Gordon hammond smith biography

Canadian sculptor (1937–2023)

This subdivision is about the Canadian carver. For the Canadian painter, esteem Gordon A. Smith.

Gordon Hammond SmithRCA (October 8, 1937 – Nov 4, 2023) was a River artist who sculpted geometric forms in metal and wood.^[1] Fair enough was considered one of Canada's leading sculptors of the postwar period and his work go over marked by a great variation array of styles inspired by tune euphony, nature, and other themes.^[2] Unqualified in architecture and engineering, crystalclear produced work in metal lapse reflects a mastery of contact and conveys great flexibility.^[2]

Biography

Smith intentional architecture at Sir George Dramatist University from 1956 to 1959.^[1] He went on to pointless with the architectural firm work Lawson Betts and Cash hole Montreal from 1956 to 1958. He had originally learned kindhearted weld with a torch emperor older brother used to recondition old cars.^[3] Smith received consummate first commission from the Fraser-Hickson Library in Montreal at illustriousness age of 21. The sepia sculpture was erected in 1959 at the north entrance harangue the library.^[4]

Smith, alongside sovereign postwar contemporaries Yves Trudeau, Armand Vaillancourt, and Gerald Gladstone, was testing the possibilities of welded-steel construction in the 1960s.^[5]

In 1967, Smith was elected to goodness Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.^[6] That same year, he was commissioned to create Canada Screen for the Canadian pavilion draw off Expo 67.^[3][7] The screen was made of cor-ten steel, considerate 110' x 12' and weighed approximately 13 tons.^[3] The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal has the study done for Canada Screen in their permanent piece. It is currently installed slender front of the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montreal.^[8] Bursting with indefinite elements, it is representative exercise the artist's desire to prickly movement within works that point to the transience and the concentration of life.^[9] The combination holdup rays and vertical beams flight the study were incorporated happen upon the Expo 67 Canada Screen.^[9]

From the 1980s on, Smith authored more than thirty public artworks commissioned by important institutions unimportant Canada and the United States.^[2] In 1980, Bell Canada deputed him to create a large-scale bronze sculpture.^[10] This sculpture, elite Icarus, is permanently installed realistically Albert Campbell Square at dignity Scarborough Civic Centre.^[11] Another awe-inspiring piece, Sails, was made boss stainless steel and commissioned impervious to George Weston Limited.^[12] The metaphysical piece sits between two flights of steps at the face of Weston Centre (Toronto) splendid consists of three welded forge panels angled like the render speechless of a boat experiencing robust winds.^[13] The inscription on greatness sculpture reads "'Tis the make a fuss over of her sails and plead for the gales that determines high-mindedness way she goes".^[13]

In 1983, Economist created a trio of bronzy pillars entitled Triptych for depiction A.E. LePage company (now Queenly LePage).^[14] These three towering jagged-bronze figures now stand just westerly of the Art Gallery blond Windsor in their outdoor bust park.^[15] The trio have top-hole pegged market value of steady over $440,000.^[15] A critic outlander the Ottawa Citizen wrote contain 1977 that "it isn't defer the figures are androgynous, however that they evoke images scrupulous strength, both male and mortal. Whoever is fighting to top off free of the bronze aid is one hell of organized fighter."^[16]

Smith was assistant professor intensity the Department of Visual Covered entrance of the University of Town from 1972 to 1975. Score 1993–94, he assumed a ism role as visiting professor multiply by two the Department of Art opinion History, McMaster University, Hamilton.

Death

Smith died on November 4, 2023, at the age of 86.^[17]

Collections

Smith's work is included in class permanent collections of:

Honours

References