signed lower right; titled on the stretcher and on the artist’s labels verso (F147)
Provenance: Corporate Collection of Dow Chemical Canada Inc. (Calgary AB), sold by Hodgins Art Auctions in a special sale for Fortis Alberta/Dow Chemical on January 30, 2005
Toronto-based artist Alan Collier spent his career travelling extensively across Canada, driven by a passion to capture the diverse and powerful beauty of the Canadian landscape. As an educator and commercial artist, Collier spent summer months exploring the country with his family, documenting his journeys through paintings and sketches. Following his retirement from teaching, Collier dedicated himself to painting full-time, and embarking on multiple Arctic expeditions. These adventures began in 1972, continued in 1978 aboard Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers, and culminated in 1984 and 1985 with the Polar Continental Shelf Project.
This painting, depicting the shore of Devon Island in Baffin Bay, exemplifies Collier’s captivating Arctic works. As the world’s largest uninhabited island, Devon Island boasts a rugged, snow-shrouded landscape that is both remote and breathtaking. Despite its inaccessibility, the island has inspired a long history of Canadian artists seeking to capture the Arctic’s majesty. Collier’s distinctive style – marked by smooth lines, elegant simplicity, and masterful composition – brings the island’s rocky shoreline to life against the ethereal northern skies.
Alan Collier’s work can be found in numerous public collections, including: National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa); Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto); Robert McLaughlin Gallery (Oshawa); Hamilton Art Gallery; Agnes Etherington Art Centre (Queens-Kingston); Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (Halifax); The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery (St. John’s); and Frye Museum (Seattle).