One of Canada’s most innovative modernists, Jack Shadbolt (1909-1998) is known for his paintings and murals that drew from both personal travels and experiences of World War II as well as the social and political context of his time. Shadbolt was born in England in 1909 and at an early age immigrated to British Columbia. In 1930 he met Emily Carr, whose work, together with the Surrealists and early Abstract Expressionist, was very influential in his artistic development. Widely exhibited across Canada and in biennales abroad, Shadbolt’s work is in the permanent collections of all major Canadian museums, and he was recognized with the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.
Shadbolt’s multi-paneled works are his most significant as they demonstrate the artist’s ambitious scale and his iterative process. Much in the way that chapters within a novel deepen the detail and narrative of a written text, the ability to keep adding panels to a work allowed Shadbolt the freedom to realize the full potential of his subject matter. As his imagery progresses from one discrete panel to another, it reveals his deep interest in metamorphosis and the transformative cycles of the natural world that include both and life and destruction.
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Installation View
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Installation View
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Installation View
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Installation View
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Installation View
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Installation View
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Installation View
Jack Shadbolt: The Long Echo November 27 - January 8, 2021
Rachel Topham Photography
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #2
1980
Acrylic and conte on watercolour board
7 panels, 60" x 40" each
Rachel Topham Photography
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #1 (panel 1 of 7)
1980
Acrylic and conte on watercolour board
7 panels, 60" x 40" each
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #2 (panel 2 of 7)
1980
Acrylic and conte on watercolour board
7 panels, 60" x 40" each
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #2 (panel 3 of 7)
1980
Acrylic and conte on watercolour board
7 panels, 60" x 40" each
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #2 (panel 4 of 7)
1980
Acrylic and conte on watercolour board
7 panels, 60" x 40"
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #2 (panel 5 of 7)
1980
7 panels, 60" x 40"
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #2 (panel 6 of 7)
1980
Acrylic and conte on watercolour board
7 panels, 60" x 40"
Jack Shadbolt
Morning Deck #2 (panel 7 of 7)
1980
Acrylic and conte on watercolour board
7 panels, 60" x 40"
Jack Shadbolt
Nocturne
1979
Acrylic on Board
Triptych: Each Panel: 60” x 40” Total Dimensions: 60" x 120"
Jack Shadbolt
Break from Centre
1987
Acrylic on Board
Triptych: Each Panel 60” x 40” Total Dimensions: 60” x 120”
Jack Shadbolt
Foothills
c.1984
Acrylic on Paperboard
Triptych: Overall: 60” x 120” Each Panel 60” x 40”
Jack Shadbolt
Habitat
1974
Mixed Media on Illustration Board
Tryptich: Each Panel: 60" x 40" Total Dimensions: 60" x 120"
Featured Artists
The Estate of Jack Shadbolt
The Estate of Jack Shadbolt
Jack Shadbolt (1909 – 1998) is one of Canada’s most important artists. He is known for his paintings and murals that draw from his personal experiences and from the social and political conflicts that have taken place in British Columbia and world history, such as the struggles of First Nations, the Second World War, and the environmental movement.
Jack Shadbolt was born in England in 1909 and with his family, came to Victoria, British Columbia in 1921. He lived and taught in Victoria, Duncan, Vancouver and Burnaby. His work is represented in all the major galleries across Canada as well as in corporate and private collections. Shadbolt’s numerous awards include the Order of Canada in 1972, an Honorary Degree from the University of British Columbia, and in 1987 he and his wife, art historian and curator Doris Shadbolt, established VIVA, the Vancouver Institute for Visual Arts, which supports and recognizes the achievement of artists in British Columbia.