Lot
42
GPB Plate 12
Acrylic on canvas, 2012
91 x 122 cm
Estimate
$2 900
GPB Plate 12 comes from a series of abstract paintings that use shapes from Gothic paintings as a compositional structure. The painting process involves cropping sections of Gothic paintings, selecting certain shapes, and then placing these shapes over a ground that has a subtle three-dimensional depth. Bertram adheres to the compositional structure of this source painting but deviates from it in all other elements. The illogical spatial cues, naiveté of form, strong edges, and propensity to ornament in Gothic painting parallels many of the qualities in Bertram’s work.
Biographical note
Scott Bertram’s studio practice involves researching the possibilities of form, perception, and uncertainty by reinterpreting the existing visual languages found in the compositions of Gothic paintings. Bertram has a BFA from the University of British Columbia Okanagan and an MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University (NSCAD) in Halifax. He recently received Honourable Mention from the Halifax Regional Municipality Contemporary Visual Art Purchase Program, and was a semi-finalist in the twelfth RBC Canadian Painting Competition in 2010. His work is featured in the collections of the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Vernon Public Art Gallery, and the University of British Columbia Okanagan as well as various private collections. Scott Bertram has exhibited his work across Canada and in Australia, Germany, and the UK. He currently lives and works in Montreal.