Virginia Christopher Fine Art

 

Raymond A. Arnatt

Artist Biography

 

Born
Nuneham Courtenay, Oxon, England, 1934
 
Died
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, 2004
 
Education
Intermediate Certificate in Art, The Oxford School of Technology, Art and Commerce
National Diploma in Design (Sculpture), Oxford School of Art
Royal Scholar, Royal College of Art (First Class Honour Degree, Silver Medal for Sculpture, Awarded Associate of the Royal College of Art (A.R.C.A.))
Set up two studios and a metal casting foundry in Berkshire to facilitate control of large bronze work and research the process of direct metal casting, 1962
Initiated an "Art in Industry" experimental project at a large factory, Slough, England, 1973
 
Academic History
Acting Head, Department of Art, University of Calgary, 1992-1993
Professor in Sculpture, University of Calgary, 1981-
Visiting Artist, Alberta College of Art, 1987
Visiting Artist, Red Deer College, 1987
Visiting Artist, Lethbridge University, 1986
Visiting Artist, Okanagan College, 1985
Visiting Artist, Grande Prairie College, 1985
Visiting Lecturer, University of British Columbia, 1979
Sculptor's Exchange, Emily Carr College of Art, Vancouver, 1979-1980
Visiting Lecturer, Ten Art Schools throughout England
External Assessor, National Council of Academic Awards
Senior Lecturer, Chelsea School of Art, London, 1965-1981 (instrumental in initiating a program of Fine Art Options)
 
Juries
Chairman, Hungarian Memorial Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta, 1992
Judge, Sculpture Competition for the Engineering Complex, University of Calgary, 1986
Judge, National Sculpture Artist in Residence Competition, Kelowna, British Columbia, 1985-1986
 
Awards
2002  Brookfield Bankers Hall National Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (entered jointly with JoAnne Schachtel, shortlisted)
2000  Stantec Architects' Macleod-Anderson Overpass Mural Competition, Calgary, Alberta (entered jointly with JoAnne Schachtel, winner)
1996  Calgary Fire Department and Police Service Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (winner)
1996  Standard Life Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (shortlisted)
1993  Bowman Portrait Exhibition, Open Competition, Bowman Gallery, Lethbridge, Alberta (accepted and exhibited with Figure in "Prairie Landscape II" and "Section")
1993  The Calgary Downtown BRZ Bench Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (honorable mention with the sculpture "Everybody's Secret")
1992  The Edmonton City Hall Competition, Edmonton, Alberta (entered jointly with JoAnne Schachtel with the relief sculpture "Verdant Streams", shortlisted)
1989  Mount Royal College Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (entered in collaboration with JoAnne Schachtel with the earthwork and sculpture installations of "Entrance" and "Centre", shortlisted)
1987  Research Grant, Thermal Gesso Research, University of Calgary
1987  "Centre Piece", commissioned by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong
1987  Olympic Oval Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (shortlisted)
1985  The Centre for the Performing Arts Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (winner with "Duet")
1983  Athabasca University Sculpture Competition (shortlisted)
1983  Catalogue of "Proposition of Potential" made possible by financial support awarded by Alberta Culture in celebration of their Anniversary to the Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
  The Herbert Baker Travelling Award, The Royal Academy of Art, London, England
1962  The Sainsbury Award
1962  Silver Medal for Sculpture, The Royal College of Art
  Travelling Scholarship, The Royal College of Art
  Royal Scholar, The Royal College of Art
 
Other Experience
1996  Participated in the Muttart's 'Art Appreciation' by hosting a studio visit which included talking about the work and demonstrating the various casting techniques used, Calgary, Alberta
1993  Participated in a portfolio of prints "13/93" with the original print, "Brand", 18 in x 12 in, produced by the Department of Art, donated to local collections, Calgary, Alberta
 
Work Exhibited (post-mortem)
2004-2005  The Presence of Absence, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (20 ft x 12 ft installation; mixed media)
2005  The Unswept Floor, Triangle Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (20 ft x 12 ft installation, mixed media, curated by Caterina Pizanias)
2004  The Unswept Floor, Cultural Olympics, Cultural Foundation, Tinos, Greece (20 ft x 12 ft installation, mixed media, curated by Caterina Pizanias)
 
