"From Bluffs to the Holler:" Paintings by Neil Peter Dyck

November 14 - January 9

Opening reception: November 13, 2015. 7PM

Artist Talk: December 4, 2015. 7PM

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Neil Peter Dyck, "Isthmus Range," Acrylic on Board Dimensions: 2' x 3'

Neil Peter Dyck "Isthmus Range"Acrylic on BoardDimensions: 2' x 3'

Full Definition of "BLUFF"—

1a : having a broad flattened front b : rising steeply with a broad flat or rounded front

2: good-naturedly frank and outspoken

Holler—chiefly dialect variant of hollow

Full Definition of HOLLOW

1: an unfilled space : cavity, hole 2: a depressed or low part of a surface; especially : a small valley or basin

With these definitions in mind, Neil Peter Dyck’s paintings begin to create a narrative for the viewer that relate to landscapes, love and a deep rooted respect of one man’s history.

From "Bluffs to the Holler," takes us from the imagery of vast prairie skies to the rocky ancient peaks of the Canadian West coast. Both geographical locations—the flat farmland and vast lakes of Manitoba and the jagged rugged coast of British Columbia— are where Dyck’s inspiration reverberates. These two juxtapositions find a place on his painted wood panels within layers upon layer of paint. What is important to note about Dyck’s paintings is the sensitivity in which he delicately blurs the line between art and life. The act of travelling or always being in between is recreated through a process of augmenting, reducing and concealing abstract forms, a multi-layered execution that simultaneously exposes an expressive freedom and calculated restraint.

Dyck’s aesthetic results in dream-like, fragmented compositions with the added warmth of wood and nature inspired colours. One could argue that landscape paintings are a thing of the past, even antiquated in subject matter, however, that would dismiss the beauty which inherently speaks to a larger theme, one anchored in silent observation and frank conversation.

The artist would like to acknowledge and dedicate his first solo exhibition to his Grandmother, Laura Friesen, and friend Joe Peters.