}
William Allister - Now and Zen
'As an artist I would paint a path toward peace, paint as I¹d never painted
before, stretching to the limits, soaring, exploring new forms, new
harmonies...Visions of giant canvases marrying East and West unfolded before
me...'
from Where Life and Death Hold Hands, by William Allister
William Allister is an actor, a showman. He takes the dull material of life,
invests it with magic and thus reveals the hidden meanings of things. In
short, he is an artist.
Allister spent much of World War Two as a prisoner of war, first in Hong
Kong and later in Japan. His enthralling book, Where Life and Death Hold
Hands, (Stoddart Books) alternates between passages of grim horror and
joyous affirmations of life. In his painting as well, he touches all the
notes, from purely abstract expression to beautifully rendered
representation.
Condo Site V 40" x 60" Acrylic on canvas
Now in his eighties, Allister paints with undiminished enthusiasm and a
lavish display of talent. Under the title Now and Zen, his show of about '0
recent canvases is drawing visitors to the Stephen Lowe Gallery (until
September '1).
Typically, Allister begins with a man-sized white canvas, upon which
anything might be inscribed. With a huge brush, he dashes down a single
spontaneous character, instantly stating his continuing fascination with
things Japanese. The ink lands with impact. From across the room the effect
is like a struck gong.
Beyond this Japanese effect, Allister¹s centred compositions call to mind
the abstract 'push/pull' of Hans Hoffman. The initial inky downbeat pools
like watercolour, and pigment mixed in explodes like fireworks. What runs
down the page leaves a fascinating dendritic sediment.
That¹s only the beginning. Allister builds on that spontaneous wash with
some sort of spackle, trowelling patches of texture whose rugged surfaces
suggest intricate carving, rich brocade or all manner of organic form. He
continues to build form with glued-on sand, stones, kidney beans, and even
maple leaves.
These rugged textures make a complex ground for more painting. Brilliant
acrylic colours are dragged across the rugged field, leaving highlight and
shadow in their wake.
By now Allister¹s poetic sensibility is coming into view. Real leaves pasted
on the surface seem to fall, resulting in a talus heap of painted leaves
below. Thus the artist gives visual form to the passage of time, the
illusory nature of reality, and the impermanence of all appearances. Gold
paint is always part of Allister¹s arsenal, and the gorgeousness of his
gilded surfaces plays off against the blackness of his ink. There is a
message in this - the effect is in the contrast.
As his painterly play leads us to the painting¹s ultimate surface, Allister
sometimes brushes in precise, articulate passages that satisfy our thirst
for detail. The gumbo of surging abstract effect may suddenly resolve into a
Buddha or an opal or a samurai horseman. When, at the intersection of
passages of chaos, a chance bouquet of wildflowers suddenly appears, there
is a lightness to such an apparition. At best we forget the artifice that
led us to this point. Moments of beauty occur, shimmer briefly, and then
vanish.
The artist sometimes ties it all together with a rythmn of scribble, a
whiplash of looping line which suddenly takes centre stage and enacts a
dance, a solo melody performed just once.
Zen Post Mod XI 36" x 48" Acrylic on canvas
I confess I am not totally at ease with Allister¹s work. There is a
knowingness in the calligraphy that undercuts the intended spontaneity. And
the knotted centre of these canvases can be claustrophobic, overwhelming the
seductive emptiness which an important feature of true Japanese art. There
is no empty space in an Allister composition.
The forms threaten to fly apart, but are forcibly held in eternal climax. It
is not calming. I think Allister knows this. He is clearly, unashamedly, in
show business, and he grabs our attention by every means that comes to hand.
With a bit of brassy paint and a few bars of black and white he implies,
inspires and suggests all sorts of musical analogies. Riding on the edge of
the wild side, he marshalls immense technical resources to put his message
across. Such dare-devilry clearly courts disaster and sometimes he¹s just
too clever for comfort.
Three paintings on exhibit show more fully-worked scenes. Emerging from a
mist, a flickering scrim of foliage effortlessly evokes the woodlands. With
delicacy Allister articulates leaves and flowers, a few at a time. He knows
how to suggest, rather than explain. Eventually, at the centre of a dappled,
multi-hued canvas, the surging life of nature swells, rises into focus and
becomes a lush visual symphony. Here is a master at work.
One of these paintings is inscribed with a coda for all this visual glory:
'...and we will walk sightless among miracles.' Allister invites us in and
gives us a way to take the walk. He then opens our eyes to the infinite
pleasures of being alive.
You can see more of William Allister's artwork at the Stephen Lowe Art Gallery:
www.stephenloweartgallery.com
___________________________________________
Copyright © 2004 Robert Amos
Robert Amos is an artist and art writer who lives in Victoria, B. C.. He can
be contacted by
e-mail
and you can view his paintings at
www.robertamos.com