David Blackwood (1941 -2022) told stories about Newfoundland in the form of epic visual narratives for 30 years. He is widely regarded as Canada’s most accomplished printmaker. (Above: Fire Down the Labrador (left) and The Great Peace of Brian and Martin Winsor)
He explored the timeless theme of the struggle for survival between humans and nature in one of the most exposed and hostile environments on earth. (Above: Fire in Indian Bay)
His strangely beautiful images came to represent to many of us the essence of Newfoundland’s landscape and traditional culture. (Below: Outward Bound)
I have a particular love of this image, Hauling Job Sturges House, the cover on some editions of Annie Proulx’s novel The Shipping News. It fits the scene where a house is hauled across the ice with ropes in the gray winter of Newfoundland.
“He has created an iconography of Newfoundland which is as universal as it is personal, as mythic as it is rooted in reality, and as timeless as it is linked to specific events,” the Art Gallery of Ontario said in notes for a 2011 exhibition.
See this half hour National Film Board of Canada documentary on Blackwood if you want to delve more deeply into his extraordinary etching. See the video, here.
David Blackwood’s obituary (2022) here.
Represented by Emma Butler Gallery, St. John’s, Newfoundland, here and Heffel Gallery Limited in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, here (enter David Blackwood in the search box of the main Heffel site to see all lots).
Canadian Encyclopedia entry, here
This is #5 in the series 150 Artists.
Discover more from Canadian Art Junkie
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
[…] David L. Blackwood was profiled previously in the 150 Artists series, here. […]
[…] See a longer piece on Blackwood, here. […]
Reblogged this on 150 Artists.
So glad to see this. I remember his exhibit at the AGO a few years back, it was stunning & deservedly very popular.
Yes, the AGO introduced him to many, and he’s still going strong.
I love these! It’s so great to find out about artists that I didn’t know about. You have introduced me to many.
Blackwood’s style is as cold and lonely as any northern Canadian climate. In my mind, I imagined Songs of a Sourdough by Robert Service to look like this.
So pleased you discovered him then. That’s a good comparison to Service, btw.
I love David Blackwood’s work. He is a superb printmaker, as well as draftsman, and, of course raconteur. I appreciate his technical prowess, particularly because I believe we both studied with the same demanding printmaking teacher teacher, the infamus Fred Hagan.
Thank you Suzanne. Appreciate your artist eye. Such a demanding teacher would explain a lot!