Vernissage/Meet the Artist: Saturday April 9, 2pm-4pm.
From March 30 to May 6, Sivarulrasa Gallery is delighted to present MICHAEL PITTMAN: THE OTHER ISLANDS, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Newfoundland-based artist Michael Pittman. The exhibition can be seen in-person during our regular Gallery hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays 11am to 5pm, and Sundays 11am-4pm.
In this new body of work, the artist explores a past where many more of the lesser islands in the coastal waters and bays of his home province were also populated. “For most of us, the somewhat brutal realities of this harsh and remote existence are nearly unfathomable,” he states. “Over time, many of these places simply ceased to be, while others were officially abandoned as part of government centralization programs.” The works stand in marked contrast to the familiar representations of tidy, colourful houses promoted by the tourism industry. Rather, the artist’s gaze is drawn to the struggles of people who inhabited these forgotten places, focusing on the roughness of daily life and the hardships of existence. The works are informed by a visual language that the artist has developed over nearly two decades of investigating the geography, history, and vernacular cultures of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Michael Jonathon Pittman was born in Newfoundland (Ktaqamkuk), the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq and Beothuk peoples, to parents of Indigenous and settler descent. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Memorial University, and a practice-led research Masters degree on the visual culture of Newfoundland and Labrador from the Waterford Institute of Technology in Ireland. Over the past two decades, his paintings have been exhibited in Canada and abroad, and he has been the recipient of multiple grants and awards for his work, which frequently references the physical environment, traditional knowledge, and hidden histories of the places to which he is connected. He resides in central Newfoundland with his wife and son.
The artist gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council.
Vernissage/Meet the Artist: Saturday April 9, 2pm-4pm. Artist Michael Pittman will be in attendance for this in-person reception. Registration is not required. We look forward to seeing you!
For more information and available works, visit our Exhibition Webpage:
https://sivarulrasa.com/exhibitions/michael-pittman/
SIVARULRASA GALLERY
34 Mill Street, Almonte, ON
info@sivarulrasa.com
sivarulrasa.com
613.256.8033
