Liminal Space - Richard Reid

July 4th – september 9th, 2023
Main gallery

Exhibition Artist:

Richard Reid (1930 - )

Article Written by Paul Crawford

On Thursday April 3, 1930, William Richard Reid was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. That same day the second Academy Awards were held at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins to win their third Stanley Cup. The names William and Richard ranked as the 4th and 5th most popular names chosen for boys.

Over the 93 years since, his odometer has clicked past 34,000 days clocking more than 817,000 hours or 49,000,000 minutes of lived experiences. Throughout this extensive period, he has dedicated himself to producing thousands of works of art, the majority of which have remained hidden from the public eye.

Reid's choice to refrain from the traditional path of an exhibiting artist does not diminish the significance of his artistic contributions. On the contrary, his unwavering commitment to creating a substantial body of work speaks volumes about his dedication and passion for his craft.

While exhibitions and public recognition can certainly provide exposure and validation, Reid's focus on the act of creation itself demonstrates a genuine love for the artistic process. By consistently producing art, he engages with his own creative expression, delving into the depths of his imagination and emotions. In doing so, he enriches his own life and cultivates a personal connection with his artwork.

Richard's artistic productivity has experienced many ebbs and flows throughout his life influenced by various factors and life events. His time teaching at UBC, embarking on homesteading and building a cob home in Christina Lake, and co-founding the Grand Forks Art Gallery all shaped the rhythm of his creative practice. However, it was during his second retirement and the subsequent support of his late wife Beverley's artistic endeavours that his own creative output became intertwined with his caregiving responsibilities.

Following Beverley's passing on October 14, 2019, Richard faced the profound loss of his partner of 63 years. As he navigated through grief and loneliness, the world itself underwent unprecedented changes with the onset of the global pandemic in March 2020. The lockdown measures further intensified the emotions of grief, isolation, and loss that Richard was already experiencing.

In this challenging period, Richard turned to his art and writing as a means of documenting and exploring the passage of time, memory, and grief. His paintings and writings became channels through which he could express and process his emotions, finding solace and meaning in the act of creation. What was once a fallow period in his artistic practice suddenly transformed into a phase of sustained and continuously productive output.

Richard transformed his living room into a makeshift studio, creating an environment conducive to his artistic practice. Seated at his coffee table, he sought solace in his memories, his gaze extending beyond the empty chair once occupied by Beverley. Through the picture window, he absorbed the sight of the garden and the expansive natural landscape that stretched into the distance. While the view remained familiar, the world around us all was undergoing a transformation.

With the breach of the levee, an outpouring of words and watercolors surged forth, drawing from the depths of his being. This artistic surge tapped into the wellspring of his memories and tapped into the universal emotions that encompassed love, loss, grief, isolation, and loneliness. Each stroke of the brush and every word penned became an expression of his journey through life.

The words and paintings that emerged from this creative outpouring serve as a personal diary, a reckoning of a life lived. To provide structure and focus to his creative exploration, Richard standardized the size and format of his works. This deliberate choice brought a sense of order and consistency to his artistic process, allowing him to delve deeper into his introspections and examinations. They were also never intended to be shared, exhibited, or even revisited by Richard himself. The process provided Richard with a sense of personal ceremony where upon the completion of each piece he dutifully dated, documented, and meticulously filed away in a series of folders stacked chronologically on his sideboard.

While Richard may not have intended for his creations to be shared or exhibited, their existence alone carries immense significance. They bear witness to his resilience, his ability to transform personal loss and collective turmoil into poignant expressions of art. Through his words and paintings, Richard offers a glimpse into his inner world, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences and emotions.

In this unexpected and transformative phase of Richard's artistic journey, he exemplifies the capacity of art to heal, understand, and connect. His unwavering commitment to creation, his dedication to his craft, and his willingness to explore the depths of his emotions serve as an inspiration to artists and individuals alike. Richard's artistic legacy speaks volumes about the enduring power of art as a medium for self-expression, introspection, and the pursuit of personal understanding and healing. ♦