Norman White
Norman has lived in southern Alberta for a long time. He is taken in by the sky, the light, the colours, and the forever extending views. The 19th Century land and railway settlement posters of AC Leighton and others were a big influence on him, as was mid-20th Century advertising: big, bold, expressive, all about a single subject.
Norman studied at the Alberta College of Art, as it was known then, and the Banff Centre. He was active in the local Calgary gallery and artist-run Centre scene in the 80s. His work at the time incorporated text into the surface of the artworks in order to bring out some hidden, underlying meaning.
In the 90s and 2000s Norman travelled extensively throughout the mountains and coastal regions of western Canada and the northwestern United States. In the late 2010s he began a series of depictions of infrastructure, particularly bridges, that is ongoing. His most recent work comes from what he’s seen in the oil sands camps of northeastern Alberta.
He lives and works in Calgary.
Norman has lived in southern Alberta for a long time. He is taken in by the sky, the light, the colours, and the forever extending views. The 19th Century land and railway settlement posters of AC Leighton and others were a big influence on him, as was mid-20th Century advertising: big, bold, expressive, all about a single subject.
Norman studied at the Alberta College of Art, as it was known then, and the Banff Centre. He was active in the local Calgary gallery and artist-run Centre scene in the 80s. His work at the time incorporated text into the surface of the artworks in order to bring out some hidden, underlying meaning.
In the 90s and 2000s Norman travelled extensively throughout the mountains and coastal regions of western Canada and the northwestern United States. In the late 2010s he began a series of depictions of infrastructure, particularly bridges, that is ongoing. His most recent work comes from what he’s seen in the oil sands camps of northeastern Alberta.
He lives and works in Calgary.
$1,050.00
Acrylic on canvas.
36x18"
This is a picture of a security gate leading to an oil sands mine in northern Alberta. Security is paramount in remote industrial settings. There are different lanes for regular vehicles and for oversized shipments. At that latitude and especially in the winter, night is the predominant setting.
$3,500.00
Acrylic on canvas.
67x58"
The full title is “Capture the Spirit of Calgary - the Dynamic Business Community where the Colour and Vitality do the Old West Live On!” This is a direct quote from promotional material that came out just as the city, known for its relentless boosterism, was not a boomtown at all. Money was running out on construction projects, leaving buildings unfinished yet exposed above ground. This one sat unfinished for years. The promotional text is incorporated in the image and I have made certain specific words more easily readable than others.
$1,400.00
Acrylic on canvas.
36x24"
An eastbound Canadian Pacific freight train leaving the Lake Louise siding, formerly known as Laggan.
No, it isn’t anywhere near the famous lake. It’s 700 vertical feet above it on the valley floor. There is a whole class of working people to whom Lake Louise isn’t a holiday resort; it’s just another industrial site, another stop along the road.
$1,920.00
Acrylic on canvas.
40x30"
An outdoor rink deep in the boreal forest, in Township 95, Range 7, west of the Fourth Meridian. It’s all by itself in a place so far north the nights are noticeably longer. I’m emphasizing the loneliness of the place and the predominance of the darkness. It was located not far from an industrial camp but I never saw anyone use it. I think it was built just so it could be said one was built. The next year the rink was built much closer to the camp buildings
$1,920.00
Acrylic on canvas.
30x40"
Winter Whip Flags shows a number of whip flags mounted on light duty pickup trucks parked for the night in the winter. These flags, and the flexible, luminous poles they are mounted on are essential aids to visibility. Without them, operators of large (300 ton) haul trucks cannot see them.
$1,440.00
Acrylic on canvas.
30x30"
Anonymous workers pass through turnstiles and approach buses waiting to take them to work at an industrial site in northern Alberta. There are two twelve-hour shifts: day shift and night shift. In winter, day shift begins and ends in the middle of the night.
$1,920.00
Acrylic on canvas.
40x30"
The pump jack, or nodding donkey, is a common sight in any oil producing area. It’s not unlike a see-saw. A weight on one end balances the “head” on the other, where rod linked to a perforated nozzle extracts the oil from the bottom of the well, and it’s all run by a surprisingly small electric motor. I was struck by the contrast of the orange head against the sky. Pump jacks are like a logo for the industry.
$3,500.00
Acrylic on canvas.
48x30"
An iconic Canadian image: the Canadian Pacific Railway in front of Castle Mountain, at Mile 99 of the Laggan Subdivision west of Calgary and Banff. The title comes from the location: Mile 99 of the CPR Laggan Subdivision, which runs from Calgary to Field. You will recognize the location as Castle Mountain Junction. The work is from a photograph, as most of my work is, but the exciting thing about painting is being able to manipulate the colour as much as I have.