Kevin Sonmor’s paintings reflect environments; wandering between historical conventions of landscape painting and the contemporary aesthetic of the abstracted landscape. An inspired student of Flemish painting, his visions are dark and atmospheric. These heavily textured, ambiguous spaces are populated with familiar still life objects such as fabric, flowers and grapes. These moments of realism float disembodied through rich, luminescent landscapes of gesture and paint.
Mark Daniel Cohen, a New York City-based artist/writer wrote about Sonmor’s paintings:
Sonmor paints with the certain craft of a master, with the sure touch of a virtuoso, not for the sake of the pride in technique but for something more imperative: for the efficacy of the art, for the sake of what art is for: the penetration through to a truth of our essential nature that we realize but cannot hold for more than the briefest moment. There is a wistful allure to Sonmor's images, a cool fervor and a delicate, irresistible persuasion that looks back toward scenes and tonalities that come to the mind from some imaginary and suffusing past. It is rendered in the acquired manners of French and German Romantic landscape painting, of Northern European still-lifes and Vanitas studies, and it is captured in hues and shades of feeling that only so venerable a medium as oil paint could embrace. It is a known formula of art, but a formulation of such power that understanding the equation provides no armor against its potency.
Born in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada in 1959, Kevin Sonmor received his Masters of Fine Arts from Concordia University, Montreal. His paintings have been widely exhibited across Canada and United States in both solo and group exhibitions. In 2002, Mendel Art Gallery organized a traveling exhibition of Sonmor’s work titled The Landscape Perilous: Kevin Sonmor Paintings 1998-2002, catalogue with essays by Mark Daniel Cohen accompanied the exhibition. Kevin Sonmor is a recipient of numerous Canada Council Grants and his work may be found in many private and public collections including the University of Waterloo, Art Gallery of Algoma and Government of Canada.
Biography
Kevin Sonmor
Born in 1959 in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
Currently living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Education:
M.F.A.Concordia University. Montreal, Quebec.
Diploma with distinction. Alberta College of Art. Calgary, Alberta
Studio Program. The Banff Center. Banff, Alberta
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2006:
Recent Paintings.Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery, Chicago
2004:
Recent Paintings. Galerie de bellefeuille. Montreal,
Quebec.
Recent Paintings. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
2002:
The Landscape Perilous. Organized by the Mendel Art Gallery.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Travelled to the Art Gallery of Western Manitoba.
Brandon, Manitoba and the
Robert Maclaughlin Art Gallery. Oshawa, Ontario.(catalogue)
Still Lives Lived. Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art.
Calgary, Alberta. (catalogue)
Paintings. Galerie de Bellefeuille. Montreal, Quebec.
(catalogue)
Paintings. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
Paintings. The Lowe Gallery. Atlanta, Georgia
2001:
The Journeyman. J.J. Brookings Gallery. San Francisco,
California
The Edge of Vanity. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
2000:
Still Lives. Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art. Calgary,
Alberta
Paintings. J.J. Brookings Gallery. San Francisco, California
1999:
Thick as thieves. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
1998:
The Journeyman. Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art.
Calgary, Alberta
Sights of Contention. Organized by the University of Waterloo.
Waterloo, Ontario. Travelled to The Art Gallery of Sudbury, Sudbury, Ontario
and The Art Gallery
of Algoma, Sault Ste. Marie, On. (catalogue)
1997:
Wander. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
1996:
I'm in Awe of the Future. Deacon Ulrich Fine Arts. Calgary,
Alberta
I'm in Awe of the Future. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto,
Ontario
1995:
Paintings. OK Harris Gallery. New York, NY
1994:
Recent Works. Waddington and Gorce Gallery. Montréal, Québec
1993:
Paintings. Niagara Artist's Centre. St. Catharines, Ontario
Paintings. Langage Plus. Alma, Québec
Nature Morte. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
1991:
Recent Paintings. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
Re-thinking Coyote Flats. Galerie Skol. Montréal, Québec.
(catalogue)
1990:
I'm Painting Horses on my Walls. Modern Fuel Gallery.
