BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Joseph Francis Plaskett

July 12 1918 - September 21 2014

B.C. Society of Fine Arts (Member 1946-1967)
Royal Canadian Academy (RCA 1978)


Joe Plaskett was born in New Westminster in 1918, at the end of World War One.

He had work in exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1940, 1943, 1945, 1952, and 1956.


1962, Collection of New Westminster Public Library, photo G. Sim


1972, Collection of New Westminster Public Library, photo G. Sim

The painting above shows a somewhat idealized view of the old B.C. Penitentiary, north of the Fraser River. The painting is in the collection of the New Westminster Public Library, one of a number of paintings donated to the Library by the artist.

He exhibited his work in the B.C. Artists annual exhibitions from 1940 to 1949, and in 1953 and 1956.


Collection of New Westminster Public Library, photo G. Sim


Collection of New Westminster Public Library, photo G. Sim

Joseph Francis Plaskett was on a list titled "Leading Vancouver Artists," provided to the Labour Arts Guild on April 10, 1946 by the Vancouver Art Gallery to assist in the Guild's call for entries to the second annual B.C. At Work exhibition.

He submitted two pastels to the 1949 B.C. Graphic exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, one of them was selected for the exhibition. He was living in New Westminster.

He exhibited with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in their annual exhibitions from 1945 to 1949, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1959, and 1962.

In 1960 he had work in Arte Canadiense, in Mexico City, a show sponsored by the National Gallery of Canada.

In 1979 he was living in Paris, where he lived since 1951, but later began living in England as well. He died in England at his home, in his sleep, in 2014 at the age of 96.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1941 Dec. 2 - 14 21 paintings Vancouver Art Gallery
1944 April 11 - 30 26 paintings Vancouver Art Gallery
1945 Sept. 4 - 19 21 paintings Vancouver Art Gallery

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 9th Annual Iris
Derelict
The Point, Crescent Beach
1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 VAG   B.C. Artists 10th Annual The Old Vicarage
Lumber Pile
Modern Fortress
Sapperton
Allegory
1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 VAG   B.C. Artists 11th Annual Chepako
Plums and Cherries
Sunflowers
1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 VAG   B.C. Artists 12th Annual Invasion
Portrait of the Artist Going to Pot
1944 July 4 - Aug. 30 VAG   B.C. Artists 3rd Annual Summer Invasion
1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 VAG   B.C. Artists 13th Annual Lake Osoyoos (1)
Black Mountain
1945 May 18 - June 10 BCSFA   35th Annual Escape
From Mount Anarchist
1945 July 3 - Aug. 26 VAG   B.C. Artists 4th Annual Summer Black Mountain
1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21 VAG   B.C. Artists 14th Annual Air Age
Landscape, Osoyoos
1945 ? - ? FCA   B.C. Artists Selections from 14th Ann. Landscape, Osoyoos
1946 May 31 - June 23 BCSFA   36th Annual Good Friday
Terry
Young Trees
1946 July 2 - 28 VAG   Jubilee Exhibition The Barn, Osoyoos
1946 Sept. 21 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 15th Annual Figment
The Circle Citadels
1947 May 9 - June 1 BCSFA   37th Annual Indian Village, Kamloops, B.C.
Rockaway Beach, California Coast
Negress
1947 July 8 - 27 VAG   B.C. Artists Summer Exhibition Rockaway Beach, Calif.
Indian Village, Kamloops
1947 Sept. 20 - Oct. 12 VAG   B.C. Artists 16th Annual Down Cumberland Way
Duo
1948 May 18 -June 6 BCSFA   38th Annual Exhibition Indian Graveyard, 150 Mile House
1948 Sept. 18 - Oct. 10 VAG   B.C. Artists 17th Annual The Attic Room
Still Life
1949 May 3 - 22 BCSFA   39th Annual The Poet
The Bridge, New Westminster
1949 Oct. 8 - 30 VAG   B.C. Artists 18th Annual New Surface
1949 Nov. 22 - Dec. 11 VAG   First B.C. Graphic Still Life
Figure (disqualified - oversize)
1952 April 1 - 20 VAG   BCSA 42nd Annual Autumn, Paris
Portrait of a Chair
Self, Camden Town
1953 Sept. 15 - Oct. 4 VAG   B.C. Artists 22nd Annual Red Jean
1956 Feb. 28 - Mar. 18 VAG   BCSA 46th Annual Remembrance of Things Past
Etcetera
White Jean
1956 Oct. 23 - Nov. 11 VAG   B.C. Artists 25th Annual Louise
The Owl
1957 March 5 - 24 VAG   BCSA 47th Annual Leaves in the Fall, Light
Leaves in the Fall, Dark
Still Life with Indian Baskets
1959 June 2 - 21 VAG   BCSA 49th Annual Le Maitre d'Armes
1962 May 8 - June 3 VAG   BCSA 52nd Annual Post Prandium
Dorothy
Marie Antoinette

