Gordon Spare has a different style, and with it, he’s created some impressive art.
The longtime 108 Mile Ranch resident started borrowing some of the artistic stylings of the Haida people of northwestern British Columbia about three years ago, and a body of that acrylic work is currently on display at Showcase Gallery in 100 Mile House for the month of June.
The vibrant and robust art form is easily recognizable in the dozen or so animals and figures, which seem to rise off the canvas like woodcarvings, hanging on the walls on the main floor of the South Cariboo Business Centre on Birch Avenue, where the gallery is located.
Spare says the Haida style really caught his eye.
“I was very impressed. They call it primitive art, but I don’t.
“I think it’s highly developed over thousands of years. It’s unique in the world.”
The artist says he did a lot of studying.
“I bought every book I could and learned their technique, and more important, their style.”
While discussing First Nations people and how he came to paint like this, Spare talks about the history of the church, assimilation and residential schools.
“I feel shame for what the Europeans did to them,” he says of First Nations people.
“They have a different lifestyle and different beliefs. A different culture they’re trying to hold on to.”
As a member of the Cariboo Artists’ Guild, a local group dedicated to promoting art and culture, Spare’s work has been on display previously as part of group shows at Parkside Art Gallery in 100 Mile House.
He’s also part of the Studio 2 Studio Art Tour in 108 Mile Ranch.
As a young man, he wanted to be a professional artist, but made his living as an accountant instead.
“My parents talked me out of it,” he explains. “During the Depression, they said you won’t be able to [make a living].”
Spare, who is 81, grew up in West Vancouver and moved to 108 Mile Ranch almost 40 years ago. He started painting when he retired at age 65.
