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Alex Colville--animals in art
#1
Alex Colville is a Canadian artist who died last year. He had his own particular style and I was lucky enough to get to see a special exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario. He was clearly an animal lover.

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as an evil animal.” ---Alex Colville

Colville viewed animals as essentially innocent – incapable of malice unless conditioned so by humans.


http://www.welcometocolville.ca/animals

His art technique was amazing and you need to see his work up close to catch the fine detail. However I noticed something about his compositions. A painting with a dog and human together, the human is hidden by the dog. The dog is the focal point. There were animals in many of his paintings, but they were never just decorations like some art. They were always essential to the message.

I do hope all his dogs are with him in heaven.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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#2
What great pictures!
I particularly like the cow in the moonlight. It reflects what I see in my little world here. And is beautifully atmospheric.

I had not heard of this painter before, but he is good.

He has a lovely face. I see love and compassion there. I also hope he is with his beloved animals. I am sure he will be.
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#3
(12-15-2014, 03:41 PM)Catherine Wrote: “I don’t think there’s such a thing as an evil animal.” ---Alex Colville

Colville viewed animals as essentially innocent – incapable of malice unless conditioned so by humans.
Yes, his art is unusual and is animal-centred. He was so right about animals. They are innocent and incapable of malice. Some do kill other creatures and eat them - but that is for food, never out of malice or for pleasure. Cats sometimes catch mice and "play" with them, but even that is not done out of malice. Malice seems to be uniquely human.

You were lucky to have seen his exhibition. No doubt he is now having fun with his pets!
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#4
It does seem that in all cases of animals killing or hunting others, there is no malice intended, only survival instincts, or the instinct to feed their young, or even sometimes to eliminate intruders into their territory. (And the motive behind that is usually to protect their survival resources.)
Even including shark attacks....grizzly bear attacks....foxes killing wildly in a hen-house....or wolves tracking prey until the prey is too exhausted to run any more.
Yes those things are very violent.

But I always say "The wild animals can't go to the supermarket and get their meat in nice square packages, covered with clear film, or covered in breadcrumbs -so it doesn't look like a prey animal at all."


But as far as I know, the human species is the only one who will willingly commit terrible crimes against animals and sometimes for just 'fun' or lack of love and care, sometimes even for entertainment, and not only for those motives listed above. Some of the things I hear are so heartbreaking, and definitely done from sickness of Soul, or malice.
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#5
Many of our best Canadian artists are not well know in other countries.
Colville's work is special. The crow painting is beautiful when you are right in front of it. The artist did have a strong focus on animals. However during the second world war he did paintings of soldiers and he even did some work from what he saw at a liberated concentration camp. That more than actual photographs captures the horror that went on there.

I can see why he came home and painted animals. He was a good man. He married the love of his life and they were together until the end. He died just after her. No doubt they are together with their dogs as one happy family.

Animals just simply kill to eat. It is just part of the cycle of life. They don't abuse or disrespect their prey. They tend to get the weaker ones anyhow and save them from a lingering death. Sharks attack humans because when we swim we resemble sick/injured fish.
Grizzly bears do not attack without a reason. If we act like prey they think we are prey. If we do something to threaten their territory they are only acting to protect that territory. There is never any evil or malice or intent to harm. There is only the need to do what they need to do to survive. If we would work with the whole survival idea there would be less human/ animal problems because we would not make the mistakes we do.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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