Work Exhibited (Canada)
2003-2004  The Unswept Floor: At Home and Abroad, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (80 ft x 12 ft installation, mixed media)
2003  A Binary Perspective, Virginia Christopher Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (solo exhibition)
2003  Perfecting the View, Triangle Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (retrospective solo exhibition curated by Caterina Pizanias)
2003  Green, Virginia Christopher Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (mixed group exhibition, five mixed media reliefs)
2002-2003  Retrospective 4 x 4 (a quantum state), Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (78 ft x 10 ft installation, mixed media)
2001-2002  Dig (unfolded version), Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (78 ft x 13 ft x 10 ft installation, plaster prints)
2001-2002  How to Build a Binary House, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (18 plaster relief panels, 24 ft x 24 ft each)
1999-2000  Dig, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (20 ft x 20 ft x 10 ft installation, plaster prints, 80 ft linear component, 10 ft x 10 ft pool of 4000 shards and 12 ft x 2 ft panel with multiple images)
1999  Things to Take to School, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation 35 ft x 8 ft, mixed media)
1998  Perfection of the View, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation 32 ft x 12 ft, mixed media)
1996  Christmas Salon Exhibition, Deacon Ulrich Fine Arts, Calgary, Alberta (mixed exhibition, six works exhibited)
1996  Detritus, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation 28 ft x 8 ft, mixed media)
1996  Busker, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation 20 ft x 6 ft x 6 ft, mixed media)
1996  Redefining Watercolour Exhibition, Deacon Ulrich Fine Arts, Calgary, Alberta
1996  Summer Salon Exhibition, Deacon Ulrich Fine Arts, Calgary, Alberta
1996  Suncor Collects Exhibition, Muttart Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (group exhibition, "Figure in a Landscape", small relief work of mixed media)
1996  Recent Work, Deacon Ulrich Fine Arts, Calgary, Alberta (solo exhibition that consisted of three series (Detritus, Wallgame, Binary) and other work, materials: bronze, cold cast bronze and plaster)
1996  In Our Image Exhibition, Muttart Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta ("Detritus", installation of 200 components, 40 ft x 8 ft mixed media, three-person exhibition)
1995  Small Works Exhibition, Deacon Ulrich Fine Arts, Calgary, Alberta ("Four Works", 12 in x 12 in, mixed media)
1995  THE walk YELLOW don't CHRIST walk, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation 20 ft x 20 ft x 12 ft, mixed media)
1995  Fin De Siecle, Faculty exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (30 ft x 30 ft, mixed media)
1994  Figures in a Prairie Landscape, 'Artists Circle' Exhibition, Triangle Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (group exhibition, 6 ft x 16 ft)
1994  Figure Field, 'Artist as Collector' Exhibition, Triangle Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (group exhibition, 6 ft x 6 ft)
1994  Impressions, Shadows and Echoes, The Prairie Collective, Reeve Theatre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (research project invited by the Canadian Society for Aesthetics, The Learned Society, 250 ft x 250 ft x 150 ft)
1994  Recent Work, Main Gallery, The Prairie Gallery, Grande Prairie, Alberta (Arnatt / Schachtel joint exhibition, 24 ft x 24 ft)
1994  Retrospective (In Parentheses), Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (49 ft x 5 ft, mixed media)
1993  Falling Figure and Falling Figure II, Post Miniature Exhibition and Silent Auction, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (10 in x 5 in cold cast bronze)
1993  Figure in Prairie Landscape II and Section, Bowman Portrait Exhibition open competition, Lethbridge, Alberta (24 in x 24 in, cold cast bronze)
1993  Falling Man and Fragment, Muttart Art Gallery Exhibition and Auction, Calgary, Alberta (12 in x 5 in, cold cast bronze)
1993  Lovers, invited by the ASA, Centre for the Performing Arts, Calgary, Alberta (72 in x 72 in, cold cast bronze)
1993  Figure Fragments, Muttart Art Auction/Exhibition, Calgary, Alberta (8 in x 10 in, cold cast resin)
1993  Falling Figure and Figure Fragment, HIRS Art Auction/Exhibition, Nova, Calgary, Alberta (8 in x 10 in, cold cast bronze.)
1993  Portrait, Pin, Detritus, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (29 ft x 6 ft, resin, fibreglass)
1993  Everybody's Secret, on exhibition as part of the Calgary Downtown BRZ Bench Sculpture Competition (maquette)
1993  Verdant Streams, on exhibition in the Edmonton Public Library (maquette)
