1 painting : oil on joss on rive paper ; 35.5 cm x 68.5 cm
Notes:
To view image click on "Access Content Now" above To: Christopher Finn is a master printmaker. Using the silkscreen process, he built this image gradually, using over twenty-five layers of pigment and metallic inks to create a rich and warmly toned scene of a tiger approaching a lake. For Finn, working in the landscape genre offers a way to explore how art presents a view of nature through the lens of our human culture. As people, we understand the land through our relationship with it. In his earlier works, Finn represented this idea by graphically imposing a geometric screen over his composition. This image is part of a later series of idyllic scenes that Finn offers as aspirational contrast to what he sees is reality. In discussing this image, author Kenneth James Hughes observes that though the tiger is a top predator in the wild, it seems to offer us no attack. This peaceful tiger and the rosy sky, in conjunction with the title of the image, “Allies”, offer the viewer hope for harmony with nature: a “sign for a better day.” Painter, printmaker, and independent curator, Christopher J. Finn (1950 - ) was born in Windsor, Ontario, where he earned his BFA in painting and printmaking at University of Windsor (1972). Moving to Saskatchewan, Finn earned his MFA in printmaking at University of Regina (1973-75). During this time, he attended the Emma Lake Workshops, studying with master lithographer Robert Eagerton (1974). In addition to his studio practice as an artist, Finn worked as a screen-printer with such studios as Grand Western Screen Shop in Manitoba. After attending the Banff Centre School of Management, Finn earned certification in Museum and Art Gallery Management (1985), a Certificate in Architectural Drafting at Red River College (1986), and his B.Ed in Art/History (1989) from the University of Manitoba. His curatorial work includes Assistant Curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (2002-2016) and Curator of Education at the Art Gallery of Windsor (2017-2020). Finn’s work is held in numerous private and public collections, including Remai Modern (Saskatoon), Museum London (London, Ontario), Winnipeg Art Gallery (Winnipeg), Banff School of Fine Arts (Banff), Canada Council Art Bank (Ottawa), and Toronto-Dominion Bank Collection (Toronto)
