XXXVI (Byzantine Lights Series), 1975/76

Private Collection, Toronto

Theodore Allen Heinrich, “Ronald Bloore: New Byzantine Lights and other Paintings,” “artscanada”, March/April, 1977, pages 11-19 Theodore Allen Heinrich, “Ronald Bloore: New Directions,” “artscanada”, May/June, 1979, pages 53-56

A professor of art history and archeology, and a member of the Regina Five, Bloore made important contributions to post war Canadian art. Instrumental in bringing about the Emma Lake workshops in northern Saskatchewan, the artist maintained a rigorous practice throughout his career that focused on constructed abstract work with limited colour palettes, favouring shades of white and geometric forms. Having studied archeology throughout his undergraduate and graduate studies, the influence of archeological excavation and the study of various civilizations worked its way into the artists highly theoretical practice. Bloore also travelled extensively, absorbing the visual culture and incorporating theories of symbolism into his final works. From 1973-74, the artist travelled to Greece, Turkey, Iran and Spain, countries steeped in rich complex cultural and political histories which influenced the visual culture of the respective arts and architecture of each locale. “The Byzantine Lights Series” is comprised of over seventy completed works in the artist’s preferred white colour palette, using forms that reference symbolic shapes deeply embedded within art theory and history. Built up oil paint creates relief highlighting the artist’s exploration of texture, the subtle variation of tone and the manipulation of light. The arch and floral form showcased in “XXXVI” gives a nod to the architectural elements popular in Byzantine architecture found throughout Europe and the former Ottoman empire. The reduction of form and the commitment to a singular colour creates a stark juxtaposition between the complex theories of art and symbolism, historical contexts and existential questions unpacked in such a pure final composition. The “Byzantine Lights Series” was exhibited throughout 1975 and 1976 at the MacDonald Gallery, Toronto and the Thomas Gallery, Winnipeg. Bloore’s work is housed in the collections of major public art institutions, universities and embassies across Canada and internationally.