American Beauty South





					Web links \| Sample work \| Artist Statement \| Artist Information WEB LINKS: www.jackniven.com SAMPLE WORK: Click image for enlarged version and artwork details. [ back to top ] ARTIST STATEMENT: For several years now, since moving to New Orleans in 2005, I have been painting pictures that feature animal characters as the principal protagonist, hero and antihero all rolled into one. For many years before that, I made pictures that featured people. Animals are less complicated. Although, in some ways, they are potentially more freighted by projected human attributes and desires. My use of animal depictions of late has more to do with reflecting human dilemmas, frailties and victories; aiming for a reading that is at once universal in the manner of a deft logo, for example, and emotive, after the fashion of a catchy tune or the lingering sense that one gets from a memorable line of prose. The piece I made for American Beauty, South is called Universal Mule. Admittedly, a broad reading of southern literature and folklore is relatively new and ongoing for me, my previous knowledge of its scope limited to the greats such as William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor or Cormac McCarthy. Within this context, then, one of the things I have noticed is the preponderance of mules in southern landscape, folklore, art and history. This has, for me in this instance, been distilled to a notion of things 'mulish'. In the same way that mules once served as the engine of a rural economy, and still do in a small way, their character as a quotidian symbol is a potent one to invoke on many levels. Hence, the Universal Mule I have called upon here is the everyman among us. I wanted this mule to stand as witness to the highway from a cosmic trajectory. [ back to top ] ARTIST INFORMATION: Education 1982-83, Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, Banff, Alberta Canada. Artist in Residence 1980-82, Alberta College of Art, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Honours Diploma Painting 1977-79, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Fine Art & Art History 1975-77, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York. Drawing classes Solo Exhibitions Nov 2007, Shift, Painting Installation at FutureProof, New Orleans Jun 2005, Recent Works, Blackfriars House, London Ontario. Feb 2004, Breakdown, The Other Gallery, Banff, Alberta Sep 2002, Jack Lake, Loop Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Jul 2001, Recent water colours, Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario May 2001, MOTEL, Loop Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Oct 2000, Trillium Nodes, Loop Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Oct 1999, Indigo Bunting, Tableau Vivant, Toronto, Ontario Jan 1998, Tarot Jigs, Museum London, London, Ontario Mar 1997, Was Ist Ein Mensch?, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario Nov 1996, Window, Mercer Union Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Sep 1995, Birds in My Yard, The Palace at 4 a.m., London, Ontario Nov 1994, Journeyman, The Palace at 4a.m., London, Ontario Mar 1993, Scared Stiff, Red Head Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Mar 1991, Ripe Timbre, Grand Theatre Gallery, London, Ontario Mar 1990, Lumiere du Jour, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario Oct 1988, New Paintings, Aubes 3935 Galerie, Montreal, Quebec Mar 1988, Blue Meridian, YYZ Artists Outlet, Toronto, Ontario Oct 1987, The Fool, Aubes 3935 Galerie, Montreal, Quebec Group Exhibitions Nov 2008, American Beauty, South, Airline Highway 61, New Orleans May 2004, Inside Out, Eldon House Museum, London, Ontario Apr 2003, Gallery Artists, Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Oct 2001, Toronto Intl. Art Fair, Toronto, Ontario ( w/ Michael Gibson Gallery ) Aug 2001, Group Show, Museum London, London, Ontario Aug 2001, Canoe MOTEL, for OPEN AIR Public Art, Covent Garden Market, London, ON Feb 2001, New Acquisitions, Museum London, London, Ontario Jul 2000, Dust on the Road, w/ Hoopoe Curatorial, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario Jul 2000, Picturesque, window case at Habourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario Mar 2000, Member's Only, Loop Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Sep 1997, Pop Eye, From-a-Pit Collective, Toronto, Ontario Jun 1996, Limousine, Free parking Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Feb 1995, Burning