Artist Statement

As a student of modernist design theory & Stoic philosophy, these brooding monoliths of the urban landscape fascinate me. Brutalist architecture's physical magnetism emanates a powerful, threatening presence. The attraction is not one of traditional aesthetics, rather, their overwhelming sense of unapologetic gravitas that makes the built environment they dwell in vibrate.

Although my work is abstract, the architectural references are illustrated by the fictional structures I create. The process I employ is a mix of additive & reductive mark-making. I apply layers of colour which are sanded back. I scrutinize the surface, masking out areas to salvage, then repeat the process. It is an ongoing curation of accidents. My own working paradox is that of working in two dimensions, whilst drawing from three-dimensional theory & discipline. My ambition is to convey the sense of vibrating presence Brutalist architecture emits via the two-dimensional plane of the ‘canvas’.

The nomenclature of my work is taken from Joy Division song lyrics. The lyrics convey a sense of unease & latent isolation, which compliments my ambition for Abstract Brutalism, with Joy Division providing the sound track.

Biography

Manny Blair is a practicing artist living in Nova Scotia. He has 30 years of experience in the public and not-for-profit sector, specifically in arts and culture, urban regeneration, and public open space in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Blair holds a Master’s degree in Public Art from the University of Bolton; a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from Manchester Metropolitan University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Sunderland. His area of interest is in contemporary architectural-based abstraction and portraiture, where his work is in private collections throughout North America and Europe.

Mr. Blair was the co-founder of Art Calgary, a contemporary fine art fair based in Alberta. He was also a drawing instructor at the Alberta University of the Arts and has been a board member and chairperson of various arts and design organizations in the UK.