Figures on the Street

Galerie Clarence Gagnon, Quebec Kastel Gallery, Montreal Private Collection, Toronto

Terry Rigelhof, “Philip Surrey (1910-1990): Retrospective Exhibition”, Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal, 2004, page 2

A skilled interpreter of both the physical and psychological space, Philip Surrey's figural studies populate urban scenes, with many of his most popular paintings set in the evening. A prime example of the artist's signature work, “Figures on the Street” is alive with colourful activity. Although six figures are visible within the scene, with pedestrians travelling in different directions on both sides of the street and a faintly visible driver passes through, only the two women in the foreground show any type of connection. Surrey's studies of isolation within society add emotional depth to his Montreal street scenes. Inducted into the Order of Canada in 1982, the citation referenced this complexity within Surrey's work: “His Montreal street scenes convey an emotive vision of the modern city, with its anonymous crowds and individual solitudes. His expressive style and a poetic humanitarianism constitute a unique contribution to Canadian art.”