Down the House, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario Jan 1994, 20 x 20, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario Sep 1993, Cup For a Cup, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario Mar 1991, Southwest Biennial, Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario Aug 1988, Walls on Fire, YYZ Artists Outlet, Toronto, Ontario May 1988, Chicago Intl. Art Expo, Chicago, Illinois ( w/ Aubes 3935 Galerie ) Nov 1987, ICAF '87, Los Angeles, California ( w/ Aubes 3935 Galerie ) Sep 1987, Group Exhibition, Lavalin Art Galerie, Montreal Quebec Oct 1987, International Art Fair, Paris, France ( w/ Aubes 3935 Galerie ) Jun 1986, Art 17 '86, Basel Switzerland ( w/ Aubes 3935 Galerie ) Jan 1985, Alberta College of Art 1974-84, Alberta College of Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta Nov 1984, The Warehouse Show, Vancouver , British Columbia Nov 1984, Juggernaut Tableau, The Phoenix Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia Oct 1983, Sexuality & Seeing, Unit Pitt Gallery, Vancouver , British Columbia Nov 1982, Real or Vicarious, Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, Alberta Oct 1982, The Drawing Show, Off Centre Centre, Calgary, Alberta Awards & Residencies 2004, New Works Residency, Jan - Feb. The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta 2000, Ontario Arts Council Creations Grant 1992-2004, Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance Grants 1991, 1992, Canada Council Projects Grant 1986, 1987, Canada Council Arts Grant B 1984, Canada Council Short Term Grant 1981, Honours Award, Alberta College of Art 1982, Louise McKinney Scholarship, Alberta Heritage Trust Fund 1982, Banff Centre School of Fine Arts Scholarship Boards & Collectives 2000 - 2004, Founding Member Loop Gallery, Toronto, Ontario: an artist run co-operative 1989 - 2000, Board Member, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario; an artist run public gallery 1986 - 1989, Board Member, YYZ Artists Outlet, Toronto, Ontario; an artist run public gallery Bibliography 2004 The London Free Press, May 14, Inside Out at Eldon House, Sandra Coulson: review 2001 Scene Magazine, July 12, Tess Parkins: review The North London Beacon, Oct 26. Cherryhill Library Mural, photo/review The London Free Press, Oct 17, Jennifer O'Brien, review LOLA #9, summer issue. Letters to the Editor London Free Press, May 13, Mural Photo Award 2000 London Free Press, August 1, Photo of mural commission London Free Press, May 15, Open Air Sculpture Festival, photo Globe & Mail, March 18, Visual Arts page, Gary Michael-Dolt London Free Press, February 19, Indigo Bunting, photo C Magazine, Issue # 65 February, Debbie O'Rourke, article w/photo The London Free Press, January 8, Special Effects, Sandra Coulson article 1999 National Post, October 28, Dan Glover, review/photo Niagara Falls Review, September 28, Mural Commission, Sheryl Loucks 1998 Galerie Largeness World of Art, Fall '98. Tarot Project, ed. Louis Jacob City Life Magazine, October issue, Public Art, photo w/review The London Free Press, October 2, Art at Covent Garden Market, photo LOLA #2, summer issue. Birds In My Yard, Jamelie Hassan, review The London Free Press, March 24. Rogers TV Sets, Sandra Coulson Tarot Jigs, catalogue, London Regional Art Gallery, Jan '98. essay by Sara Hartland-Rowe 1997 City Life Magazine, Fall '97. Hospital Commission, Mary Hatt 1996 The London Free Press, March, Joe Matayas, review 1994 Maclean's Magazine, September 12, Kinetic Artist, Justin Smallbridge 1993 C Magazine, New Work '93, photo page 1987 Parallelogramme, vol.12 no.3, March. Blue Meridian at YYZ, review 1986 Le Devoir, August 20. Expositions, Gilles Daignault 1985 Last Issue, summer '85. Calgary, Alberta, Cover photo of My Dog is Crying ISSUE, February '85. Vancouver, BC, Keith Wallace, review of Warehouse Show The Art Post, February '85. Vancouver: The Warehouse Show, review The Calgary Herald, January 18. ACA 1974-1984, Nancy Tousley, review 1984 Georgia Straight, November 30. Juggernaut Tableau, Joyce Woods, review The Vancouver Sun, November 6. The Warehouse Show, Eve Johnson, review [ back to top ] American Beauty oil on panel, 5.5" x 9.5" 2008 [ back to top ] The Volunteer acrylic & oil on canvas, 67" x 88" 2007 [ back to top ] Mule Study acrylic & oil on canvas, 45" x 45" 2007 [ back to top ] Tilted Mule oil on panel, 9.5' x 6" 2008 [ back to top ] Duo acrylic & oil on canvas, 84" x 43" 2007 [ back to top \| back to artists \| next artist ]