David Blackwood
Encyclopedia
David Lloyd Blackwood, CM
, O.Ont
(born November 7, 1941) is a Canadian
artist.
Blackwood is known chiefly for his intaglio
prints, often depicting dramatic historical scenes of Newfoundland outport
life and industry, such as shipwreck
s, seal hunting
, iceberg
encounters, and resettlement
. He considers himself a "visual storyteller," and also produces painting
s, drawing
s and woodcut
s.
Born in Wesleyville
, Newfoundland
, David Blackwood opened his first art studio in 1956, and in 1959 was awarded a scholarship to study at the Ontario College of Art
. After graduating in 1963 he remained in Ontario
, where he became Art Master at Trinity College School
in Port Hope
. Blackwood was involved in establishing an art gallery at Erindale College (a campus of the University of Toronto
), now called The Blackwood Gallery in his honour. In 1976, the National Film Board of Canada
produced a documentary film about the artist, Blackwood
, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
. He was made a member of the Order of Canada
in 1993, and of the Order of Ontario
in 2002. In 2003, he became the first practising artist to be named Honorary Chairman of the Art Gallery of Ontario
, which maintains a Blackwood Research Centre and a major collection of his work. Blackwood currently resides in Port Hope, Ontario
and keeps a studio in Wesleyville, Newfoundland and Labrador
.
A street in Sarnia, Ontario is named after David Blackwood.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.Ont
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(born November 7, 1941) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
artist.
Blackwood is known chiefly for his intaglio
Intaglio (printmaking)
Intaglio is a family of printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, known as the matrix or plate, and the incised line or area holds the ink. Normally, copper or zinc plates are used as a surface, and the incisions are created by etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or...
prints, often depicting dramatic historical scenes of Newfoundland outport
Newfoundland outport
An outport is the term given for a small isolated coastal community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Originally the term was just used for coastal communities on the island of Newfoundland but the term has also been adopted for those on the mainland area of Labrador as...
life and industry, such as shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s, seal hunting
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
, iceberg
Iceberg
An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice...
encounters, and resettlement
Resettlement (Newfoundland)
Resettlement in Newfoundland and Labrador terms was an organized approach to centralize the population into growth areas. Three attempts of resettlement were thrust upon outport residents and whole communities between 1954 and 1975 which resulted in the abandonment of 300 communities and nearly...
. He considers himself a "visual storyteller," and also produces painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s, drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
s and woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
s.
Born in Wesleyville
Wesleyville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Wesleyville is a small coastal community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located on the Straight Shore of the northeast coast of Newfoundland, near the communities of Greenspond and Newtown...
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, David Blackwood opened his first art studio in 1956, and in 1959 was awarded a scholarship to study at the Ontario College of Art
Ontario College of Art & Design
OCAD University is Canada's largest and oldest educational institution for art and design. It is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on McCaul Street beside the Art Gallery of Ontario...
. After graduating in 1963 he remained in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where he became Art Master at Trinity College School
Trinity College School
Trinity College School is a coeducational, independent boarding/day school located in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. TCS was founded on May 1, 1865, more than 2 years prior to Canadian Confederation. It includes a Senior School for grades 9 to 12 and a Junior School for grades 5 to 8.Among its...
in Port Hope
Port Hope
Port Hope mar refer to:*Port Hope, Michigan, U.S.*Port Hope, Ontario, Canada**Port Hope Aerodrome**Port Hope Conference**Port Hope Panthers**Port Hope railway station**Port Hope Transit...
. Blackwood was involved in establishing an art gallery at Erindale College (a campus of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
), now called The Blackwood Gallery in his honour. In 1976, the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
produced a documentary film about the artist, Blackwood
Blackwood (film)
Blackwood is a 1976 Canadian short documentary film about Canadian artist David Blackwood, directed by Tony Ianzelo and Andy Thomson. Narration is provided by Gordon Pinsent. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short....
, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
This is a list of films by year that have received an Oscar together with the other nominations for best documentary short subject. Following the Academy's practice, the year listed for each film is the year of release: the awards are announced and presented early in the following year.-1940s:*1941...
. He was made a member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1993, and of the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
in 2002. In 2003, he became the first practising artist to be named Honorary Chairman of the Art Gallery of Ontario
Art Gallery of Ontario
Under the direction of its CEO Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO embarked on a $254 million redevelopment plan by architect Frank Gehry in 2004, called Transformation AGO. The new addition would require demolition of the 1992 Post-Modernist wing by Barton Myers and Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg...
, which maintains a Blackwood Research Centre and a major collection of his work. Blackwood currently resides in Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
and keeps a studio in Wesleyville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
.
A street in Sarnia, Ontario is named after David Blackwood.