BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

David Edwin Purrot

September 7 1914 - March 24 1966

groups


David Purrott was born in Vancouver and was working in 1943 as a cabinet maker. He attended Vancouver Heights Public School, Vancouver Technical School, and then attended the Vancouver School of Art for six months.

Purrott married Laura Elizabeth Morris in Burnaby on May 23 1942. His employment was noted as "Clerk - Wholesale paper" and she was a "Graduate Nurse."

He entered a sculpture titled "Fear" into the juried 12th Annual B.C. Artists Exhibition in 1943, winning a Bronze Medal for it. (Information from VAG Library files for B.C. Artists Exhibitions).

He exhibited in the 1943 and 1944 B.C. Artists exhibitions, the 1944 British Columbia At Work exhibition, and in the 1944 B.C. Society of Fine Arts 34th Annual exhibition.

An interesting piece of paper is in a collection of artwork by Alec H. Dalgleish, inherited by his niece Judith Copithorne (a visual poet). The paper contains a sketch of Mt. Waddington in the Coast Range of B.C., presumably drawn by Dalgleish who was attempting to climb the mountain when he was killed. At the top of the piece of paper is a handpainted square done as a letterhead, which reads: "D.E. Purrott, B.C.C.A., Vancouver British Columbia". B.C.C.A. refers to the B.C. College of Arts Ltd. that Dalgleish attended in 1933 and 1934. The letterhead square is crossed out. There is thus some link between Dalgleish and Purrot, who were probably both students at the B.C.C.A. together. They may have climbed together as well.

Purrott died in Burnaby in 1966 at the age of 51. His occupation was noted as "Layout man - Advertising" at which he had worked up until the day of his death. His wife survived him, employed as a Registered Nurse.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 VAG   B.C. Artists 12th Annual Fear
Eva
1944 May 13 - June 4 BCSFA   34th Annual Bookends
Genesis
1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 VAG   B.C. Artists 13th Annual Ballerina
1944 Nov. 21 - Dec. 10 Labour Arts Guild   1st B.C. At Work Base Metals
Assembly Shop

References

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

A CENTURY OF SCULPTURE (refer to SSBC98)

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE marriage, death (refer to BCVS)

Clippings

""Fear," a massive wood sculpture by David E. Purrott of Vancouver gains the Association Bronze Medal in the Sculpture division. Mr. Purrott is a native of Vancouver and was educated at the Vancouver Heights Public and Vancouver Technical Schools; he also studied at the Vancouver School of Art. This is the first occasion on which Mr. Purrott has exhibited work in the Vancouver Art Gallery."
      From "12th Annual B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
      Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin, November 1943

"David Purrott is showing a direct carving from plastic which is very lovely."
      From "Notable Exhibits of Artists' Work" by Mildred Valley Thornton
      Vancouver Sun (presumed), May 1944


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