Kingston, Ontario
1988:
Reflections-Relocations. 2nd Story (Truck) Gallery. Calgary,
Alberta
Selected
Group Exhibitions:
2003:
Under Different Circumstances. Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Atlanta,
Georgia
2002:
Cultural Sensations - North America. Coca-Cola. Atlanta, Georgia
Marks, Gestures, Symbols. White Mountain Art Academy. Elliot Lake, Ontario
Art Miami 2002. ( Newzones Gallery) Miami, Florida
San Francisco International Art Exposition 4. (Newzones Gallery) San Francisco,
Ca
Toronto International Art Fair. (Galerie de Bellefeuille) Toronto, Ontario
2001:
Made in Canada: Contemporary art from Montreal. The Burke Gallery, Plattsburgh
State Art Museum, The State University of New York, Plattsburgh, NY
Controlled Substance. Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. Guelph, Ontario
Suzan Dionne, Kevin Sonmor: Recent Paintings. James Baird Gallery, St.
John’s,
Newfoundland
Art Miami 2001. ( Newzones Gallery) Miami, Florida
Boston International Art Show. (Newzones Gallery) Boston, Ma
1999:
The Menlove-Goode Collection: Endgames. The Agnes Etherington Art Gallery,
Queens University. Kingston, Ontario
1998:
THE WORD in Canadian Art. The Art Gallery of North York (Canadian Centre
for Contemporary Art). Toronto, Ontario
In the Wilds: Canoeing and Canadian Art. The McMichael Collection. Kleinburg,
Ontario. (catalogue)
1997:
The Persistent Tradition: The Canadian Landscape. The University of Waterloo.
Waterloo, Ontario
1995:
The Common Hand. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario. (catalogue)
Roland Reese, Kevin Sonmor. Deacon Ulrich Fine Arts. Calgary, Alberta
Kevin Sonmor, David Moore, Sunni Mercer. Leo Kamen Gallery. Toronto, Ontario
1988:
From the Landscape. The Illingworth Kerr Gallery of The Alberta College
of Art. Calgary, Alberta
Six Young Painters. Virginia Christopher Gallery. Calgary, Alberta
Systematic Relocations. The Works. Edmonton, Alberta
1987:
Ten Years. Modern Fuel Gallery. Kingston, Ontario
1986:
With Introspection. Walter Phillips Gallery. Banff, Alberta
Prints by Painters. The Pumphouse Theatre. Calgary, Alberta
Selected Bibliography:
Goddard Peter. Kevin Sonmor a master of the big picture. The Toronto Star.
Mar 1, 2003
Cohen, Mark Daniel. Still Lives Lived. (Catalogue Essay: Newzones Gallery,
Calgary ‘2002)
Cohen, Mark Daniel. The Landscape Perilous: Kevin Sonmor Paintings
1998-2002. (Catalogue Essay. the Mendel Art Gallery. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.‘2002)
Lungu, Florentina. Paysages Lyriques Atemporals et Natures Mortes. vie
des Arts, No. 186, Printemps,2002
Olanick, Natalie. Kevin Sonmor. (Catalogue Essay: Galerie deBellefeuille,
Montreal ‘2002).
Caudel, Robin. The Best of Canadian Art at Plattsburg State. ThePlattsburg
Press Republican. Nov 29, 2001
Milsum, Fred. On The Cover, (cover story) Alberta Gallery Guide, Nov 2000
- Jan 2001
Dault, Gary Michael. Kevin Sonmor at Leo Kamen, The Globe and Mail, April
28, 2001
Dault, Gary Michael. The End of the Earth, Canadian Art, Fall 2000’ Volume
17. No.3
O’Flanagan, Rob. Artist paints for the sheer thrill of it, The Sudbury
Star, May 1, 1999
McGregor, Leah. Work has visual vocabulary, Northern Life, May 2, 1999
Severson, Anne. The Journeyman, vie des Arts, No. 174, Printemps,1999
Crosson, David.. From corral to canvas, C & W magazine, Jan 1999
Fast Forward. Kevin Sonmor, Canadian Art, Vol 15, No. 4,Winter, 1998
McCartney, Leah. Gallery Notes, The Calgary Straight, Dec 3, 1998
Tousley, Nancy. The Hit List-Best Bets, The Calgary Herald, Dec 3, 1998
Reid, Robert. Art & Emotion - Painter Kevin Sonmor grows in stature,
The Record, Oct 17, 1998
Liss, David. Sights of Contention (Catalogue Essay:University of Waterloo,
Ont. Sept ‘98).
