Enigma: Unabstracted Prologue & Enigma: Ukraine
September 22nd – November 4th, 2023
Main Gallery
Exhibition Artist:
Robert Dmytruk
About Robert Dmytruk
Robert Dmytruk is a second generation Ukrainian Canadian whose family emigrated from the Ukraine in 1938. He grew up in Edmonton and studied Fine Arts at the University of Alberta before transferring to the Department of Art Education. Robert began a teaching career in Edmonton, Canada in1980 where he taught art at the secondary level. His tenure in art education included an assignment as Department Head of Art at the Victoria School of Art in Edmonton. After which, his career continued as the Art Curriculum Consultant for the Edmonton Public School District. In addition, he was seconded to Concordia University College, in Edmonton, to teach and instill knowledge and understanding of the Alberta art curriculum for aspiring teachers. After retiring from art education, he moved to British Columbia, Canada where he devotes himself to a full-time career as a visual artist working out of his home and studio located in Trout Creek.
Robert Dmytruk's artistry is a profound journey shaped by upbringing and decades of transformative events. His current exhibition, "Enigma," elegantly blends these experiences and observations. This title hints at the layers of mystery within the work.
Dedicated to idea exploration and material experimentation, his creative practice has evolved, culminating in mixed-media works fusing painting, collage, drawing, and sculpture. These pieces transcend technical prowess, offering a portal to universal truths and human emotions.
With a fusion of ideas, passions, and contemplations, this exhibition harmonizes Dmytruk's narrative. It showcases meticulously curated elements, resulting in a breathtaking collection. Blending diverse materials like plexiglass, wood, gatorboard, paint, charcoal, and synthetic resin, Dmytruk's art transcends the canvas, becoming innovative forms with intricate shapes, patterns, and colors. This journey culminates in captivating three-dimensional sculptures at the heart of the exhibition.
About Enigma: Unabstracted Prologue
In 2020, Robert Dmytruk embarked on a foray into three-dimensional painting. This artistic exploration involved the vibrant application of oil, acrylic, and spray paints onto various shapes and surfaces. Initially, he worked on paper, adhering it to gatorboard, and then applied synthetic resin for both its plasticity and protective qualities. As his journey evolved, he began painting directly onto gatorboard, using a multitude of shapes and layers to achieve his desired artistic outcomes. This intensive process demanded meticulous effort, including painting, cutting, sanding, shape placement, composition assembly, and a final resin layer, all with ongoing reconsideration.
The year 2020 brought seismic shifts to Robert Dmytruk's art career due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two galleries that once showcased his work were forced to close. Amid this solitude, a lifeline emerged through social media communication with long-time friend and composer/musician Murray J Reid. This exchange of Murray's symphonies and Robert's evolving three-dimensional paintings served as a wellspring of inspiration, even during life's restrictions.
Murray's composition '1987' emerged as a dominant influence on Robert's work throughout 2020-2021. This captivating symphony compelled Robert to respond visually.. These artworks embody months of experimentation, creative discovery, and the enduring resonance of '1987' in Robert's studio. It's important to emphasize that Robert views his creations not as interpretations of Murray's music but as personal responses, enriching the creative dialogue between two artists.
About Enigma: Ukraine
Robert Dmytruk received a file from composer and musician Murray J. Reid in April of 2022, containing Murray's new symphonic composition titled 'Ukraine,' reflecting the ongoing war. While Ukraine fought valiantly against Putin's forces, the devastation haunted Robert.
He began his response in his studio, experimenting with materials like gatorboard and resin for three-dimensional paintings. However, these didn't fully capture his response. After months of trial and error, he turned to charcoal on paper, allowing him to convey the war's horrors and Murray's composition more effectively.
His drawings multiplied quickly, inspiring the idea of a continuous installation blending sound and vision. Initially unsure about exhibiting these contrasting shows at the Penticton Art gallery, Robert questioned their connection. This led him to contemplate his comfortable daily routines, contrasting with the daily struggles faced by the people of Ukraine.
Though these exhibits seem mismatched at first glance, they represent two contemporaneous themes: an outward 'self' and an 'inner subconsciousness.'
These exhibitions, with the overarching name of "Enigma," masterfully fuse ideas, passions, and visual narratives, showcasing Robert's artistic evolution and reflecting the complexities of the human experience. It invites viewers on a journey of self-discovery guided by enigmatic threads in these
remarkable works.
