David Pirrie

David Pirrie’s interest in mountains dates back to his childhood, when he and his brother would scramble around their backyard of British Columbia’s coastal range on Vancouver’s North Shore. Pirrie’s reverence for these snow-capped peaks extends itself into a devotional pursuit whereby he not only paints these mountains but climbs most of them as well. Recent ski mountaineering expeditions into the Grand Tetons for example, gives Pirrie an intimate sense for the mountain ranges he visits and their characteristics, forging a relationship between the images he creates and his experience.

In removing the individual mountain from the surrounding range Pirrie decontextualizes his subject, making it symbolic rather than representational. He treats his mountains like celebrities, fashioning larger than life, unattainable, beautiful and mysterious portrayals. David records their rugged features in detail, as they individually assume their own unique personalities. His use of bright monochromatic colors and dot overlay draws aesthetic and conceptual comparisons to Pop Art, implicating these colossal stone figures in the pop culture lexicon. In this light the work becomes an exercise in re-framing how we perceive the mountains; examining the function of representation and how preserving something in imagery can make it iconic.

David’s paintings are also a form of personal inquiry. The dots may represent coordinate plotting, metaphorically pointing to the impermanence of their man-made structures that attempt to prescribe location at the intersection of human and geological time. David also paints evidence of erosion, hoping to remind us of the temporal nature of the mountains which, seemingly anchored in time, force us to acknowledge our transient existence on this earth.

Mt Tantalus, Rumbling Glacier

2018
Oil on panel
24″ x 36″
$4,200.00
ON HOLD

Mt Garibaldi, North Face

2018
Oil on panel
24″ x 36″
$4,200.00
ON HOLD

Mt Garibaldi, West Face

2018
Oil on panel
24″ x 32″
$3,800.00
ON HOLD

Mt Whitney, High Sierras

2020
Oil on panel
24″ x 48″
SOLD

CV

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts Concordia University, Montréal, QC (1993)
Diploma of Studio Arts Capilano College, Vancouver, BC (1988)

Awards

1993 The Canada Council: Explorations Grant
1994 B.C. Cultural Services: Project Grant

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2016 “Mapping the Rockies”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2014 “Mapping the Tetons”, Diehl Gallery, Jackson, WY, USA
“The Mountain Survey Project”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver BC
2008 “David Pirrie: New Works – Codified Topographies”, Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2006 “Western Drift”, Simon Fraser University, Teck Gallery, Vancouver, BC
“Risk Analysis”, Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2005 State Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2004 “Subduction Zone”, Verge Gallery, Vancouver, BC
“The Loneliest Highway”, Atelier 31 Gallery, Seattle, WA, USA
2002 Atelier 31 Gallery, Seattle, WA, USA
1995 “Engage”, Vancouver East Cultural Centre Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1993 “Bearings”, Vancouver Community Arts Council, Vancouver, BC
A.C.E. Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1991 Canal Complex, Montréal, QC

Selected Group Exhibitions

2018 “This Mountain Home”, with Elyse Dodge, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2014 “New Works”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
“Vantage Art Projects, Back Gallery Project Space, Vancouver, BC
2013 “An Introduction”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2008 “Made in the West” featuring 20 artists and designers, Arthouse, Calgary, AB
“Made in the West” featuring 20 artists and designers, The Works, Edmonton, AB
“Search Re-Search, contemporary landscapes” curated by Brian Foreman, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC
“Work‘n it”, The Drawers, Headbones Gallery, Toronto, ON
2007 Toronto International Art Fair, with the Douglas Udell Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Fall Show”, Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Drawing Expo”, Gaff Gallery, Vancouver, BC
“Spring Show”, Douglas Udell Gallery, Edmonton, AB
“Spring Show”, Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2006 Indie-picks, Independent Curators Selections, The Drawers, Headbones Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Fall Show”, Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC
“Roadrunner” curated by Linda Sawchwyn, Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, BC
“20th Anniversary Exhibition”, Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2005 “Arte Fiera” (Bologna Art Fair), GAS Gallery, Turin, Italy
2004 “Bites”, Atelier 31 Gallery, Seattle, WA, USA
“Tra Est e Ovest” curated by Stefano Catalani, GAS Gallery, Turin, Italy
“Vancouver Art Gallery Auction”, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
“Consumables”, Bumbershoot Biennale, Seattle, WA, USA
“Small Surprises”, Verge Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2003 Third Avenue Gallery, Vancouver, BC

