate Size)
This print no longer available.
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David Blackwood has exhibited nationally and internationally for many years, with over 90 solo shows and scores of group exhibitions to his credit. His work is actively represented by galleries across Canada. He has already been the subject of two major retrospective exhibitions and the National Film Board documentary film Blackwood, which was nominated for an Oscar. His work may be found in virtually every major public gallery and corporate art collection in Canada, and in many major private and public collections around the world, including the collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Windsor Castle) and the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. In 2000 the Art Gallery of Ontario announced the acquisition of a major collection of Blackwood prints and the creation of a Blackwood Research Centre within the Marvin Gelber Print and Drawing Centre which will make the AGO the ‘collection of record’ for the artist’s work. In making the announcement, AGO Director Matthew Teitelbaum noted that “this acquisition reflects the AGO’s commitment to build a strong permanent collection of prints and drawing, and to broadly represent the work of a significant Canadian artist.”

We are extremely pleased to be able to exhibit David Blackwood’s work to an Oakville audience which includes both long-time collectors and enthusiastic new clients The exhibition opened on Saturday, April 17th, 2004 with an Artist’s Reception between 2:00 and 5:00 PM. The show continued until May 3rd, 2004.

Barbour's "Seabird" leaving Newtown
1998 - Etching and Aquatint
24 X 36 inches (Plate Size)
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