Enigma: Unabstracted Prologue Artist Statement:
In 2020 I began an exploration of painting in three dimensions. This involved painting various shapes with strong colors using oil, acrylic and spray paints. At first, I painted on gessoed paper adhering them to gatorboard and then applied synthetic resin for its plasticity and protective quality. I now paint directly onto the gatorboard using numerous shapes and then layer these shapes to create the desired results. The process is very labor intensive, requiring painting, cutting, sanding, fitting each shape before ‘cementing’ the composition together and then applying a layer of resin. At each stage of development, given the amount of time required, I am reconsidering the positioning. It is a line of action that enhanced the creative process for me.
The year 2020 brought about many changes in my art career. The pandemic, Covid 19, infected my community. Public galleries closed their doors for exhibitions, many commercial galleries were forced to close doors permanently, businesses shut down, family and friend gatherings became scare. Two of the galleries that exhibited my work were forced to close their doors. The overall feeling of being alone was prominent. During this critical year one source of ‘light’ for me was the communication and interaction, via social media, with composer/musician and longtime friend Murry J Reid. Murray had composed and recorded several ‘symphonies’ and shared these with me. I, in turn, sent him recently developed three dimensional paintings that were emerging from my studio. This began a sharing process that provoked, influenced and emboldened both Murray and myself. Although ‘life’ at this time was being shut down we had established a communication process that was a lifeline for creativity.
The composition '1987', by Murray, became the dominant source of influence in my work during 2020-2021. This symphonic melody captured my attention and would not let go. It was mesmerizing and I found it imperative that I respond, visually. The '87' series, that materialized in my studio, reflects months of experiments, discovery, and creation and most of all months of hearing over and over again '1987'. Throughout this process, I bombarded my studio with a myriad of music composed by Murray but, invariably, there is a thread of '1987' in all the three-dimensional paintings on exhibition.
It is important to note that I do not view my work as an interpretation of Murray's music. I perceive it as a response.
Enigma: Ukraine Artist Statement
I was sent a file from composer, musician Murray J Reid in April of 2022 containing his new symphonic composition titled ‘Ukraine’. It was Murray’s agonizing reflection of the war in Ukraine. The war had been advancing steadily since February 2022 and the news that was flooding the networks showed the devastating and traumatic results. Miraculously, Ukraine had repelled Putin’s forces and repelled and survived the massive attack on their sovereignty. Upon listening to the recently composed ‘Ukraine’ I immediately knew that I had to respond with my ‘voice’.
I began my response with the materials and process which I had been using in my studio to create three dimensional paintings -gatorboard, synthetic resin, bold color, pattern, layering etc... Initially it seemed to provide me with satisfactory results, but I was not entirely content. I felt my response to ‘Ukraine’ required me to be more aggressive, visually, and physically. After several months and much trial and error I reverted to experimenting with a basic drawing technique which I had used in the past - charcoal on paper. This material and medium gave me leave to be physically aggressive towards the surface and better means to convey my response to the atrocities of war in Ukraine and to Murrays ’Ukraine’ composition.
The drawings emerged rapidly and there were many. The numerous drawings gave birth to the idea of installing them as a continuous installation that would surround the viewer with sound and vision.
Initially I questioned myself about exhibiting these two very different shows at the Penticton Gallery. The contrast is immense - ‘dark’ black, gray drawing versus bold, colorful three-dimensional painting. What could be the connection? This question led me to think about my outward self and my daily routines, working in the studio, painting, assembling, showering, turning on lights, leisurely enjoying the safe environment in which I live. At the same time, I acknowledged, in the back of my mind, subconscious thoughts of new daily routines for the people of Ukraine; deliberate bombing of critical facilities, destruction of infrastructure, destruction of homes and historic relics, staying alive. These thoughts co-existed for me and still do. The two contrasting exhibits, at first glance, seem mismatched but they constitute two contemporaneous themes: an outward ‘self’, represented in ENIGMA Unabstracted Prologue, and an ‘inner subconsciousness’ represented in ENIGMA Ukraine.
This exhibition is a masterful fusion of ideas, passions, contemplations, and visual narratives. Within its confines, the tapestry of Dmytruk's career is intricately woven, each thread representing a stage of growth, experimentation, and reflection. In its totality "Enigma" stands as a testament to Dmytruk's artistic pilgrimage—a culmination that not only encapsulates the growth of his creative practice but also serves as a multifaceted mirror reflecting the intricacies of the human experience. This exhibition beckons viewers to embark on a journey of self-discovery, guided by the enigmatic threads woven throughout these two remarkable bodies of work. ⬧
