Comment Magazine, Cover Art
Issue VIOLENCE, Spring 2024, Vol 42 No 1
Parry Sound Landscape, 1976
diptych, oil on canvas, 214 by 275 cm, #0001435
In the collections of W,K,P, Kennedy Gallery, North Bay, Ontario.
BERT WEIR
Bert Weir (1925 – 2018) was a Canadian artist known for his monumental and expresive portrayals of the landscape, characterized by an impressive blend of impressionism and abstraction. A dedicated outdoorsman, Bert maintained a life long connection to the Northern Ontario region of Georgian Bay. Initially inspired by the rich Canadian tradition of landscape art, Bert’s artistic journey evolved, incorporating abstract expressionist elements while unwaveringly preserving his essential connection to the natural world. During Weir’s seventy-year career, his work was highlighted in over fifty solo exhibitions, and through numerous grants and awards. Weir’s work is widely collected and featured in major collection: the Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario; the W.K.P.Kennedy Gallery, North Bay, Ontario; the LUMAC Collection, J.N. Desmarais Library and the Bert Weir Fond Archives, both at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario. The Northern collections stand as testament to the enduring impact of Weir’s pivotal role in the regional art community. The Art of Bert Weir, an illustrated hardcover biography chronicling his life and career, has been published. Bert Weir’s art serves as a dynamic and vibrant conduit, connecting the viewing audience to the lively energies of the natural world.
PARRY SOUND LANDSCAPE
Weir described Parry Sound Landscape as rooted in the overt drama unfolding during the shift from summer to autumn. Captured at the moment when the anticipation of autumn materializes, the painting portrays the intense yellows and reds enveloping the lingering summer greens. Executed on a grand scale, the composition exudes a theatrical ambiance, akin to a dynamic and exhilarating spectacle. The vibrant spirit of the changing season is vividly expressed, with each element seemingly moving, burning and growing in unison. This visual narrative delves into the dynamics of energy, the poetic essence of colour, and the inexorable inevitability of change.
Bert Weir 