The Spring Is Raging
Scott Plear
Bio
Born in Vancouver in 1952
Scott Plear is an abstract artist whose work is noted for its risk-taking use of colour, texture, and layering. His work focuses on non-objective imagery, and his practice of painting is concerned with the use of the visual elements as a means of expression. He paints on unstretched canvas, varying the format and process depending on the direction of the painting.
He has exhibited continuously for the past 28 years in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Among his primary influences were his experiences at the Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops through the University of Saskatchewan from 1977 to 2000.
In 2004, Scott Plear was recognized for his contribution to the visual arts in Canada by being awarded membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. He teaches and maintains a studio in Vancouver, British Columbia
‘Painting has been of intense interest to me since a very early age. I have focused on painting, establishing studios that I have maintained over the past 30 years. During this time I have continuously painted and exhibited in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.’
‘My first painting experience was with watercolor. This work led me in a natural way to acrylic paint, which allowed me to play with a wider scale and texture range than watercolor would allow. I have been primarily concerned with; though have not limited my work to, abstract and non-objective imagery. My repertoire includes pictorial expressions principally in watercolor and drawing. My practice of painting focuses on the use of the visual elements (colour, line, texture, surface and form) as a means of expression. I paint on both unstretched and stretched canvas, varying the format and process depending on the direction of the painting. ‘
Curriculum Vitae
Education Leave awarded for 2013, Langara College
Education Leave, Langara College
2004 Elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
2001 Education Leave, Langara College
1977 Special University Prize
Head of the Graduating Class in Fine Arts
University of British Columbia
2017 Wild Jungle Songs, SOPA Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2016 Within Living Memory, South Main Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2015 Double Blind No Placebo, Bugera Mathison, Edmonton, AB
2014 Colour Bound, SOPA Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2013 A Blaze of Glory, Gallery MX, Montreal, PQ
2013 Skins and Hides, Bugera Mathison, Edmonton, AB
2013 Crossing the Line, joint exhibition, SOPA Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2012 Course Too Tender, Darrell Bell Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2011 Core Theory, Agnes Bugera Gallery, Edmonton, Alta
2009 Core Quest, Darrell Bell Gallery, Saskatoon, Sask
2007 Aurora Flow, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2006 Recent Works, Agnes Bugera Gallery, Edmonton, Alta
2005 Banners & Standards, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2005 With Flying Colours, Fran Willis Gallery, Victoria, BC
2003 Harbingers, HSBC Bank Atrium, Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2003 Full Fathom, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2001 Spiritus Forma, Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, BC
1998 An Uncertain Journey, National Exhibition Centre, Swift Current, Saskatchewan
1997 Sound Bytes, Vanderleelie Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
1994 Ten Painting Years, Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, BC
1993 Zambesi Zone, Vanderleelie Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
1990 Scott Plear, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria – Art Rental
1987 Scott Plear – Recent Paintings, exhibition, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1987 travelling to the Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta & Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, BC
1985 Scott Plear Paintings, Wade Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1983 Scott Plear, Martin Gerard Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
2016 Poetica, SOPA Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2015 Hip TO Be Square, SOPA Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2013 Station Arts Centre, group show, Darrell Bell Gallery, Rosthern, SK
2012 Summer Tributes, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2011 Paia Contemporary Gallery, Maui, Hawaii
2011 Criss-Cross, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2010 Celebrating 25 Years, Darrell Bell Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2010 Color Salute, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2009 Remote Viewing, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2008 Visions and Vistas, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2008 The Body Exposed, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2004 Abstract Artists: Charles Killam and Scott Plear, Agnes Bugera Gallery, Edmonton, AB
2002 Jerusalem, Jewish Community Centre, Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1999 Cuillin Bantock/ David Lemon/ Scott Plear, Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, BC
1996 Metamorphosis, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
1995 By Example, exhibition of Langara College Fine Arts Department Faculty Members, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
1994 My Own Space, The Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1994 The Abstract Image, Fran Willis North Park Gallery, Victoria, BC
1993 My Own Space, Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1993 Driven to Abstraction, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC
1992 Bonifacho, Gordon Caruso, Scott Plear, Fran Willis Gallery, Victoria, BC
1991 Jonathan Forrest & Scott Plear, Vik Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1991 Aspects of Abstraction, 291 Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
1988 Emma Lake 1988, Buschlen/Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1986 The Joy of Form, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1984 Keller, Christie, Perehudoff, Plear, The Gallery/art placement inc., Saskatoon, SK
1983 The Current Generation, Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1983 Dealing with Colour, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
1982 First Annual B.C. Festival of the Arts, Kamloops, BC
1981 The West Face, Charles Scott Gallery, Emily Carr College, Vancouver, BC
1981 B.C. Currents, Sarnia Art Gallery, Sarnia, ON
1981 Three from Vancouver, Martin Gerard Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1979 Malaspina Printmakers 5th Annual Exhibition, Presentation House, North Vancouver
1977 9th Burnaby Biennial Print Exhibition, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby BC