References - BIBLIOGRAPHY

Refer to BIBLIO.

References - GROUP EXHIBITIONS

3rd BC GRAPHIC & CANADIAN SOCIETY OF GRAPHIC ART (refer to BCG57)

100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)

B.C. PAINTINGS BURNABY 58 (refer to BAG58)

ARTE CANADIENSE (refer to NGC60)

SUMMER BUBBLE (refer to BAG70)

VANCOUVER: ART & ARTISTS 1931 - 1983 (refer to VAG83)

A MODERN LIFE: Art and Design in British Columbia 1945-1960 (refer to VAG04)

OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPE (2008) (refer to BAG08)

RICHMOND ART GALLERY 25:25 - 1980-2005 (refer to RAG05)

THE ORNAMENT OF A HOUSE - FIFTY YEARS OF COLLECTING (refer to BAG17)

References - GENERAL

BRITISH COLUMBIA - A CENTENNIAL ANTHOLOGY (refer to BCCA58)

MACLEAN'S MAGAZINE - B.C. CENTENNIAL ISSUE (refer to MAC58)

CREATIVE CANADA - Volumes One & Two (refer to CC71)
      Includes one full column of concise information about Plaskett

THE MOUNTAINS AND THE SKY by Lorne E. Render
      1974, Glenbow-Alberta Institute; published by McClelland and Stewart West
      ISBN 0-7712-1001-2; 224 pages, illustrated throughout in colour and b&w
      Includes biographical information on Plaskett and one of his paintings illustrated

THE SHELL CANADA COLLECTION (refer to SHEL77)

VISUAL ARTS BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to VABC77)

ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979 (refer to RCA81)

BRITISH COLUMBIA ART COLLECTION 1974-80 (refer to BCAC80)

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

ART BANK CATALOGUE (refer to AB87)

THE ALMA MATER SOCIETY ART COLLECTION
University of British Columbia 1948 - 1988

      No ISBN, 64 pages, illustrated in colour and b&w
      Includes history of the collection, artist biographies

A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)
      Extensive biography of the artist.

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
      11 references cited for Plaskett.

THE GRANDE DAMES OF THE CARIBOO (refer to FOW13)

THE FECKLESS COLLECTION (refer to FECK18)

GREATER VANCOUVER ART GALLERIES 1954-2020 (refer to GVAG20)
     6 references to Plaskett.

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)

Clippings

"J.F. Plaskett's semi-abstractions, "Indian Village" and "Rockaway Beach," are effective and interesting in color, though his "Negress" is a less successful attempt."
      From "B.C. Art Exhibit Non-Experimental"
      News Herald, May 12 1947

"In the same field of expression but using richer and more violent colours are Joe Plaskett ... "
      From "Lively Spirit Pervades B.C. Artists' Exhibition" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, May 3 1949

"Vancouver Artists Design for the Ballet" by Guy Glover
      Canadian Art magazine, Autumn 1953, Vol. 11 No. 1
      (Joseph Plaskett and Jack Shadbolt)

"A Return to Europe" by Joseph Plaskett
      Canadian Art magazine, Winter 1955, Vol. 12 No. 2

"The Reactionaries" by Joseph Plaskett
      Canadian Art magazine, 1959, Vol. 16 No. 3


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