Scott Plear

Original Abstract Paintings


About The Artist
Modern contemporary artist Scott Plear has been creating abstract artwork for more than 35 years, exhibiting in Canada, the U.S. & the United Kingdom. Since 1986, he has been a faculty member in the Fine Arts Department, Langara College, serving terms as department chair and division chair during that time. Scott Plear attended several Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops from 1977 – 2000 and has completed several contemporary paintings as commissions for Bentall/Kennedy between 2007 and 2011. He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2004 in recognition for his extraordinary abstract artwork.

Artist Statement
A concentration of thick colored paint, packed or layered at critical locations on the canvas, whether at an edge or at a center, juxtaposed to a field of muted color or natural value describes the visual theme.  Yet this would merely describe a structure around which to organize material. To then push the possibilities of paint by finding new expressive material relationships is my purpose in creating modern artwork.  Abstract art has always proposed a challenge. By ‘taring the scales’ of any pictorial image, the picture must succeed or fail on its own qualities. The image is thus created from the ground up by way of the process.  And like any uncertain journey, it will result in unexpected and surprising results.  Success is not guaranteed and the task in not easy, yet if successful the reward is the story it tells of the joy of seeing these relationships.” S.P.


Born
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Resident
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Education
BFA, Vancouver, British Columbia

Corporate and Public Collections
Art Bank, Canada Council, Ottawa, Ontario
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
Bentall Capital, Calgary Alberta
B.C. Investment Management Corporation, Victoria, B.C.
Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, B.C.
Campney & Murphy, Vancouver, B.C.
Canpotex Corporation, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Coast Hotels, Vancouver, B.C.
Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
Hu Eliot Young Law Firm, Edmonton. Alberta
Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
Montrose Mortgage Corporation, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Petroleum Club, Edmonton, Alberta
Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, B.C.
Saint Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, B.C.
Sharecom Industries, DeWinton, Alberta
Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, B.C.
TransAlta Corporation, Calgary, Alberta
Triangle Arts Association (Ltd.), New York, New York
Westburne Collection, Montréal, Quebec
SITQ – Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Montreal

Awards
2012 Education Leave, Langara College
2007 Education Leave, Langara College
2004 Elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
2001 Education Leave, Langara College
1977 Special University Prize, Head of the Graduating Class in Fine Arts, University of British Columbia

Select Solo Exhibitions
2013 Skins and Hides, Bugera Matheson Gallery, Edmonton, Alta
2012 “Course Too Tender”, Darrell Bell Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2011 Core Theory, Agnes Bugera Gallery, Edmonton, Alta
2009 Core Quest, Darrell Bell Gallery, Saskatoon, Sask
2008 Core Samples, Agnes Bugera Gallery, Edmonton, Alta
2007 Aurora Flow, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2006 Scott Plear, Agnes Bugera Gallery, Edmonton, Alta
2005 Banners & Standards, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2005 With Flying Colours, Fran Willis Gallery, Victoria, B.C.
2005 Harbingers, HSBC Bank Atrium, Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2005 Full Fathom, Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2001 Spiritus Forma, Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, B.C.
1998 An Uncertain Journey, National Exhibition Centre,
1998 Swift Current, Saskatchewan
1997 Sound Bytes, Vanderleelie Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
1994 Ten Painting Years, Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, B.C.
1993 Zambesi Zone, Vanderleelie Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
1990 Scott Plear, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria – Art Rental
1987 Scott Plear, Recent Paintings, exhibition organised by the
1987 Scott Plear, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, B.C. travelling to the
1987 Scott Plear, Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta &
1987 Scott Plear, Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, B.C.
1985 Scott Plear Paintings, Wade Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1985 Scott Plear, Martin Gerard Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta

