Bertram is an abstract painter whose practice centres around ideas of improvisation, finding meaning within unintended stimuli, and playing with the dynamics of perception. The exhibit Distance. Motion. Moment. includes six new large scale paintings, which will be featured in the main gallery until February 22, 2020.
Bertram’s work is being showcased as part of the centre’s exhibitions celebrating the 110th Anniversary of Abstract Art.
“I’m always on the lookout for new, dynamic art scenes to exhibit my work in new context and expand my audience,” said Bertram. “Harcourt House has a long history of promoting exciting art. I’m excited to be included.”
Bertram grew up in BC, spending time in both the Okanagan and on Vancouver Island. He decided to become an artist while getting his undergraduate degree.
“I discovered a passion for the experimentation, discovery, and variety of experiences available in painting and drawing,” he said.
Bertram, who is based in the Comox Valley, is a sessional instructor with NIC’s fine art department and teaches painting and drawing courses. His interest in teaching stemmed from his own experience while in school and his own passion for the art form.
“I had a desire to facilitate a similar type of experience for students; providing a platform where they could expand their sense of what is possible and pursue their own curiosities and interests,” he said.
Bertram also encourages his students to explore new ways to exhibit their own work, in new spaces and with new audiences.
“It is very beneficial for a student to have a supportive arts community locally in which to develop their work over time,” he said. “However, a lot can be learned about one’s work by presenting it to a different community that is perhaps not familiar with the steps that have been taken over time.”
NIC offers fine art courses in a variety of mediums, which are open to students both in the fine art programs and as electives. Bertram encourages students to take art classes and explore different art forms, no matter what field they are studying.
“Studying art allows one to see the world more deeply and to think about it in a different way. It allows for a type of problem solving that can be translated into many different life and career situations,” said Bertram.
More information on the exhibit can be found at https://harcourthouse.ab.ca/scott-bertram/.
Learn more about all NIC’s fine art courses at www.nic.bc.ca/fine-art.
