Sweet Earth

About Sweet Earth

Jack Bush had told Milly Ristvedt that she was ahead of her time. The Canadian modernist’s deep dive into the world of colour and its potential continued in the seventies. Sweet Earth was created during this time. The colour palette has shifted somewhat to include dark and light—the background here is earthy and provides dramatic contrast to the four loops of bright colours—in orange and blue bordered by white.

"Over time the preparation process became more important. First came an idea, generated by a previous painting, another artist’s work, a notion spinning around in the zeitgeist, or my working environment. Then a canvas was stretched on the painting board. Thumbnail sketches were done, then days of mixing up batches of paint testing for viscosity, fluidity, sheen, and intensity of chroma." Milly Ristvedt

Born in British Columbia, Ristvedt studied at the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr University) and had her first solo exhibit 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 Olitiski 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 had over 50 solo exhibitions and been part of countless group shows.

Milly Ristvedt is represented exclusively by Oeno Gallery.