Kevin Sonmor Walks a New Path

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Kevin Sonmor, "Constitutional Departure," 2016

oil on linen, 60” x 84”

Kevin Sonmor is at a turning point. For years, he has been painting – and repainting – labour-intensive baroque works with energetic and layered surfaces. For instance, in The Utilitarians, a major show at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie two years ago, he took on the challenging task of combining historical landscape conventions with techniques from contemporary abstraction. Fast forward: An Evening Constitutional, which runs at the Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art in Calgary from Dec. 1 to Jan. 14, is positively laid back in comparison. His life-sized equine paintings – like Constitutional Departure, which shows two haltered horses ambling away from viewers – have an appealing naturalistic quality with a spartan quietude that reflects the work’s pastoral content. Sonmor, who was born in Lacombe, Alta., but has been based in the Montreal area since completing a Master’s degree at Concordia University in 1991, says he simply needed a change. “You get started with something new,” he says, “and there’s a whole new level of excitement.”