Courthouse Gallery Fine Art presents recent work by Canadian artist John Neville. His engaging narratives of fishermen, with their dories chock full of pollock, sometimes with a mermaid on board, have charmed viewers for years.
The exhibition, which runs from June 8 through July 8, can be viewed at the gallery or online at www.courthousegallery.com.
Neville was born in Halls Harbour, a small fishing village in Nova Scotia, where he grew up fishing with his father, building boats and listening to the tales of men and women in the local villages. There were stories about bootlegging, bad luck, record catches, rivalries and drunken husbands — all of which became the basis for his rich pictorial language. This popular maritime artist, who splits his time between Canada and Maine, has engaged collectors for decades, first with his hand-pulled intaglio etchings on copper plates, and then with the bold palette of his oil paintings.
Neville studied photography and printmaking at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, completing his BFA at the Centre Gravure de Contemporaine in Geneva, Switzerland. In the 1990s, he began painting exclusively with oils after an adverse reaction to printmaking chemicals. His narrative oil paintings are instantly recognizable by his vibrant use of color and abstract overtones, especially his overhead view of dories loaded with pollock.
Courthouse Gallery is at 6 Court St. in Ellsworth. For more information on upcoming shows, call 207-667-6611. For those planning to see exhibits in person, check the website before visiting to read about coronavirus procedures and spring hours.
Categories: Ellsworth, exhibitions, gallery, openings, shows
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