03/ 08/ 15
It’s Friday, July 31, I find myself inside the Former Peter Robertson Gallery with family friends. Upon arrival, I am filled with excitement because it’s the first time I will see Graham Peacock’s work in a gallery with my own eyes. He is a well-known Edmonton and international artist who has made his way in the art community.
You always hear, “You don’t know the answer until you ask.” So I asked Mr. Peacock for a little interview about The Edmonton Contemporary Artists’ Society 2015 Exhibition and the piece that he made for it.
Brieanna: “Tell us a little about this exhibition, when is it open till?”
Graham Peacock: “It’s probably the final exhibition of the group and it was formed 22-years ago, and it has had annual shows for 21 of those years. The Peter Robertson Gallery on 123 Street and Jasper is holding the exhibit and its open 11 to 5, Thursday through Saturday until August 22.
It’s showing twelve different artists from Edmonton, Winnipeg, Jasper, Saskatoon and there’s a variety of work from paintings, pictures and sculptures, various media.”
Above: (Left) a picture of the exhibit inside and the art work displayed. (Right) A picture of various works displayed by artists with Northern Explorer showed on the left side of the photo.
Above: Northern Explorer 69 x 102″
Brieanna: “I wanted to talk about your piece here at the gallery called the Northern Explorer, can you tell us what inspired you?”
Graham Peacock: “I have a way of painting that involves layering paint and causing it to stratify or craze, its pretty much like a topography of the earth. I would say I’m an abstract topographical painter, I love flying and looking at the earth from above. So, the way I paint is in layers, I dry the paint and it stratifies and opens up to the colours underneath.
Norther Explore is the name because it’s a black and white picture predominately and its very much like the Arctic. The shapes that I’ve formed in it have parallels with the silhouette of a boat, or a snowshoe, or a bow and arrow from Nordic hunting.”
Brieanna: “Northern Explorer is quite large, how long would a painting like this take you to finish?”
Graham Peacock: “I am usually working on various works at a time. The set up for a larger scale piece involves the mixing of the paint, which may take the morning. There’s the pouring; there’s the drying for about ten days, and then it goes on the wall. After that, there are decisions about the shaping and what kind of editorial work does it need? It may be rotated, cropped, adjusted and then I may work into it.
This piece I think was formed in December of 2014 but it wasn’t finished until the early spring, and it wasn’t stretched until last week for the show.”
Brieanna: “Do you find as an artist that you’re 100% satisfied with your work when it’s done. Do you ever feel there’s always more you can do, but you just need to walk away?”
Graham Peacock: “I’m interested in creating the next piece that is unknown to me. I’m never finished in the sense that I am never satisfied because I need to make more work.”
The exhibit will be on display at the Former Peter Robertson Gallery on 123 Street and Jasper till August 22. Take a look or even feel free to make a purchase of an art piece that will be passed down to generations to come. To find out more information about Graham Peacock and his career as an artist, visit his website (CLICK HERE).
Photos courtesy of grahampeacock.com