1992  And even the flowers ..., Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (40 ft x 10 ft, hydrocal, fibreglass and resin)
1991  Dynamic Interaction, developed for the Edmonton City Hall Competition (model)
1991  Polaris (North Star), Verdant Streams, Northern Alignment, developed in collaboration with JoAnne Schachtel for the Edmonton City Hall Competition (models)
1991  Seamless Fragments, Virginia Christopher Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (selection of plaster relief sculpture)
1991  Seamless Fragments, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation. 34 ft x 17 ft x 6 ft, wood and plaster)
1991  Silent Vigil, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (12 ft x 10 ft x 3 ft, mixed media)
1991  Prairie Geometry, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (20 ft x 30 ft x 8 ft, aluminum)
1990  Centre, Grande Prairie Sculpture Competition (series of models)
1989  Prairie Geometry (invited to 1989 Summer Exhibition, installed in front of the Inn Courts, Edmonton, organized by the Edmonton Art Gallery, 40 ft x 80 ft x 8 ft aluminum and fibreglass)
1988  Studio Music, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation 10 ft x 8 ft x 5 ft, wood and gesso)
1988  A.B.C. of Sculpture, Hybrids Exhibition, Muttart Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (installation)
1988  Prairie Dig, Little Gallery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (4 ft x 4 ft, mixed media relief)
1988  Artist Circle Exhibition and Sale, Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts, Calgary, Alberta
1988  Permanent Collection Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
1987  Circus, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation, 60 ft x 40 ft x 7 ft, gesso on wood, steel)
1987  Corner, Hybrids Exhibition, Muttart Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (installation, 15 ft x 10 ft x 8 ft, wood and gesso)
1987  Winter Garland, Wall / Space Exhibition, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta (8 ft 3 in x 8 ft 3 in, mixed media)
1987  Prairie Geometry, Wall / Space Exhibition, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta (40 ft x 6 ft 3 in x 8 in, mixed media)
1986  Blue Shift, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (40 ft x 4 in x 16 in, wood and gesso)
1986  Illusion and Paradox, Winnipeg Perspective, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba ("Spin - Off", 88 ft x 50 ft x 10 ft, wood and gesso, steel, bronze and aluminum)
1986  System - Ritual, Ring House Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta ("Holon", installation 20 ft x 18 ft, gesso on wood and steel)
1986  Prairie, Reeve Theatre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (interdisciplinary installation, with the Prairie Collective)
1985  Binary Love Seat, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (7 ft x 6 ft x 2 ft, wood and gesso)
1985  Selected Sculpture, Grand Forks Gallery, British Columbia
1985  Permanent Collection Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
1985  Co-opposites, Reeve Theatre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (installation, with the Prairie Collective)
1985  Design in Alberta Exhibition, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
1984  Silent Lesson, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (installation, 30 ft x 30 ft x 6 ft, wood and gesso)
1984  Binary Shaft, Athabasca University Gallery (model for the Athabasca Sculpture Competition)
1984  Recent Acquisitions, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
1984  The Enigma, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta ("Crossover", installation 40 ft x 20 ft, wood and gesso)
1983  Symphonic Field, Faculty Exhibition, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (40 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft, wood and gesso)
1983  Proposition of Potential, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (one person exhibition, 60 wood and gesso works)
1983  Albertan Transfer, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta (one person exhibition, 40 ft x 40 ft x 6 ft, wood and gesso)
1983  Left Right, Left Right Forever, James Ulrich Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (one person exhibition, 40 wood and gesso works)
1983  Recent Acquisitions, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
1982  Small Works Exhibition, James Ulrich Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1980  The 970 Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia (one person exhibition)
1980  The Hyatt '80 Exhibition, Vancouver, British Columbia
1980  Diversity Exhibition, Robson Square, Vancouver, British Columbia
1979  The Helen Pitt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia (one person exhibition)
 
