Jack Shadbolt : a study of a Canadian painter
Date
1979
Authors
Fleming, John
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Abstract
For over four decades, Jack Shadbolt's multifaceted career as a British Columbia artist and educator has both enriched Canada's cultural heritage and earned for the artist a position of national importance. Few Canadian painters surpass Shadbolt in terms of discipline and dedication, or in the mastery of the formal elements and technical requirements of the craft. Over time, Shadbolt has consistently broadened his artistic vision and refined his form of expression. Today, Jack Shadbolt enjoys a reputation as the leading painter on the West Coast and is regarded as second only in stature to the much celebrated Emily Carr.
This investigation attempts to document Shadbolt's career and, in particular, the personal and professional experiences which shaped his painting from the early 1930's to 1963. While the artist remains active to the present day, the scope of this paper is confined to the aforementioned dates in order to afford some measure of historical perspective. A broad range of Shadbolt's drawings, paintings and mural commissions up to 1963 are analyzed to: outline the formative stages of the artist's development and the evolution of his style; divide his work chronologically into a series of major periods according to the form and content of his painting; and, identify the primary sources of his ideas and the chief influences on his work. Attention is also directed toward the critical responses to Shadbolt's endeavors and the process by which he achieved national recognition . Overall, Shadbolt's career presents an opportunity to explore how an artist's painting and writing reflect the historical circumstances of a particular time and place.
The number of critical studies devoted to Canadian artists in the modern era is regrettably limited. As a consequence, methodological procedures for such treatments are employed in the main without the benefit of a widely accepted scholarly model. Through an examination of Shadbolt's private papers, published statements and the literature pertaining to his work, this discussion attempts, in a modest way, to suggest one possible approach to critical evaluation.