International Exhibitions
2012 Paia Contemporary Gallery, Paia, Hawaii, USA (group)
2011 Paia Contemporary Gallery, Paia, Hawaii, USA (group)
2011 Criss-Cross, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, BC
2010 Bounty: A Case of Preposterous Optimism, Morley College Gallery, London, UK
2007 and at APT Gallery, Deptford, London (group)
1996 Harlech Biennale 1996, Harlech, Wales, United Kingdom (group)
1995 Scott Plear – Painting Exhibition, British Columbia House, London, England, U.K. (solo)
1993 Mbile International Artists’ Workshop Exhibition, Lusaka, Zambia (group)
1990 North of the Border, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, Washington, USA (group)
1988 Painting Exhibition, Eva Cohn Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA (group)

Group Exhibitions
2012 Paia Contemporary Gallery, Maui, Hawaii
2010 Celebrating 25 Years, Darrell Bell Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2004 Abstract Artists: Charles Killam and Scott Plear,
Agnes Bugera Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
2002 Jerusalem, Jewish Community Centre,
Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1999 Cuillin Bantock/ David Lemon/ Scott Plear,
Grand Forks Art Gallery, Grand Forks, B.C.
1996 Metamorphosis, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, B.C.
1995 By Example, exhibition of Langara College Fine Arts
Department Faculty Members, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, B.C.
1994 My Own Space, The Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
The Abstract Image, Fran Willis North Park Gallery, Victoria, B.C.
1993 My Own Space, Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
Driven to Abstraction, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, B.C.
1992 Bonifacho, Gordon Caruso, Scott Plear, Fran Willis North Park Gallery, Victoria, B.C.
1991 Jonathan Forrest & Scott Plear, Vik Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
Aspects of Abstraction, 291 Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
1988 Emma Lake 1988, Buschlen/Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1986 The Joy of Form, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, B.C.
1984 Keller, Christie, Perehudoff, Plear, The Gallery/art placement inc.,Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
1983 The Current Generation, Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
Dealing with Colour, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, B.C.
1982 First Annual B.C. Festival of the Arts, Kamloops, B.C.
1981 The West Face, Charles Scott Gallery, Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Vancouver, B.C.
B.C. Currents, Sarnia Art Gallery, Sarnia, Ontario
1981 Three from Vancouver, Martin Gerard Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
Malaspina Printmakers 5th Annual Exhibition, Presentation House, North Vancouver, B.C.
9th Burnaby Biennial Print Exhibition, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby B.C.

Commissions and Special Projects
2011 Painting Commission, British Columbia Investment Management, Corporation at Livingston Place, South Tower, Calgary, Alberta
2010 Painting Commission, British Columbia Investment Management, Corporation and SITQ – Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Montreal, at 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver BC
2007 Painting Commission, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, at Livingston Place, West tower Calgary, Alberta
1980 Designed chapel windows for Westminster Abbey Benedictine, Monastery Church, Mission, B.C., through L. Haufschild and Associates Ltd.

Guest Lecturer
2011 Painting Commission, British Columbia Investment Management, Corporation at Livingston Place, South Tower, Calgary, Alberta
2010 Morley College, Lambeth, London, UK, Don’t Let the Truth Get in the Way of a Good Story: The Story of Mutiny on the Bounty in Film and at
2007 APT Gallery, Deptford, London, UK.
1998 National Exhibition Centre, Swift Current, Saskatchewan
1991 Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, B.C. Tour and discussion of the exhibition, Flat Side of the Landscape – The Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops, curated by John O’Brian
1987 Department of Art and Design, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
1986 Department of Art, Red Deer College, Red Deer, Alberta

Guest Artist
2000 Saskatchewan Invitational Artists’ Workshop, Emma Lake, Saskatchewan
1993 First Mbile International Artists’ Workshop, Siavonga, Zambia

Academic Positions
1986 – Present Faculty Member, Fine Arts Department, Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
1994 – 2001 Division Chair, Creative Arts Division, Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
1992 – 1994 Department Chair, Fine Arts Department, Langara College, Vancouver, B.C.
1983 Assistant Professor, Extra Sessional Studies, Spring Session University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
1978 & 1979 Visiting Member, Summer Session, Extra Sessional Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.