Originally from Halifax, Christopher Webb studied painting under the tutelage of his grandmother, artist Madeleine Asprey (Pavia). His artwork can be found in public and private collections across Europe and North America. In 2006 he was named President of VANS, and has served as a Board Member at the AGNS. In 2011 he took on the curatorial role at Pavia Gallery. Webb also leads Art & Cultural Excursions to Italy with his partner Victoria Foulger. He currently resides with family in Herring Cove.

My work is rooted in questions of spirituality and morality. Compositions are calculated, controlled and attempt to reach perfection. They are resolved. Conflict has been removed, They are intended to act as a counterpoint to our chaotic society and the lack of control I have as an individual struggling with my place.

My art practice is wide in scope although most concepts manifest as oil on canvas.
The written word (on paper) is a frequent compositional element. I use it to evoke a duality: on one hand creating an organic harmony with the painting in order to induce a meditative quality; while at the same time creating a tension between the seemingly obtrusive media.

to become a more rounded professional artist

After finishing university I moved to Italy to study and paint. When I returned I committed to my art practice which meant trying to do many things in order to afford to be in the studio. As I moved towards showing in galleries I realized that although I was becoming more comfortable as a painter, the professional aspect of my career needed help. VANS offered the resources and a supportive environment that enabled me to become a more rounded professional artist – which involved working harder to take advantage of exhibition opportunities. I specifically remember, early on, taking a Portfolio Development Workshop. The course conductors were experienced, supportive and very honest. They pulled apart my portfolio. 2 months later an opportunity presented itself in with an important gallery in North Carolina. I am confident that the new way I was presenting/positioning my work was paramount in starting that relationship. When paired with an artist’s imagination, determination and hard work, VANS plays an important role in the arts and culture of Nova Scotia. The thoughtful and knowledgeable leadership of the organization’s administration combined with its volunteer board of directors over the past 4 decades has ensured that VANS continues to be an integral part of the arts community.

rooted in questions of spirituality and morality

My work tends to fall into the figurative tradition. For the past number of years I have been working on a particular concept that involves a solitary boat that is either moored in the ocean, or that sits in its cradle that is placed in the middle of a field overlooking the Halifax shipping lanes. At this point, with the exception of a few details on the boat, the works are entirely created in the moment without reference imagery.

My work is influenced by my struggles with God – in particular the Judeo-Christian version. The pieces are rooted in questions of spirituality and morality. My life, at times, seems to be completely out of control and messy. There are a lot of moving parts. I really enjoy my life, but there is a lot going on. Because of this I find great refuge in my own work – both in the process of creating and looking at it. My compositions are calculated are an attempt to reach perfection – in terms of moments and feelings as opposed to technical. They are resolved to the point of boring at times. There is something to be said about boredom. I could use a little boredom.

As busy as things are I am still, at my core, an artist.

Recently an Italian artist who I was fortunate enough to have spent time with, Guilano Ghelli, passed away. When looking back over his fifty-year career I noticed a number of gaps in his CV. What happened? Did he stop producing or did he just stop exhibiting? And why, immediately following these gaps did his CV take interesting turns? What was apparent is that he never stopped being an artist.

When I am giving a lecture, I am giving it as an artist. When Victoria and I are leading tours to Italy I am leading them as an artist. When we opened PAVIA in Herring Cove we opened as a contemporary art gallery – but my sensibility was as an artist. As busy as things are I am still, at my core, an artist. The only thing that changes is the amount of time I spend in the studio. In fact, with most projects we take on, the creative input is the same. The big difference is that the output, instead of manifesting as an art-piece ends up being the creation of a label, or a website tweak, or a new menu item, etc.

Sometimes, when I find myself behind the espresso bar making a cappuccino, every now and then someone will look at the design on top and say, “Oh, that’s beautiful. You should be an artist!”

half my time on curating, and the other half in my studio

Since PAVIA opened in 2011, I have had 2 significant periods of creation, both occurring between January and April. I have also had brief periods in my studio lasting a few weeks. In general I have about 10 canvases in various states of completion at one time. I recently finished a piece that was actually started 5 years ago and decided to revisit it.

PAVIA is in the process of transition. We are going to be expanding and opening two more locations in the new Halifax Central Library in the core of downtown Halifax. The spaces will incorporate art but will not be galleries. It is our hope that with this growth and visibility we will be able to point people to our gallery space in Herring Cove.

In the next 1-2 years we hope to expand the space in Herring Cove to provide an additional 1000ft² of gallery space (which would be unencumbered by tables). It is my hope that at this time I can focus half my time on curating and the other half in my studio.

Specific to my practice, in 2 years I hope to re-introduce my work into the Toronto and New York art markets.

Christopher Webb’s work can be found on our e-studio:

https://www.visualarts.ns.ca/artist-pages/christopher-webb/