Work Exhibited (England)
1981  Articulated Opposites, Great Linford Sculpture Park, Milton Keynes
1981  Five large bronzes on permanent exhibition at architect Derek Walker's residence, Bucks.
1981  Sculpture for Douai Abbey, Berkshire
1981  Art in the Library, Basingstoke
1980  Imperial Studio Construct, Chelsea Gallery
  The Old Gaol Art Centre, Abingdon
  The Bear Lane Gallery, Oxford
  The Building Centre, London
  National Art Exhibition, Chichester
  Reading Museum and Art Gallery
  Three Artists Exhibition, Mortimer, Berkshire
  The Pershore Festival
  Park Square Gallery, Leeds (one person show)
  Arts Council of Great Britain (travelling exhibition)
  The I.C.A. Gallery, London
  The Piccadilly Gallery, London
  The A.I.A. Gallery, London
  The Young Contemporaries Exhibition, London
  The Chelsea Gallery, London
  The Guggenheim Gallery, Royal College of Art
  The Royal Academy, London
  Art into Landscape, Serpentine Gallery, London
 
Selected Commissions
2000  Legato, Macleod-Anderson Overpass, Stantec Architects, Calgary, Alberta (300 ft x 20 ft sculpture, painted cast concrete)
1997  Vigil and Sentinel, Calgary Fire Department and Calgary Police Service Commemorative Sculpture, Calgary, Alberta (12 ft x 12 ft x 10 ft 6 in each sculpture, bronze and cast concrete)
1988  Centre Piece, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong (61 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft, aluminum, fibreglass and resin)
1986  Continuum, Pre-Cambrian Resources Corporation, Calgary, Alberta
1985  Duet, Centre for the Performing Arts, Calgary, Alberta (25 ft, mild steel with painted surface)
  Articulated Opposites, Harrogate, England (13 ft x 3 ft, bronze)
  Articulated Simple - Complex, Queen's College, Edgbaston, England (10 ft x 4 ft, bronze)
  Spheres: Inside - Outside, Weymouth Theatre, England (copper)
  Simple-Complex, Horizontal-Vertical, Leeds, England (11 ft x 5 ft, aluminum)
  Simple - Complex, Garforth, England (10 ft x 1 ft, bronze)
  Simple - Complex, Minster Lovell, Oxon, England (3 ft x 1 ft, bronze)
  Fragment, London County Council, England (8 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft, bronze)
  Installation, Lincoln College, Oxford, England (4 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft, cement fondu and glass)
  Central Paradox, Milton Keynes, England (12 ft x 10 ft x 10 ft, bronze)
  Articulated Opposites, Memorial sculpture to Sir Joseph Swan, Newcastle, England (16 ft x 12 ft, bronze)
 