Curatorial Work

1997 “Mining the Body: memory / absence / sensation”, Pengah Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1994 “Currents, An Exhibition of Contemporary Art” Vancouver, BC (1994-1995)
1993 “Work in Progress: Vancouver Artists in Their Studios”, Vancouver, BC (1993-1994)

Publications

Sinkewicz, Alison: “David Pirrie: Stone canvas”. Montecristo Magazine. Spring Edition 2016
Klassen, Kelsey: “Landscape Painter David Pirrie Connects the Dots”. Westender. April 5, 2016

Media

Griffith, Kevin: “Landscape art gets complicated”. The Vancouver Sun May 31st 2008.
Selk, Jen: “Pirrie Fire”. Ion Magazine. Winter edition 2007.
Gustafson, Paula: “David Pirrie”. Artichoke Magazine of the arts, 2005.
Rubiffini, Emanuela: Giovani Artisti Italiani”.
Torino Italy 2004. Brayshaw, Christopher. The Georgia Staight Vancouver. 2004.
Engelson, Andrew: SW Pick”. The Seattle Weekly, 2004.
Nicholls, Jim: “Memory”. Arcade, The Journal for Architecture and Design in the Northwest, Seattle. 1997.
Lyon, Christine: “David Pirrie works his way through the Rockies”. North Shore News. April 1, 2016
Griffith, Kevin: “Landscape art gets complicated”. The Vancouver Sun May 31, 2008
Selk, Jen: “Pirrie Fire”. Ion Magazine. Winter edition 2007
Gustafson, Paula: “David Pirrie”. Artichoke Magazine of The Arts. Summer Ed. 2005
Rubiffini, Emanuela: Giovani Artisti Italiani (Torino Italy). November 20, 2004
Brayshaw, Christopher: The Georgia Straight. June 10, 2004
Loydd, Dick: Arts and Life. The Vancouver Sun. June 7, 2004
Engelson, Andrew: “SW Pick”. The Seattle Weekly. January 7-13, 2004
Nicholls, Jim:“Memory” Arcade, The Journal for Architecture and Design in the Northwest. Fall 1997
Laurence, Robin: “Currents, An Exhibition of Contemporary Art”. The Saturday Review, The Vancouver Sun, April 1st, 1995
Wilson, Peter: feature interview, “Thursday Calendar”. The Vancouver Sun, March 16th, 1995
Gustafson, Paula: “Arts Notes”. The Georgia Straight. March 16th, 1995
Shefrin, Elizabeth: “A Sense of Place”. Pacific Current Magazine. March 1995
Laurence, Robin: “Art in the Merry Month of May”. The Saturday Review, The Vancouver Sun, May 28th, 1994
Wilson, Peter: “Artists Door to Door”. The Vancouver Sun, May 5th, 1994
L’Ecuyer, Sylvia: “Arts Review”. Vent d’Ouest, Radio CBC, June 9th, 1993
Rosenberg, Ann: “The Saturday Review”. The Vancouver Sun, March 6th, 1993

Other Media

Handcut Films: A twenty minute documentary where Director Greg Hewitt followed David Pirrie for a year, documenting his process, 2010
Cluff, Rick: The Early Edition. CBC Radio, June 2004
Granger, Peter: interview, “Currents”. CBC Evening News, March24th, 1995
Hegey, John: “Zero Avenue”. CBC TV, May 24th, 1994
Hegg, Stephen: “Vancouver Artists in Their Studios”. KCTS Channel 9, Seattle. Four minute documentary. May, 1994
Wake, Hal: “The Early Edition”. CBC Radio, May 20th, 1994
Friend, Ted: “Your Town”. U TV, May 14th, 1994

Collections

Cathay Pacific Airways
The Four Seasons Resort, Whistler, BC
The Pan Pacific Resort, Whistler, BC
James Stafford Chartered Accountants, Vancouver, BC
The Collection of Claudia Beck and Andrew Gruft, Vancouver, BC
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC