John Ward: Entering Nature

Entering Nature represents a selection of artist John Ward's latest works, paintings that move away from the strict realism of his early career towards a spiritual, emotional, subjective rendering of the natural world. In these brilliant, hard-edged depictions of leaves in the forest, he has not abandoned the technical strengths of his early years, but built on them. His use of vivid colours and of the contrasts between black and white convey a duality -- both foreboding of death and the "sense of hope, of light, of energy." This catalogue of an exhibition of Ward's work at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery shows us the evolution of an artist. The works included, in their exploration of light and colour, " challenge the limits of technique and imagery." Yet technical knowledge enhances the feeling, to convey the artist's awe of the natural world. Gary Ross, in a series of conversations with Ward, talked with the artist about how Ward works, what his work is "about," and his development -- from mastery of technique to painter as medium, one who conveys feeling, emotion and experience through his art. They discussed art dealers and exhibits, the place of art criticism, and the artist's perception of his role in relation to all of these.