Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 110

the artist, the man, the friend. Calgary painter John Brocke's talents went far beyond the major works he was able to complete before his sudden death at 55 in a head-on collision on Jan. 17th, 2009. Here's a tribute to the relationships, faith and hard work-his technique was so painstaking he could only complete one or two paintings a year -that made his life full and complete. the artist.

By Douglas Maclean Douglas Maclean is the former owner of Canadian Art Galleries, the Calgary gallery that first promoted John Brocke's work in the early 1980s. The following remarks were his tribute to Brocke's professional accomplishments, delivered at the memorial service held in Calgary on Jan. 24, 2009. 66 ohn, Dovie, John" (left) is an incredible painting of three residents of a L'Arche assisted-living community in Calgary, commissioned to celebrate the association's 10th anniversary. It was presented to the public by PetroCanada in 1985 and now hangs in the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

The painting not only offers insight into the lives of people with special needs, but also exposes the artist's devotion to engaging with subjects outside the mainstream. Describing his subjects, whom he photographed in his Calgary kitchen for reference, Brocke told the Calgary Herald's Nancy Tousley, "They have a lot to teach about life, passion, and simplicity." (While the two Johns have both passed away, Dovie was able to attend Brocke's memorial service.) Another powerful painting from Brocke's early period is 1983's "Errol and This work, featuring two young artists standing in an elevator, is both arresting and stark. The relationship between the two subjects is ambiguous; Brocke's goal is an examination of subject not just for pictorial value, but to provoke questions and make the image meaningful. Canadian Art Galleries first promoted Brocke's early paintings in the 1985 group exhibition "Young Calgary Realists" and then in "Contemporary a celebration of art during the Winter Olympics. In 1985, Brocke was included in an exhibition at the Gallery in Toronto titled "Three artists from Calgary" and curated by John Hall and Evan Penny.

The work was reviewed positively and described as militant and not in the mainstream- which Brocke considered compliments. Brocke's art is defined by his devotion to detail and paint construction. A painting would take months before he was satisfied that it truly revealed his vision. In the '80s, the layering of colour to create light and form with small brush strokes full of paint was unseen in Canadian realist works. Although his work might be included within the broader genre of realism, he stood alone: there was only one John Brocke.

By the late '80s, John and I agreed that, in order for him to reach a broader audience and receive proper value for his works, he needed to be exhibited in Toronto. I arranged for a portfolio review with Mira Godard Gallery, following which the noted Canadian dealer began to represent Brocke. She gave him a wonderful introduction to Toronto in 1988's "Summer Invitational followed in 1989 by a solo show, "John Brocke: Seven which was reviewed by Linda Genereux for Metropolis and by the Toronto Star's Christopher Hume. In the first line of his article, Hume stated rhetorically what John's many supporters believe to be obviously true: "Can there be any doubt that Calgary artist John Brocke is one of Canada's most extraordinary painters?" In 1992, Brocke unveiled his master work, the astonishing, six feet by 15 feet "Epoch" (see Page 5), in an exhibition called "People's Art" that also featured such notable artists as Alex Katz, Lucien Freud, Alex Colville, Jeremy Smith, Christopher Pratt and Glen Priestley. Robert Fulford, in his review for Canadian Art, described Brocke's work as "another sort of mythology.

His 'Epoch' depicts four men and four horses trudging through a forest that might be medieval if there were not a helicopter hovering above. His other-worldly narratives with their hugeness and meticulous detail create an eerie drama." The painting also left a lasting impression with the The Globe and Mail's Kate Taylor, who wrote that its "marriage of medieval and modern apocalyptic millennialism resonates long after one has left the gallery." John Brocke was a perfect example of what a Canadian artist should be: original and committed to his ideals. His work and images deserve to be remembered in Canadian art history and seen by all who believe in our country's art. In 1989, the Mira Godard Gallery commissioned an essay putting John Brocke's originality as an artist in context as part of the catalogue for the solo show "John Brocke: Seven Here, courtesy of the gallery, is an excerpt: with rocke's integrated its content. paintings and does And are not whilst assuredly give the an big.

brushwork The is scale of of intricate the and work is fascinating, congruent it is impression being overworked. When the unfathomable orchestrative quality of Brocke's work is discovered, the idea of faith occurs. There is a terrific sense of faith within these paintings. Not just an instinct for faith in paintings or inventing or morality, but faith in art. Recognizing this faith as a fundamental quality in his paintings, we can appreciate the originality of Brocke.

When placed within the nihilistic or deconstructive context of art in this decade, Brocke is faithful, positive and progressive. TWENTY-SEVEN.