Donald Harvey

1930-2015

Culture

British; Canadian

Bio

Donald Harvey immigrated to Canada from England in 1958 and joined the Education department at Victoria College in 1961. With colleague John Dobereiner, he was one of the founding members of the University of Victoria’s Department of Visual Arts, which was first established in 1966. He was appointed as Full Professor in 1975 and served several terms as chair of the department. He maintained a rigorous schedule of teaching, administrative duties, and professional artistic practice throughout his thirty-year career at UVic.
Harvey’s paintings, prints, and drawings have received significant international recognition, and his work has been exhibited in the National Gallery of Canada, the Seattle Art Museum, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Le Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. He completed a National Diploma of Painting and Design at West Sussex College of Art in 1950 and an Art Teacher’s Diploma at Brighton College of Art the following year. He was an art instructor in Wales for four years and travelled Sicily and Spain, where he painted for a year before coming to Canada.
His early work is chiefly non-representational, while his later work draws more directly from nature, both flora and fauna, gardens and landscapes in general. He once described his vocation as an abstract painter to be a lonely one, as “no one really understands what you do. Everything’s an abstraction, except the real thing.”
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Harvey spent several months in France, where he reframed his artistic representation of abstracted landscape. Upon his return, he created a series of diamond-shaped abstract works as a means to challenge the lateral landscape format and the notion of the representational “window onto the world” that rectangular paintings often suggest. Large-scale works such as Black Diamond No. 3 include an off-centre central inset shape, sharply defined wedges of bare canvas, hard-edged areas of flat smooth opaque paint and areas of more painterly brushwork.
His work in the late 1980s often referenced the environment. In 1988, he and colleague Douglas Morton joined a host of artists who painted the Stein and Carmanah Valleys and donated the proceeds of their work to the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. Harvey also painted a large-scale mural The Carmanah Valley Experience, an installation of 31 abstract expressionist painted panels that are five feet high and up to six feet wide, which was exhibited at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and is now in the collection of the University of Victoria.

