Urban chronicler David Wilson keeps an eye on the city while turning to nature

Those familiar with David Wilson as a chronicler of Vancouver’s cityscapes may be surprised by the painter’s latest exhibit.

Long known for his gorgeous, sometimes noir-ish urban scenes, Wilson has turned his eye to one of the Lower Mainland’s most recognizable natural landmarks—The Lions.

In his latest exhibition of paintings, Everywhere From Here, Wilson takes those twin summits rising high above Vancouver as his starting point.

First, there are the Lions themselves, presented in a painting in all their majestic blue-and-white glory. In the rest of his suite of work, Wilson imagines the city as seen from the vantage point of the mountains. Viewers will recognize these scenes of downtown Vancouver, while seeing the city in a new way.

“All the other works are subjects that figuratively unfold in the city under their gaze,” he said. “I don’t know that you can actually see The Lions from each location, but in essence they fall under the view of those peaks.”

Along with a fresh perspective, Everywhere From Here marks another significant change for Wilson. Following representation by local galleries for over 25 years, he is taking advantage of Granville Island’s open-door policy for artists to show their work to present Everywhere From Here in a pop-up gallery space located on Railspur Alley.

Visitors will find work by an artist engaged in his subject on a deep, thoughtful level. “Even though viewers may see a familiar and even comforting landscape, my work is largely about change and decay,” Wilson said. “All my subjects are transitory. And as I present this exhibition this autumn, I think of something naturalist Bruce Beehler’s recently said: ‘[W]e should take note of and cherish the riches offered by nature’s changing seasons — the unusual surprises, as well as the benign predictability of the stately annual process. The transition from summer to autumn has close parallels with the passage of our own human lives. We should seize the moment. Live each day with passion. Savor each season’s natural transitions. Make the ephemeral eternal through the richness of preserved and cherished memory.’”

Everywhere From Here will be available to view Oct. 24 – Nov. 5 with a public opening Sat. Oct. 26 2-4pm with Wilson in attendance at 1387 Railspur Alley on Granville Island.

Event: Everywhere From Here: New works by David Wilson
Exhibition Dates: Oct. 24 – Nov. 5, 2019

Opening Reception: Saturday, Oct. 26 2-4pm. Artist in attendance.

Venue: 1387 Railspur Alley, Granville Island, Vancouver

Pop-up Gallery Hours: Daily 11 am – 6 pm or by appointment.

Info: www.davidwilson.ca

About David Wilson

Over the past 15 years, Wilson’s work has been collected both nationally and internationally via an extensive history of both solo and group exhibitions. Living and working in Vancouver, BC, his home for nearly 30 years, he uses representational subjects as a jumping off point to explore the abstractions found within his compositions. His representational works of both rural and urban subjects offer his perceptions on the relationships between people, structures and the geography.

Media release and image provided by Marnie Wilson, The Arts Biz

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