Competitions Entered
2002  Brookfield Bankers Hall National Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (entered jointly with JoAnne Schachtel, shortlisted)
2000  Stantec Architects' Macleod-Anderson Overpass Mural Competition, Calgary, Alberta (invited, entered jointly with JoAnne Schachtel, winner)
1996  The Chinese Commemorative Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (shortlisted)
1996  The Calgary Police Service and Fire Department Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (winner)
1996  Sunlife Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (shortlisted)
1995  Alberta Biennal (juried competition)
1995  City of Kitchener Sculpture Competition, Kitchener, Ontario (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel)
1995  901 West Hasting Sculpture Competition, Vancouver, British Columbia (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel)
1994  St. Albert Major Sculpture Competition (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel)
1993  Fossil Figure, Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale, Japan (10 in x 6 in x 8 in, hydrocal)
1993  Components on a Square, Ondaatje Court Sculpture Competition, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (entered with JoAnne Schachtel, 36 in x 36 in, mixed media)
1993  Kalamazoo International Sculpture Competition, Kalamazoo, U.S.A. (entered with JoAnne Schachtel)
1993  Ephemeral Fragments, The Arts 17 Society of Calgary Mural Competition, Calgary, Alberta (maquette, entered with JoAnne Schachtel)
1993  Components from Two Pieces, Art Rodeo Outdoor Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (entered with JoAnne Schachtel)
1993  Manitoba's Children's Museum Sculpture Competition, Winnipeg, Manitoba (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel)
1992  Verdant Streams, Edmonton City Hall Competition (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel, shortlisted)
1991  Echo, Northern Drum, Nucleus, Grande Prairie Sculpture Competition, Grande Prairie, Alberta
1991  Place, Arch, Gateway, Grande Prairie Sculpture Competition, Grande Prairie, Alberta (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel)
1991  Northern Alignment, Verdant Streams, Polaris, New Edmonton City Hall Sculpture Competition, Edmonton, Alberta (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel)
1991  Dynamic Interaction, New Edmonton City Hall Sculpture Competition, Edmonton, Alberta (80 ft x 10 ft, mixed media)
1989  Entrance, Centre, Mount Royal College Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (joint submission with JoAnne Schachtel, shortlisted)
1987  Olympic Marker, Olympic Oval Sculpture Competition, Calgary, Alberta (150 ft x 60 ft, mixed media)
 
Collections
The Prairie Art Gallery, Grande Prairie, Alberta
The City of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta
The Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
Calgary Regional Arts Foundation, Calgary, Alberta
Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta
Centre for the Performing Arts, Calgary, Alberta
Pre-Cambrian Resources, Calgary, Alberta
Lethbridge University, Lethbridge, Alberta
The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong
Mount Royal College, Calgary, Alberta
Alberta Arts Foundation
Calgary Contemporary Arts Society, Calgary, Alberta
Many private collections in England, the U.S.A. and Canada
 
Publications and Interviews
2000  Alberta Society of Artists, The First 70 Years, book, "THE walk YELLOW don't CHRIST walk" pgs 112-113
1995  Architectural Monographs No 43, The View from Great Linford, Derek Walker & Associates, England
1994  Recent Work catalogue, joint exhibition with JoAnne Schachtel, The Prairie Gallery, Grande Prairie
1993  Interview given to Kay Burns, for her research for her thesis "Ars Artium", University of Calgary
1993  Human Form, Human Function, a video made by Kay Burns from the interview for her thesis "Ars Artium", University of Calgary
1993  The Double Vision, lecture presented to the Aperion Society, ASPP Symposium, Kananaskis, Alberta
1993  Gallery Talks Faculty Lecture Series. Introduction and Gallery Talk, "Portrait, Pin, Detritus", sponsored by the Nickle Arts Museum and the Department of Art as part of the Faculty Exhibition
1992  A Second Look At Calgary's Public Art, book compiled by Barbara Kwasny and Elaine Peake
1991  Creativity in Art and Life, introduced the topic for the half hour program for Channel 10, sponsored by the Apeiron Society
1991  Dialogue, participated on the panel in this half hour program for Channel 10, sponsored by the Apeiron Society
1988  Design Synectics, Stimulating Creativity in Design, Nicholas Roukes, Davis Publications
1986  Sculpture Today, panel member at the University of Alberta, Edmonton
1985  Duet, film for Western Canadian Lotteries
1965  Interview for C.J.S.W., on "Duet", University of Calgary campus radio station
1985  Entertainment This Week, interview for C.B.C of "Crossover 1984"
1984  Arts Alive, Cable 10, Calgary
1979  Contemporary British Artists, entry into, published by Bergstrom and Boyle, London
1971  Volumes and Voids, B.B.C. television profile
 
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