John Dennison, Le Café Marais (2009), dry colour pastel, pen and ink on paper [Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver BC, Apr 2-18]

John Dennison, Mars Rising (2009) pastel, pen and ink on paper [Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver BC, Apr 2-18]

With his lean style, wry content and complex compositions, Vancouver artist John Dennison might be described as the Dashiell Hammett of the graphic arts. His impeccable technique reveals a wealth of detail and texture in narrative drawings worthy of the most suspenseful mystery novel. A disembodied trench coat, impenetrable sunglasses, a coiled length of rope and a menacing Swiss army knife compete as clues along with bicycles, roses, a cheerful pink poodle and topiary displays.

The series Tableaux Printemps includes eight mixed-media pieces using dry colour pastels, and four black and white ink drawings. The mixed media pictures have the playful colouring of Peter Max while the drawings are darker and more dense, with impeccably detailed subjects of mechanical engineering and draftsmanship. A common unifying theme is Dennison’s mischievous use of spatial relationships and optical illusions.

Dennison studied fine art at the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr University of Art and Design) between 1968 and 1971, where he majored in photography, commercial art and design. He worked as a freelance photographer before taking a full-time position with the advertising department of a major company. All the while he has drawn inspiration from his extensive travels in England, Europe, and America. Tableaux Printemps is Dennison’s third solo exhibition with Diane Farris Gallery.

www.dianefarrisgallery.com

Mia Johnson