Facilitated and hosted by the NIC Fine Art Department, the Artist Talk series invites Canadian contemporary artists to come and speak about their creative art practice.
Each lecture lasts one hour, features an image presentation of the artist's work and is followed by an open question-and-answer period. It is an opportunity to meet professional artists and hear them speak first-hand about how and why they create their artwork.
The dialogue of professional art practice integrates visual communication, cultural theory, art-based research, community engagement, and technical skill development in art production, as well as grant, exhibition and mentorship opportunities.
Artist bio
David Maclean’s art career spans 50 years, it began with his studies at the University of Calgary. Despite the trend towards Abstract Expressionism during his years at school, his work is best described as figurative expressionism in the mediums of painting, drawing and/or printmaking. His newest venture has been creating digital images that are combinations of his older works and/or historical paintings and sculpture.
Much of his practice revolves around other disciplines and it examines the effect of removing them from their expected contexts. He believes art is meant to be a dialogue between the viewer and the work, not the viewer and the artist. It should generate questions, not answers; as a result, viewer participation is required. There is always a storytelling component to all of his pieces.
Throughout his career, he has exhibited, taught and curated, all of which have enriched his creative sensibilities. He has shown work and exhibited in Europe, the United States and Canada where he is in several large permanent collections including the Canada Council’s Art Bank and the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. After 33 years of teaching at North Island College for the Fine Art department, he retired in 2012.
