Keith Mitchell
b. 1947, Canada
About
Keith Mitchell’s paintings, drawings, and assemblages of the 1970s through the ’90s saw an exploration of themes inspired by utopian archetypes, ancient iconography, and the transcendental voyage of artist as poet. Mitchell’s large-scale canvases, constructions, and assemblages function on various levels of symbolism that contribute to a dynamic interplay of rational and intuitive contemplation.
In recent years, Mitchell’s interest has shifted to exploring new possibilities within the digital photographic medium. Influenced by modernist photography and architecture, Mitchell has come to focus his attention on the effect of light and shadow on geometric shapes he has assembled to form sculptural models. Each model comprises interchangeable wooden components that offer a choice of multiple photographic viewpoints. The variation in abstract forms and placements allows for the capture of strategically placed light on detail, as well as the entirety of each model. He draws comparison of these variations to classical music and jazz, where a central rhythm may inform several melodic variations.
Keith Mitchell
Lives and works in Nanoose Bay, Canada
Education
1974 Alberta College of Art, postgraduate studies, Calgary, AB
1972 Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
1971 Alberta College of Art, Diploma of Fine Arts, Calgary, AB
Solo Exhibitions
2018 Phantom Shadows, Patron Art House, Vancouver, BC
1992 Recent Work, Catriona Jeffries Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1992 The Poetics of Reasoning, Penticton Art Gallery, Penticton, BC
1990 The Ladder of Vision, Open Space Gallery, Victoria, BC
1988 Terragrams and Callligrams, University of British Columbia Fine Arts Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Group Exhibitions
2018 Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, BC
2013-14 YVR Art Foundation, Vancouver, BC
1993 Artropolis 93: Public Art & Art about Public Issues, Vancouver, BC
1992 Appropriation- A Group Show, Catriona Jefferies Gallery, Vancouver BC
1991 Fresh Art, Catriona Jefferies Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1987 Out of Context, Cartwright Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1994 Summer Exhibition, Equinox Gallery, Vancouver BC
1983 World Conference of Churches Art Exhibition, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
1982 Marks and Surfaces, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey BC
1981 Malaspina Printmakers Exhibition, Robson Square Media Centre, Vancouver, BC
1980 Exhibition of Four Artists, Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, BC
1978 Malaspina Printmakers, Burnaby Art Gallery, BC
1974 Young Contemporary Calgary Artist, Alberta College of Art, Calgary, AB
1971 The 11th Annual Calgary Graphics Exhibition, Calgary, AB
Reviews
1992 Georgia Straight, “Lines of Intuitive Power”, by Robin Laurence
The Vancouver Sun, Saturday Review, by Ann Rosenberg
1990 Preview of the Visual Arts, “Preview”, Mia Johnson
1989 Times Colonist, “Best Exhibitions of 1990” by Robert Amos
Monday Magazine, “Mitchell’s Ladder”, by Bruce Grierson
Times Colonist, “Artist’s Metaphysical Secret”, by Robert Amos
1988 The Vancouver Sun, “Into a mysterious dream world where the irrational is the
The Rule”, by Elizabeth Godley
The Province, “Magical Innocence”, by Art Perry
1982 Vanguard, Volume 14, Number 62, “Marks and Surfaces”, by Roger Malbert
Artmagazine, Volume 14, Number 62, “Mark and Surfaces”, by Susan J. Stewart
Exhibition Catalogues
2018 Capture Photography Festival
1993 ARTROPOLIS 93 Public Art and Art About Public Issues
1988 KEITH MITCHELL: TERRAGRAPHS & CALLIGRAMS
1978 Malaspina Printmakers at the Burnaby Art Gallery
1974 YOUNG CONTEMPORARY CALGARY ARTISTS EXHIBITION
1971 The 11th Annual Calgary Graphics Exhibition
Poster
1988 KEITH MITCHELL: TERRAGRAPHS & CALLIGRAMS, April 6 - 29, 1988 UBC Fine Arts Gallery
Collections
Art Bank, (Ottawa, Ontario)
British Columbia Art Collection, (Victoria, BC)
Burnaby Art Gallery, (Burnaby, BC)
Twin Rivers Gallery, (Prince George, BC)
Catriona Jefferies Gallery, (Vancouver,BC)
Numerous Private Collections
Awards
1978 Honourable Mention, juried exhibition, Malaspina Printmaker’s at the Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1971 6 Month Scholarship, Alberta Cultural Board for study at Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
1971 Top Award for Graduating Students, juried Exhibition, Alberta College of Art, Calgary, AB
References
My practice is grounded in a deep engagement with the relationship between image, language, and meaning. I draw on the ideas of thinkers who have profoundly shaped the discourse surrounding contemporary art and criticism.
Arthur Danto, philosopher and art critic, redefined the boundaries of contemporary and conceptual art by bridging the realms of aesthetics and philosophy. His insights shifted the focus of art criticism from formal qualities to questions of meaning, interpretation, and context.
Robert Hughes, an art critic and writer, brought a distinct and powerful voice to art criticism. His incisive, accessible writing opened modern art to a broader audience, combining scholarly rigour with visceral clarity and directness.
Although not a traditional art critic, Jacques Derrida's philosophical investigations into language, meaning, and textuality have significantly influenced contemporary art theory. His emphasis on the instability of meaning and the importance of deconstruction continues to challenge the ways in which we engage with art and visual culture.
Similarly, philosopher and writer Roland Barthes’s explorations of semiotics, authorship, and photography have influenced my approach to engaging with the visual language of my practice. His focus on myth, signs, and the unseen forces within cultural narratives informs my interest in how meaning is constructed and interpreted.
I gratefully acknowledge the intellectual foundations laid by these thinkers. Their works continue to inspire and challenge critical inquiry into the nature, function, and meaning of art.