John Ballantyne

Canadian

John was born in Montreal in 1944. His earliest painting classes were with Alfred Pinsky and Arthur Lismer. After high school he studied civil engineering, which he would eventually leave to pursue painting. In 1968, he joined the New School of Art in Toronto and after one year, travelled to Nice in southern France to work at the Centre Artistique de Rencontres Internationales (part of the Ecole Nationale d’art Decoratif de Nice). In 1970 he took up studio space in Cagnes (near Nice) where he painted, surrounded by the spirit of some of the French masters Pierre Renoir, Amedeo Modigliani and Claude Pissarro.

His work has evolved from colour-field, through photo-realism, into a soft and quiet style of realism that is often referred to as hyper-surrealism. Following early exhibitions in London, England and Paris, France John returned to Canada finding a studio space in Quebec where he currently resides.

Awards & Memberships 

1994 The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, member
1973  Salon d’Été, Grasse, France Médaille d’or / Gold medal

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2016 Odon Wagner Contempory, Toronto, ON
2011 Odon Wagner Contemporary, Toronto, ON
2009 Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC
2005 Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, QC
1998 Arts Sutton Gallery, Sutton, QC
1997 Bishop’s University Artists’ Center, Lennoxville, QC
1990 West-End Gallery, Montréal, QC
1986 West-End Gallery, Montréal, QC
1984 Yaneff Gallery, Toronto, ON
1983 West-End Gallery, Montréal, QC
1979 West-End Gallery, Montréal, QC
1978 Cultural Centre, Cowansville, QC
1973 Ibis Gallery, London, England

Selected Group Exhibitions

2010-14 Art Toronto, Odon Wagner Contemporary, Toronto, ON
2008 Art Miami, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, FL
2003-08 Toronto International Art Fair (TIAF), Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, ON
2007 Art Miami, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miamia, FL
2006 Art 2006, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, QC
Arts Sutton, Sutton, QC
Chicago International Art Fair, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Chicago, IL
2001-02 Toronto International Art Fair, Marcia Rafelman Fine Art, Toronto, ON
2000 Anniversary Exhibition, Arts Sutton Gallery, Sutton, QC
1999 Bishop’s University Artists’ Center, Lennoxville, QC
Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC
1998 Marcia Rafelman Fine Arts, Toronto, ON
1994 Art Vue, Atlanta, GA
Arts Sutton Gallery, Sutton, QC
1993 West End Gallery, Montréal, QC
1992 The Centennial Gallery, Saint John, NB
1991 The Canadian Council Art Bank, Québec City, QC
1991 McCain Gallery, Florenceville, NB
Gallery 78, Fredericton, NB
1988 Arts Sutton Gallery, Sutton, QC
1987 Francesca Anderson Gallery, Boston, MA
1987 Arts Sutton Gallery, Sutton, QC
1985 Yaneff Gallery, Toronto, ON
West End Gallery, Montréal, QC
Gallery Lac Brome, Knowlton, QC
1976 Arts Sutton Gallery, Sutton, QC
1974 6th Festival international de la peinture, Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France
UNESCO Sponsorship, represented Canada with Guy Montpetit
1973 Salon d’été, Grasse, France
1971-72 Maison des artistes, Cagnes-sur-mer, France
1971 Salon d’automne, Paris, France
1969 New School of Art, Toronto, ON

Public & Private Collections

A & F Baillargeon, Pointe Claire, QC
Afasic Association, London, England
Art Bank, Federal Government of Canada, Ottawa, ON
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, QC
Byers Casgrain, Montréal, QC
Canada Packers, Toronto, ON
Claridge Investments Ltd., Montréal, QC
Counsel Corporation, Toronto, ON
Crownx, Toronto, ON
Genstar, San Francisco, CA
Loto-Québec, Montréal, QC
Prolith Inc., Montréal, QC
Shearman & Sterling, New York, NY

Permanent Exhibitions

1988 Art Bank, Canada Council, Ottawa, ON

Education

1968-69 The New School of Art, Toronto, ON
1967-68 Loyola Colege, Montreal, QC
1963-67 Montreal Institute of Technology, Montreal, QC