June #1

About June #1

This contemporary abstract acrylic painting on paper is by Milly Ristvedt.

Few artists ever attain the kind of notoriety and accolades that Milly Ristvedt has rightly achieved. Since the early 1960s, her abstract paintings have been critically acclaimed and widely collected. Now several of them hang in the National Gallery of Canada. Throughout her artistic journey, Ristvedt has been steadfast in her vision—to explore colour as a powerful language and express it in abstract form.
This colourful work on paper heralds from the 1980’s. The influence of the grid as a guide for form is still evident here. And there is an elegant symmetry to the use of expressive brushstrokes…both horizontal and vertical that convey a palpable energy. The summery palette—modern and fresh is rendered in a deep green, burgundy and golden yellow.

“In the eighties, these works gradually shifted into more cerebral and minimalist explorations of colour and gestural form. Over time, these works became more horizontal and vertical in orientation.” Milly Ristvedt

“What we encounter with Ristvedt’s work is all the heart of the challenging Canadian post-abstract expressionists with a new sense of modernity. Her work is quiet but powerful, subtle, but it speaks to audiences of the long past, the immediate present, and the hopeful future. But for today, in a contemporary understanding, Ristvedt challenges even the ripest painters of our young generation; one could say we have something to learn.” Saba Askary, Artoronto

Milly Ristvedt was born in British Columbia and studied at the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr University). Her first solo exhibit was at the Carmen Lamanna Gallery in Toronto. In the late 1960s, Ristvedt shared a studio with famed Canadian painter Jack Bush, met art critic Clement Greenberg and was inspired by American painters Jules Olitski and Frank Stella. Her work has been included in many publications. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2004 and honoured with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. She has won seven Canada Council awards and two Ontario Arts Council awards, and has had over 50 solo exhibitions and been part of countless group shows. Ristvedt's work can be found in major public collections throughout North America.

Milly Ristvedt is represented exclusively by the Oeno Gallery.