Artworks

1 - 50 of 180

Title	Date Made	Place Made	Collections	Materials	Measurements	Edition	Credit Line
Dayscape 1 (9/20)	1977	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm x 0.00 cm	9/20	Gift of Donald Harvey
Dayscape 2 (9/20)	1977	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm	9/20	Gift of Donald Harvey
Night Window	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.50 cm x 72.50 cm x 0.00 cm	14/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Carmanah Valley Experience	1992	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Board	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 91.50 cm x 0.00 cm	One of 31 panels in series	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Carmanah Valley Experience	1992	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 183.00 cm x 0.00 cm	One of 31 panels in series	Gift of Donald Harvey
Night Window	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.50 cm x 72.50 cm x 0.00 cm	3/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
From The Inside	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.50 cm x 72.50 cm x 0.00 cm	22/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Poppy Red - 3/10	1973	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.00 cm x 0.00 cm	3/10	Gift of Donald Harvey
Landscape with Three Suns	1966	-	Works on Paper	Etching	overall: 63.00 cm x 51.00 cm	A/P	Gift of the Estate of Robin and Sylvia Skelton
Phoenix	1962	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Watercolour	overall: 75.00 cm x 87.00 cm	-	Purchased with assistance of the University of Victoria Art Acquisition Fund
Rose Arbor	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.50 cm x 72.50 cm	15/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Poppy Black - 7/10	1973	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Print; Serigraph	overall: 28.50 cm x 22.50 cm	7/ 10	Gift of Donald Harvey
Spring	1975	-	Works on Paper	serigraph	overall: 53.00 cm x 67.50 cm	S/p	-
The Carmanah Valley Experience	1992	British Columbia, Canada	Unassigned	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 183.00 cm x 0.00 cm	One of 31 panels in series	Gift of Donald Harvey
Poppy Red - A/P	1973	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.00 cm	Artist's Proof	Gift of Donald Harvey
Dayscape 3 (2/20)	1977	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Print; Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm x 0.00 cm	2/20	Gift of Patrick and Janette M. George
Untitled (Poppies)	n.d.	-	Works on Cloth	acrylic on canvas mounted on panel	overall: 122.00 cm x 61.00 cm	-	Gift of Donald Harvey
A Medum of Canadian Geese	2003	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Oil stick and graphite	overall: 55.00 cm x 75.00 cm	-	Gift of Donald Harvey
Night Garden of Delights	1988	-	Works on Paper	serigraph	overall: 45.00 cm x 60.00 cm	9/25	-
Garden Darkness	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm	5/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Poppy Green 7/10	1973	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Print; Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.00 cm x 0.00 cm	7/10	Gift of Donald Harvey
Margin	1964	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil and lucite	overall: 124.00 cm x 129.40 cm x 4.00 cm	-	Gift of Donald Harvey
Garden Of Delights	1988	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 50 cm x 65 cm	14/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Winter - S/P (Four Seasons series)	1975	-	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.00 cm	Studio Proof	Gift of Donald Harvey
Dayscape 3 (7/20)	1977	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm x 0.00 cm	7/20	Gift of Donald Harvey
Poppy Green 6/10	1973	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.00 cm x 0.00 cm	6/10	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Carmanah Valley Experience	1992	British Columbia, Canada	Unassigned	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 183.00 cm x 0.00 cm	One of 31 panels in series	Gift of Donald Harvey
Blue Diamond	1984	-	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 168.00 cm x 168.00 cm	Unknown	Anonymous Gift
Nightscape 1	1977	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm	4/20	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Carmanah Valley Experience	1992	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 122.00 cm x 0.00 cm	One of 31 panels in series	Gift of Donald Harvey
Victoria Garden # 3	1983	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Oil pastel; Graphite	overall: 26.00 cm x 32.00 cm	-	Gift of Donald Harvey
Nightscape #3	1977	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.00 cm x 57.00 cm	11/20	Gift of Donald Harvey
Dayscape 2 (7/20)	1977	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 36.00 cm x 30.00 cm	7/20	Gift of Donald Harvey
Red Trailing Field - 1/25	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.00 cm x 72.50 cm x 0.00 cm	1/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Red Trailing Field - S/P	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.00 cm x 72.50 cm x 0.00 cm	S/P	Gift of Donald Harvey
Rain Window	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm x 0.00 cm	6/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Nightshade - 19/25	1973	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.00 cm	19/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Nightshade - 16/25	1973	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.00 cm x 0.00 cm	16/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Carmanah Valley Experience	1992	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Board	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 91.50 cm x 0.00 cm	One of 31 panels in series	Gift of Donald Harvey
Dayscape 3 (11/20)	1977	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm x 0.00 cm	11/20	Gift of Donald Harvey
Rain Window	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm x 0.00 cm	8/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Jardin Francais	1979	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Oil pastel and graphite	overall: 71.50 cm x 92.00 cm	-	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Carmanah Valley Experience	1992	British Columbia, Canada	Unassigned	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 91.50 cm x 0.00 cm	One of 31 panels in series	Gift of Donald Harvey
From The Inside	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.50 cm x 72.50 cm x 0.00 cm	6/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
From The Inside	1974	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 57.50 cm x 72.50 cm x 0.00 cm	4/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
Storm Window	1976	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 43.00 cm x 51.00 cm	8/25	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Carmanah Valley Experience	n.d.	-	Works on Cloth	Acrylic	overall: 152.50 cm x 91.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Donald Harvey
Dayscape 1 (2/20)	1977	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Print; Serigraph	overall: 72.50 cm x 57.50 cm x 0.00 cm	2/20	Gift of Patrick and Janette M. George
Black Diamond #5	1978	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Graphite; spray paint	overall: 96.50 cm x 94.00 cm	-	Gift of Donald Harvey
The Voices Of Authority	1967	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	86 X 66 cm	AP/10	Gift of Robin and Sylvia Skelton

1 - 50 of 180

Name (English only)

Donald Harvey

Brief_Bio

1930-2015

Artist Detail - v3

Artworks