Objects

Viewing Record 280 of 453
Previous Record  Next Record
Switch Views: Lightbox | Image List | List

Item Name: Photograph
Title: Untitled #16
Maker: John Nugent
Year: 2005
Country: Canadian
Materials: black and white photograph
Measurements: overall: 14 1/2 in x 9 1/2 in
ID Number: PC2012.6
Legal Status: PERMANENT COLLECTION


Extended Label Info: Known primarily for his geometric constructivist sculptures in welded steel, which often incorporate identifiable parts, such as wheels, into studies of shape and balance, artist John Nugent turned to photography late in life. Like his work in sculpture, his photos take a familiar material and explore its formal sculptural properties. In this image, part of series Nugent took of snowdrifts, his composition emphasizes the abstract shape of the snow through the contrast of shadow and light. This series was taken with a digital camera, and printed by a colleague of Nugent’s, the photographer Don Hall for exhibition at Dunlop Art Gallery in 2011. John Nugent (1921-2014) Based in Lumsden, John Nugent was a central figure in Saskatchewan's cultural scene for over fifty years, remembered for his sometimes controversial, abstract metal sculptures. Born in Montreal, Nugent served as a member of the RCMP and in the Canadian Armed Forces in the 1940s. His visual arts education began when he studied at St. Thomas University and St. John's University in Minnesota (1940-1941; 1947-1948) and apprenticed in sculpture and silversmith work with Donald Humphrey. In 1948, Nugent moved to Lumsden, Saskatchewan and began attending the Emma Lake Artists' Workshops in the 1950s and 60s. He became good friends with Clement Greenberg and other artists from the New York School, visiting David Smith in New York in 1961. Regina based architect Clifford Wiens designed a unique, conical-shaped concrete studio and bronze casting facility for Nugent in Lumsden in 1960. Nugent taught sculpture at University of Regina from 1970 to 1985. Though his sculptural work included liturgical commissions in silver, life-sized cast bronze figures, and even candle making, his later work concentrated on welded steel. In 2005, the artist began investigating digital photography. His sculptural work has exhibited nationally and is held in numerous public collections.