David Alexander: The Shape of Place

In Canada, it can be easy to consider landscape painting as cliché, an art form whose time has passed. David Alexander's vibrant, large-scale works show the wonder and possibility that remain undiminished in paintings of the natural environment and breathe new life into the landscape tradition. Gathering together six essays on Alexander, this book provides insight into Alexander's inspiration, creative drive, and the unique engagement with nature that has led him to seek out and paint remote locales across Canada and as far away as Greenland, Iceland, New Mexico, and Argentina. Award-winning writer Sharon Butala contributes an extended meditation on her first encounter with the artist and his work. An interview with Robert Enright reveals Alexander's engagement with tradition, and texts by the late Gilbert Bouchard, Ihor Holubizky, Aðalsteinn Ingólfsson, and Liz Wylie, present a variety of insights into understanding and appreciating his art. A detailed chronology of Alexander's career is included. Reproductions of his major works appear throughout and the essays are illustrated with preliminary paintings and working sketches, conveying insight into his creative process. A valuable discovery for those interested in nature and its artistic renderings, Alexander's art is about conveying an immersion in the landscape. This book allows a similar presence within his lushly painted landscapes, imparting an intimate understanding of his art.