This exhibition marks the first survey of Eric Atkinson's works on paper. Spanning nearly 70 years, the exhibition includes his earliest works, from the Second World War, which predate his formal training, to his most recent compositions. Each offers a view into Atkinson's use of drawing as a perceptual and pedagogical tool.
Having lived in Canada for more than 40 years, the vastness of Ontario's landscape has left an indelible impression on his work, and yet to really understand Atkinson's motivation, one must return to the his earliest influences, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Graham Sutherland, and other artists of his native England. Together they have help to shape his signature style and affinity for the landscape around him.
Born in Hartlepool, England, Atkinson received his formal art training at the Hartlepool College of Art and the Royal Academy Schools (London, England). He came to Canada in 1969 to serve as the first Chairman of the Fine Art Program at Fanshawe College, where he taught until his retirement in 1994. Atkinson continues to live and practice in London, Ontario.