Westwind Gallery in Gibsons may be small but the vision of owner Morley Baker is big. On May 27, for two weeks only, the gallery will launch a comprehensive retrospective of the work of the late Don Jarvis of Sechelt in a show that matches the ambitions of any prestigious urban gallery.Baker has always been a fan of Jarvis, an eminent painter and art teacher whose abstracts especially have earned him renown in the history of Canadian art.The 30 pieces on show reveal the progress of the artist encompassing work from his early art school days in the 1940s through to the 90s. The evolution is fascinating. One of the most interesting pieces is a depiction of a turreted West End rooming house with the Hotel Vancouver in the background. The viewer will be able to compare this painting with an original sketch of the same rooming house in which the artist has noted details of style and colour. Jarvis followed his own notations closely in the final painting and the result offers insight into the thought processes of the artist.Born in Vancouver in 1923, Jarvis loved to draw from an early age. After he graduated from the Vancouver School of Art and Design (later re-named Emily Carr), he won a scholarship, and at the suggestion of artist Lawren Harris, he travelled to New York to study under the abstract expressionist Hans Hoffman. The many paintings of Vancouver during the 50s were completed after his return to that city where he became an art school drawing and painting instructor. His son Graham Jarvis, a North Vancouver high school teacher, recalls spending a lot of his childhood in his father's studio and how the artist would hold shows in the renowned Bau-Xi Gallery in Vancouver. Some critics believe that Jarvis did not receive enough recognition for his work as he deserved, certainly not as much as his colleagues Jack Shadbolt or Gordon Smith.The range of paintings and sketches in the retrospective allows the viewer to chart the evolution of Jarvis's figures from gloomy and realistic through to his colourful abstracts. By 1949, his figures were already morphing to Picasso-like shapes with gaunt, pointy heads and elongated bodies. By the late 50s, his figure painting had given way to abstract natural settings. The Eagle Tree (1994), for example, though still recognizable as a tree, is conveyed almost entirely through pure imagery and suffused colour.Jarvis retired to Sechelt with his wife Gladys in 1988 and much of his later work was influenced by Sunshine Coast scenery. Forests, beaches and fire were among the recurring themes in the abstracts. Don Jarvis passed away in 2001.Graham Jarvis will be at the Westwind opening reception on Saturday, May 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. He is delighted that his father's works will be shown."It feels good. It gives people an opportunity to experience and engage with his work," he says.The show runs through June 10.For more on Jarvis, log on to www.westwindgallery.net or drop in at 292 Gower Point Road, upstairs in Gibsons Landing.
