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 |