Jonathan Forrest  December 2-30, 2023

For our 5th solo exhibition with Jonathan Forrest we are excited to introduce his newest series of abstract paintings.  Created over the Spring & Summer months at both his Saskatchewan and Vancouver Island studios, Forrest explored the feeling of “looking into a space”.  Using his unique technique of pulling and scraping thin layers of paint across the canvas, the numerous layers, chromatic colours and even shine of the paint hints at a real space.

Minimal in colour and matte in finish, these new paintings included in our December exhibition play with a balance between absorbency vs. reflectiveness.  There is an alluring photographic / x-ray quality when experiencing the paintings.  Like looking through a veil, the image hints at representation, however, is grounded in pure, minimal abstraction.

Jonathan Forrest is an abstract painter who divides his studio time between Vancouver Island and small town Saskatchewan, Canada.  He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and immigrated with his family to Canada in 1977.

Forrest studied at the University of Saskatchewan receiving his BFA in 1983 and his MFA in 1991. Jonathan has participated in several artists’ workshops including The Emma Lake Artists’ Workshop (1985, 1988, 1991, 2001, 2003 and 2005), The “Saskatchewan Invitational artists’ workshop”, Emma Lake (2000), and Triangle Artists’ Workshop, Brooklyn, NY (2002).

His work has been shown in Western Canada in museums including the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, The Edmonton Art Gallery and The Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina.  In 2021, the Art Gallery of Swift Current organized a survey exhibition, which followed the trajectory of Jonathan Forrest’s painting practice from 2002 to 2019.

Public collections include the Canada Council / Art Bank, Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, Edmonton Art Gallery, Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw Art Museum, Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan Arts Board, University of Lethbridge and the University of Saskatchewan.

Visit Jonathan Forrest’s Artist Page Here