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Painter offers image' o landscapes Doug Kirton could be described as a landscape painter, but he prefers to be known as a painter of the "image" of landscapes, one who breaks down the conventtons of the art form. "We can't really look at nature anymore the way Tom, Thompson did," says Kirton, whose works are now on display at The Station Gallery in Whitby. "But that doesn't mean we can't look at Tom Thompson's paintings - he's my idol." With his "Toxic Pools" series of paintings, Kirton says he's challenging the viewer to say "What kind of nature am I looking at here?" They seem natural, but are unnatural - such as lakes dead from acid rain. For example, one painting is of a waterfall - with a scotch glass in the forefront: "It's the manmade int&- ference, the toxicating in nature," says Kirton, 31, who describes Toxic Pools as an ongoing series that so far has resulted from both the "direct confrontation" he had with a particular site he photographed in his hometown, Londond, Ont., and the imper- sonality of the mass media. He works out of Toronto and has concentrated on landscape subjec- ts since early 1984, paintings that "aren't about appropriation." It was prior to 1984 that ap- propriation of land was given his personal focus - he did suburban houses in an intentional "severe, black and white" hue. They were mostly large prints which he produced for two years. After that didn't "work out," he decided on pure landscapes - sym- bolic, metaphoric scapes that ten- ded to be tropical in subject - for example, volcanoes. "It seemed that landscape was perfect for me. It made me looser in rmy approach, freed up my brushstroke, rather than using an architectural approach." But while he enjoyed more freedom of brush and composition as he evoked the "mediation of the landscape itself," Kirton says he then saw his tropical landscapes as "falsely romantic - lush but analytical and metaphorical." Volcanoes, for example, por- trayed some human, personal aspect rather than a duplication of nature. So he introduced elements, such as the scotch glass or brandy snifter, to "undermine the roman- ce" of the landscape. "It just gives out a comment on the art of painting," Kirton ex- plains. "It shows the guilt of self- indulgence at painting and distan- ces the viewer from a sense of standing before, for example, a waterfall" - the image of the ian- dscape rather than the landscape itself. "The mass media have en- couraged us to internalize the world, so a traditionally direct ex- perience of nature seems inap- propriate, if not irrelevant, to the contemporary painter," Kirton writes in a capsule summary of his work. He has had exhibitions in Toron- to, Nova Scotia, North Bay, Ed- monton, Windsor and Calgary and has also lectured ail over Canada. Toxic Pools will be among his show at the 49th Parallel in New York in June and another show has been scheduled in Toronto in Sep- tember. The Station Gallery show con- tinues until April 26 and Kirton will lecture there Tuesday, April 14 at 8 p.m. He'll hold a workshop on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. The Gallery, at Henry and Vic- toria Sts., is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call Linda at 668-4185 for more infor- mation. WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8,1987, PAGE 19 Coming events ARTIST DOUG KIRTON with one of the works he's showing at The Station Gallery. Free Press photo Society goal is $ 75,000 Cancer Society volunteers in Whitby are working hard to raise $75,000 as part of the Ontario goal of $18.2 million for the 1987 fun- draising campaign. Funds from the April campaign- support ongoing research, patient services and education programs. To obtain services from the society or to become a volunteer call the south Durham unit at 686- 1516. FROM PAGE 18 ROCK TALK "Talk on Rock Music," a meeting to discuss how rock music affects children in today's society, will be held on Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m. (pot blessing dinner 7 p.m.) at 22- 575 Wentworth St. E., Oshawa. For more information call 668-4618 or 655-4960. ABC MEETING The Durham Association for Bright Children will meet at Fren- chman's Bay Public School, Pickering, on Monday, April 13, 7:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Brad Cruxton, Durham Board of Education consultant for gifted education. JUNIOR FIREMEN The Whitby Fire Department will hold the annual fire prevention training during July this year and is now accepting applications for the popular program which quickly fills up. There will be two 2-wee sessions - 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m., June 29 to July 10, and July 13 to 27. The program, which is free, is for boys and girls il and 12. Call 668-3312. YOUNG LIBERALS The Durham Young Liberals will hold a general meeting on Thur- sday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Whitby Public Library program room. Men and women age 12 to 25 are invited. For more information call 728-3388 or 839-7321. DOWN SYNDROME A meeting of the Durham Down Syndrome Parent group will be Pres THURSDI SINGLE Starts April 16, 198 EVERY THUR IS SINGLES SHERIFF COME LISTI GREATSOUr DISCJO * Join in ti * Meet neN * Cover ch * Dress co held April 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Whitby Public Library program room. Guest speaker Janet Roper will speak on summer program- ming. Coffee will be served. For more information call 579-0187. GARAGE SALE A garage sale will be held from 9 a.m. to noon April il at 172 Way Rd., Brooklin, to raise funds for kitchen equipment in the new parish hall of St. Thomas Church. Donations will also be accepted. Call Annette at 655-4519 or Linda at 655-3948. CHOIRS The combined choirs of St. John's Anglican Clhurchin Whitby and College Park SDAC will perform J. Stainer's ~ "Crucifixion" at St. John's Anglican church Sunday, April 12, 7 p.m. The performance will recognize the 100th anniver- sary of the first performance of the music work. KID CHECK The next Kid Check, held by the Durham chapter of Child Find, will be on April 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Oshawa mall (centre court). Child Find fingerprints and photographs children to help fight child abduction. DINNER MEETING The Ajax-Pickering Cham- ber/Jaycees are holding a dinner meeting at the Granada Restaurant in the Pickering Town Centre on Wednesday, April 22. Cocktails starf at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7:30 p.m. Meals will not be provided. Fore more information call 683-9650. Restaurant (formerly Catch 22) sents AY NIGHT S DANCE 37, 8:00 -1:00a.m. SDAY NIGHT NIGHT AT MANOR EN TO THE NDS OF OUR- )CKEY he fun w friends iarge $5.00 de in effect LAKE ONTARIO 8NW J ",.'. The Town of Whitby and the Ministry of Government Services are con- ducting a comprehensive land use study of some 700 acres immediately west of Port Whitby, including the Psychiatric Hospital, the Whitby General Hospital and lands to the west and north. The study area is iden- tified on the map above. The purpose of the study is to determine the most appropriate long term land uses of the study area. The purpose of the public meeting is to present a Preferred Land Use Plan for the study area for public input. Ail interested persons are invited to attend the meeting. Further information on the above study may be obtained by calling Mr. Larry Cavanagh of the Planning Department at (416) 668-5803. ROBERT B. SHORT Director of Planning Corporation of the Town of Whitby THE CORPORATION OF THETOWNOFWHITBY TWINNING WITH LONGUEUIL, P.Q. The 19TH Twinning Exchange between residents of Longueuil, P.Q. and the Town of Whitby will take place the weekend of Friday, June 19th; Saturday, June 20th and Sunday, June 21st, in Whitby. Interested Citizens of Whitby are invited to attend a'Twinning Meeting' on April 14th, 1987 at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 575 Rossland Road East, at which time plans for the weekend will be outlined. For further information contact the Parks and Recreation Department. Phone: 668-5803 ext. 293.