Like a Dog Chewing a Bone
Someone I respect once said that I work like a dog chewing a bone; I consider this a compliment.
− Alex Colville, 1987
Artists have long created representations of their animal companions. In times of loneliness or isolation, pets are treasured company, and our natural tendency to project human characteristics onto them is heightened. By substituting animals, and particularly dogs, for the human form, artists also create an air of mystery about their images. This is particularly evident in the work of Alex Colville. Almost half of Colville’s paintings and a third of his serigraphs feature animals as main subjects, and dogs are a recurring theme. The role domestic animals play in our lives and sense of identity, especially when we are isolated from our loved ones, is captured in the works in this exhibition.
Image: Alex Colville, Le Chien d’or, 1987, serigraph on paper, edition of 70. Collection of the Owens Art Gallery. Gift of the Artist, in memory of Rhoda Colville. © A.C. Fine Art Inc.
