Charles Gibbons

Charles Gibbons is a Montreal-born artist whose works have been exhibited in solo, group and juried exhibitions across Canada. His work can be found in private and corporate collections in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Naples, Montreal, and Toronto. His work has been described as evolving from the freeform traditions originating with Abstract Expressionists and Colour Field painters Jack Bush, Jackson Pollock and Sam Francis. Charles reinterprets these traditions with his innovative use of state-of-the-art acrylic paints and gels. Charles’ work has a strong geometric foundation applied with organic fluidity.

Charles states that “I approach the canvas with an idea of what I want, but as the piece progresses it takes on a life of its own. I don’t paint my canvas, I challenge the surface using an arsenal of paints, wood, ceramic, stone, sand and metal, each building upon the other until the work speaks from my soul and gives me a sense of fulfilment.”

All of Charles’ work has an underlining element, the element of humanity. He uses his work as a guise to portrait humanity’s moral & ethical dilemmas. Each work has a dichotomy reflecting the order & chaos, the love & hate, the pleasure & sorrow, the peace & war that humanity struggles with everyday.

If one thing stands out in the art work of Charles Gibbons, it is how he has taken the “All-Over” approach to painting of the New York Modernist one step further. He wraps the painting around the edges of the canvas, so when hung they appear to grow out of the wall sculpturally.

His current project, “Edosipe” is the evolution of music into visual art through geometry. “Edosipe” is the union of the ordered and the disordered, the complex and the simple. Music has these qualities; a rhythmic beat, musical notes in perfect harmony, and at the same time randomly beautiful. “Edosipe” is a visual portrait of music, captured in a moment of time.

Charles describes his art as intense, based on the underlying principle of geometry. But geometry with a clear meaning expressed in an abstract manner, reflecting a sense of freedom and unpredictability. He states that “I approach the canvas with an idea of what I want, but as the piece progresses it takes on a life of its own. I don’t paint my canvas, I challenge the surface using a complete arsenal of paints, wood, ceramic, stone, sand and gels. Building upon each other until it speaks from my soul and gives me a sense of fulfilment”

In the twenty first century, the science of art cannot be separated from the art of science. The elements of time, motion, space and perception are the concerns of both artist and scientist.

Charles’ work embodies the perceptual abstraction of art and science.

2003 Transitory - Junction Arts Festival. Toronto, Ontario.
2002 Organic Geometry - Riverdale Art Walk,
On Sight Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2001 Mind Space - Riverdale Art Walk,
On Sight Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
1984 Calgary Winter Olympic Housing Mural,
Rundle Hall, Calgary, Alberta.
1983 Mezzanine Gallery, University Theatre,
The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.
1981 Geometries - John A. Russell Building,
Winnipeg, Manitoba.

2004 Edosipe - The evolution of music into visual art.
Juten Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2003 Zen for Life - Kabat Wrobel Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
1993 Current Works - American Institute of Building
Design Award & Exhibition, Phoenix, Arizona.
1983 Cecil Burgess Scott Design Award & Exhibition
of Sketches relating to award, Calgary, Alberta.
1982 Reflection - St.John College Gallery,
The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.