Wylie, Liz. In the Wilds: Canoeing and Canadian Art. (Catalogue Essay:
The McMichael Collection. Kleinburg, Ontario June ‘98)
Brackett, Donald. Painterly Inclinations, The Financial Post, Sept 13,
1997
Jordan, Betty Ann..The Common Hand, (Catalogue Essay: Leo Kamen Gallery,
Oct ‘95)
Hakim, Mona. Kevin Sonmor, Le Devoir, March 16, 1994
Le Far West à Langage Plus, Progrès-dimanche, September 19,
1993
Langage Plus amorce sa nouvelle saison, Le Lac St-Jean, September 12, 1993
Sanford, Judith and Weins, Ronald. Gallery Walkabout. WorkSeen, Fall 1991
Moreau, Yvan. Kevin Sonmor, Repenser les plains du coyote, Etcetera, Automne
1991
Mavrikakis, Nicolas. Bitte et Myth: Half-cocked, (Catalogue Essay: Galerie
Skol ‘91)
Cron, Marie-Michèle. Les Hommes et leur jeu interdit, Le Devoir, May
23, 1991
Darrah, Benjamin. Artscenes, Between the Lines, February 15, 1990
Punter, Jennifer. I’m Painting Horses on my Walls, The Kingston Whig
Standard, February 24, 1990
Gustafson, Paula. Class of ‘88, The Calgary Herald, April 4, 1988
Tousley, Nancy. Rodeo Past Rides in Abstractions, The Calgary Herald, May
29, 1988
Selected Collections:
Banque Nationale. Montreal, Quebec
Canada Council Art Bank. Ottawa, Ontario
Brock University. St. Catharines, Ontario
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. Guelph, Ontario
Atlas Developments Ltd. Calgary, Alberta
Art Gallery of Algoma. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Government of Canada, Department of External Affairs. Ottawa, Ontario
Grimsby Public Art Gallery. Grimsby, Ontario
Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer. Calgary, Alberta
Hewlett-Packard Ltd. Toronto, Ontario
SunLife Insurance. Toronto, Ontario
Simon Frazer University. Vancouver, British Columbia
Telesystem. Montreal, Quebec
Tristone Capital. Calgary, Alberta
White Mountain Art Academy. Elliott Lake, Ontario
University of Manitoba. Winnipeg, Manitoba
University of Waterloo. Waterloo, Ontario
Canada Life Insurance. Toronto, Ontario
The Royal Bank of Canada. Toronto, Ontario
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Dominion Bank. Toronto, Ontario
Claridge Inc. The Bronfman Collection. Montreal, Quebec
Church and Company. Vancouver, British Columbia
Canderel Corp. Montreal, Quebec
Grants and Awards:
1992 - 95:
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec: B - grants
1989:
J.W. McConnell Memorial Graduate Fellowship. Concordia University. Montreal,
Qc
Alberta Culture Visual Arts Study Grant. Calgary, Ab
1988:
J.W. McConnell Memorial Graduate Fellowship. Concordia University. Montreal,
Qc
Alberta Culture Visual Arts Study Grant. Calgary, Ab
1986:
Alberta College of Art Travel Scholarship. Calgary, Alberta
Singleton Family Fine Arts Scholarship. Banff, Alberta
1985:
Louise Mckinney Scholarship. Alberta College of Art. Calgary, Ab
1984:
Illingworth Kerr Painting Scholarship. Alberta College of Art. Calgary,
Ab
Louise Mckinney Scholarship. Alberta College of Art. Calgary, Ab
Guest
Lectures:
2003:
Robert Mclaughlin Art Gallery. Oshawa, Ontario
2002:
The Mendel Art Gallery. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2000:
The University of Calgary. Calgary, Alberta
White Mountain Art Academy. Elliot Lake, Ontario
1999:
Laurentian University. Sudbury, Ontario
1998:
The University of Waterloo. Waterloo, Ontario
The Alberta College of Art. Calgary, Alberta
1996:
The Alberta College of Art. Calgary, Alberta
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