Well before Joel sang his first “la de da,” artist and Order of Canada recipient Joseph Plaskett was living and painting in Paris. This year the British Columbian-born painter turns 90 years old, and to celebrate, galleries across the country are hosting exhibitions in his honour, including Zwicker’s Gallery. Plaskett was in town for the May 15 opening, and to present the $25,000 Plaskett Foundation Award to recent NSCAD MFA graduate Nam Nguyen (also a RBC Canadian Painting Competition semi-finalist), who’s off to travel and study in Europe for a year. According to NSCAD prof Bruce Barber, “Nam is an exceptional young painter whose work engages issues across boundaries, popular culture, and gaming.”
The award is Plaskett’s way of giving back: In 1946 he was the first recipient of the Emily Carr scholarship, nominated by Group of Seven juggernauts Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson. The Zwicker’s show runs until June 7.
Photo: 3. Late Afternoon, Autumn, The Seine, 1989. Pastel on paper (15 panels of dark grey paper 50 x 65 cm), 150 x 325 cm.
This article appears in May 22-28, 2008.
Whew, that scared me… For a moment there, I misread the first name and thought that JOEL was an order of canada recipient…