February 22 – March 4, 2012
Opening: Thursday, February 23, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
by invitation – please contact the gallery
GALLERT 1313 MAIN GALLERY
1313 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON, M6K 1K8
T: 416.536.6778
E: director@g1313.org
www.gallery13131.org
Hours: Wed–Sun 1:00–6:00 p.m.
Acclaimed Edmonton Artist captures power and beauty of turbulent Prairie skies in his new book, Storm Chaser: Canadian Prairie Skyscrapes, which presents 83 of Ian Sheldon’s vibrant, highly dramatic storm paintings. His work provides a direct experience of the vast space of both land and sky on the Canadian prairies. Sheldon’s stylized representation of the energetic turbulence of the storms that often sweep the prairies adds a new dimension to the artistic dialogue about the raw nature of our nation.
Sheldon is a storm junkie, obsessively monitoring Environment Canada’s online radar, which he crosschecks with satellite information to figure out when and where major storm fronts might form. When a big front develops, Sheldon grabs his camera and races to the scene in his car. The photographs he takes form the inspiration for his paintings.
Sheldon’s storm paintings, in their complexity of colour, texture, light and shadow, serve as the centrepiece to Storm Chaser, but by combining them with his own captivating writing and selected excerpts from other exceptional writers and poets, Ian offers us a layered book that is a paean to the joy and beauty of living on the prairie.
Opening the book will lead you to enter a portal to a land and a journey — Ian Sheldon’s world of wind, grass, sky and spirit.
About Ian Sheldon
Ian Sheldon was born on the Canadian prairies and raised in other lands, including South Africa, Singapore and England. In returning to his birthplace, he applies that global influence to his landscapes and defines a new dimension in prairie art. Ian’s diverse works have been shown in San Francisco, New York, across Canada and in England. He is best known for his bold and iconic prairie skyscapes, works that have earned him the moniker “Storm Chaser”.