Bruce Head

Canadian, 1931–2009

Sleeping Giant, 2003

acrylic on canvas

203 x 177 cm

Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Acquired with funds from the Royal Canadian Academy Trust Fund, Mr. and Mrs. G.B. Wiswell Fund, Elizabeth Hudson, Betty Wilcox, the Honourable Mr. Justice Allen B. Sulatycky, Agnes Carrigan, the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Naylor, funds administered by The Winnipeg Foundation, the Estate of Ann Smith, and the Estate of Dr. Jacob Isa and with funds from the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance program/Oeuvre achetée avec l’aide du programme d’aide aux acquisitions du Conseil des Arts du Canada

2007-64

Categories:

Painting, Canadian Contemporary (1980-present)

Explosive in colour and dense with texture and pattern, Bruce Head’s paintings, such as Sleeping Giant, present the viewer with mind-boggling landscapes full of energy and expression. Drawing upon his explorations in modern art, as well as his technical skill as a graphic designer, Head constructs his paintings employing oddly shaped stamp-like rollers, manipulated and crafted by Head to produce unusual and repetitious markings. The inspiration and title for Sleeping Giant comes from the red cliffs that dominate the peninsula on Lake Superior, east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Head was a leading painter in Winnipeg for well over 50 years. His career is characterized by his penchant for experimentation, love of colour, and his distinctive mode of abstracting landscapes.