2012 Paia Contemporary Gallery, Paia, Hawaii, USA
2011 Paia Contemporary Gallery, Paia, Hawaii, USA (group)
2010 Bounty: A Case of Preposterous Optimism, Morley College Gallery, London, UK
2007 Bounty: A Case of Proposterous Optimism, APT Gallery, London, UK (group)
1996 Harlech Biennale 1996, Harlech, Wales, United Kingdom (group)
1995 Scott Plear – Solo Exhibition, British Columbia House, London, England, U.K.
1993 Mbile International Artists’ Workshop Exhibition, Lusaka, Zambia (group)
1990 North of the Border, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, Washington, USA (group)
1988 Painting Exhibition, Eva Cohn Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA (group)
Art Bank, Canada Council, Ottawa, Ontario
Art Gallery of Alberta, (formerly Edmonton Art Gallery), Edmonton, Alta
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
Bentall Capital, Calgary Alberta
B.C. Investment Management Corporation, Victoria, B.C.
Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, B.C.
Campney & Murphy, Vancouver, B.C.
Canpotex Corporation, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Coast Hotels, Vancouver, B.C.
Hu Eliot Young Law Firm, Edmonton. Alberta
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, B.C.
Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
Montrose Mortgage Corporation, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Petroleum Club, Edmonton, Alberta
Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, B.C.
Saint Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, B.C.
Sharecom Industries, DeWinton, Alberta
SITQ – Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Montreal
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary. Alberta
Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, B.C.
TransAlta Corporation, Calgary, Alberta
Triangle Arts Association (Ltd.), New York, New York
Westburne Collection, Montréal, Quebec
2011 Painting Commission, British Columbia Investment Management, Corporation at Livingston Place, South Tower, Calgary, Alberta
2010 Painting Commission, British Columbia Investment Management, Corporation and SITQ – Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Montreal, at 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver BC
2007 Painting Commission, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation,
Livingston Place, Calgary, Alberta
1980 Designed chapel windows for Westminster Abbey Benedictine Monastery Church, Mission, B.C., through L. Haufschild and Associates Ltd.
Bingham, Russell, Canadian Contemporary Art – The Current Generation,
Update Magazine, The Edmonton Art Gallery, Vol. 4, No. 4, July/August 1983
Bouchard, Gilbert, Feeling, emotion produce joy in vibrant colours,
Preview, Edmonton Journal, Friday, March 10, 2006, F6
Bouchard, Gilbert, Driven to Abstraction by Gallery Walk,
Edmonton Journal, Friday, November 16, 2004
Boulet, Roger H., Scott Plear, Recent Paintings, Update Magazine,
The Edmonton Art Gallery, 1987, First Issue
Fenton, Terry, Surprises 1981: The Year in Review, Update Magazine,
The Edmonton Art Gallery, Volume III, No. 1, Jan/Feb 1982
Hunt, Laurel, The West Face, exhibition catalogue,
Charles H. Scott Gallery, Emily Carr College of Art and Design, 1981
Moffett, Kenworth, Moffett’s Artletter,
Volume 1, Number 10, December 1986
2015 Double Blind, No Placebo, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 9780988051041
2013 Skins and Hides, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 9780988051010
2013 A Blaze of Glory, Paintings by Scott Plear, 9780988051034
2012 Course too Tender, Paintings by Scott Plear, 9780988051003
2005 Banners and Standards, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 0973347554
2005 With Flying Colours, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 0973347546
2003 Full Fathom, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 0973347538
2003 Harbingers, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 097334752X
2003 Mythos, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 0973347511
2001 Spiritus Forma, Paintings by Scott Plear, ISBN 0973347503
2015 Gifted Painting, Deep River, library, Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library,
Surrey Campus, Surrey, BC
2011 Painting Commission, The Other Sleep Empire, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation at Livingston Place, South Tower,
Calgary, Alberta
2010 Painting Commission, Thermal Core, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation and SITQ – Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Montreal, at 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver BC
2009 Gifted Painting, Big Bam Boo, Langara College Library, Vancouver, BC
2007 Painting Commission, Alberta Aurora, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, at Livingston Place, West Tower
Calgary, Alberta
1980 Designed chapel windows for Westminster Abbey Benedictine Monastery Church, Mission, B.C., through L. Haufschild and Associates Ltd
2000 Saskatchewan Invitational Artists’ Workshop, Emma Lake, Saskatchewan
1993 First Mbile International Artists’ Workshop, Siavonga, Zambia
1986 – 2013 Faculty Member, Fine Arts Department, Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
1994 – 2001 Division Chair, Creative Arts Division, Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
1992 – 1994 Department Chair, Fine Arts Department, Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
1983 Assistant Professor, Extra Sessional Studies, Spring Session University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
1978 & 1979 Visiting Member, Summer Session, Extra Sessional Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
The Brutal Heart, A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery, Gail Bowen,
McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 2008
Canadian Who’s Who, University of Toronto Press,
Toronto, Ontario, 2009 Edition
Who’s Who in American Art, Marquis Who’s Who,
New Providence, New Jersey, 28th Edition