Saskatoon Express: Solo exhibition showcases new work by local abstract artist

(This article was previously published in the Sept. 17, 2018, edition of the Saskatoon Express weekly newspaper.)

By Shannon Boklaschuk

An exhibition highlighting new work by a highly respected Saskatoon abstract artist is currently on display at a downtown gallery.

Continuous Exploration, which features paintings and painted constructions by Robert Christie, opened at The Gallery/Art Placement on Sept. 8. Christie, who studied art at the University of Saskatchewan under the tutelage of structurist Eli Bornstein and alongside sculptor Douglas Bentham, has been exploring abstract art in Saskatchewan for nearly 50 years.

“I come out of what’s called a formalist tradition,” said Christie, referring to a way of studying art that involves comparing and examining form and style. “The people I worked with as a student, my professors at the time, were quite traditional and I’ll say somewhat formalist.”

Christie, however, has been drawn to abstract art throughout his career. Still, he credits the repetition and formality in his art education and the quality of his instructors as paving the way for the unique and innovative work he produces today. Christie noted his friendship with one of Canada’s major abstract painters, William Perehudoff – who was born near Saskatoon in 1918 and died in 2013 – was a “big influence” on him, as Perehudoff worked “in this adventurous abstract way.”

Levi Nicholat, director and curator of The Gallery/Art Placement, described Christie’s recent works as a variety of paintings and painting constructions that could be loosely categorized as geometric abstraction. He said the works are both minimal and complex.

“They present clean, sharp edges and a modern, architectonic sensibility with reduced forms and monochromatic colour, combined with surfaces that are intensely worked, richly layered and luxuriously textured,” said Nicholat.

“Robert Christie’s career as an artist in Saskatoon has been long and distinguished, impacting the community and so many of the artists in it for decades. When I think about his art career, it’s always inseparable from the other roles and contributions he has made to Saskatoon’s art community – as an educator, gallerist, writer, curator and artist. Throughout these various roles, one of his most valuable contributions was that he always brought the perspective of the artist, which is quite rare,” he said.

“As an artist specifically, Robert has always demonstrated a level of dedication and commitment to his practice and his particular aesthetic principles and lines of inquiry that sets him apart. When you look at his production over the course of five decades, it’s obvious that he has a unique and powerful artistic vision that he has pursued with great conviction.”

Christie was born and raised in Saskatoon and studied at the University of Saskatchewan. Starting in 1969, he participated in a number of the famed Emma Lake artists’ workshops at the university’s Kenderdine campus at Emma Lake, Sask., later serving as a coordinator of some of the workshops in the 1980s.

Christie’s work has been presented at solo and group exhibitions nationally, and his work is part of private and public collections in Canada and other parts of the world. In 2003, he was elected to the Royal Academy of Art as a result of his prolific career and his contributions to his discipline. When Remai Modern opened in Saskatoon with much anticipation in 2017, one of Christie’s pieces was included in the museum’s inaugural exhibition, called Field Guide.

“It was a group show. I was very fortunate, I think, to be included,” said Christie.

Established in 1978, The Gallery/Art Placement, located on Third Avenue South in the historic Traveller’s Block Building, is the city’s longest-operating commercial art gallery. It was previously owned by Christie for 35 years.

Continuous Exploration is the second solo exhibition of Christie’s work since Nicholat took over the business five years ago. However, the latest exhibition is different than Christie’s previous show in 2015 because The Gallery/Art Placement is presenting it in the newly expanded space that the gallery moved into in 2016.

‘With more room in the new space, this is the largest, most expansive exhibition of Robert Christie’s work that the gallery has ever presented,” said Nicholat.

Christie said many of the pieces included in his current show feature plywood of different thicknesses and acrylic. With the exception of a large piece that was created in 2016, all of the work is new.

Nicholat said the response has been “overwhelmingly positive” to Christie’s artwork.

“Robert obviously has a strong reputation and many supporters in the community given the length of his involvement. But even for those who might not be familiar with his work, the exhibition is a cohesive and visually powerful representation of his artistic vision, and people feel that impact when they walk into the space,” said Nicholat.

“The individual works are very strong and they really hit you when you see them. Not in an aggressive way; it’s just that they have substance, a visual weight and presence that commands attention.”

Continuous Exploration will remain on display until Oct. 18. For more information about The Gallery/Art Placement, go online to artplacement.com.

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