The Art of Ken Danby

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1965

Each year culminates in a new body of work and another one-man exhibition at Gallery Moos - each of which again, quickly sells out.In 1965 an egg tempera painting, Early Morning is purchased by the National Gallery of Canada for its permanent collection.

1966

Ken's 1966 egg tempera, The Red Wagon, is acquired by the Art Gallery of Hamilton and Maples in the Winter Sun is acquired by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

1967
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In 1967 Ken's exhibition at Gallery Moos features such works in egg tempera as Towards the Hill.

1968

Ken Danby - 1967

In December of 1967, Ken leaves Toronto and relocates to a country property that he has purchased near Guelph, Ontario - which is more favourable for his work.

Time Cover - 1968

Anticipating the outcome of the election, Time Magazine asks Ken to create a cover portrait of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Working on a tight deadline, Ken completes his portrait in four days and nights without sleep - and then collapses. Upon receiving the delivered work, Time's editor writes "...I consider it one of the very best cover portraits I've seen in nearly twenty-four years at Time Magazine."

1969

A new twist, which will occur regularly over the next decade, is added to Ken's annual exhibition at Gallery Moos. Collectors line up for hours throughout the cold December day waiting for the gallery to open and the chance to acquire a Danby original. One newspaper article likens the line-ups to those at the Canadian National Exhibition. Another informs collectors that, "A Danby exhibition is now sold out before it opens."

Hollywood star Dan Rowan acquires his second Danby original - Still Running, one of the show's featured egg tempera paintings - and visits the artist's studio.

1970

Ken experiments with an unusual concept of multicolour print- making using silkscreen techniques, and completes his first original serigraphs. The complete editions of his first two serigraphs, Abandoned Wagon and Mill Window are immediately acquired by Gallery Springer in Germany.

The annual exhibition at Gallery Moos features one of Ken's largest egg tempera paintings, Reflections. Also exhibited for the first time are proofs of his new serigraphs.

Reflections is included in a special group exhibition at the Canadian Manufacturer's Association Convention, in Toronto. Asked to vote for their preferred work of art in the exhibit, four out of five of the attendees pick Reflections.

1971

Reflections is again exhibited, this time in Paris, France, at the 1st International Biennale des Jeunes.

Ken's serigraphs are exhibited in the 1st International Graphic Mart, in Zurich, Switzerland.

1971 is a year of near total emersion in his studio as Ken completes a volume of work that culminates in a December show at Gallery Moos, as well as a New York show early in the new year. One of the results is a major egg tempera titled Delicious.

1972

Ken's first one-man exhibition in New York is held in February at the William Zierler Gallery on Madison Avenue. New works include Blowing Up (1971) - a large egg tempera of Ken's mill property in winter. In the exhibition catalogue, Mario Amaya, Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario, writes, "Danby's art is an independent one, outside canons of fashion, and devoid of mannerisms or autograph gestures."

Early Autumn (1971), Ken's 19-colour original serigraph (a study of his son, Sean), is chosen by an international jury for inclusion in The Third International Print Biennale held at Bradford Art Gallery, Bradford, England. At the end of the three month exhibit, Early Autumn has been voted by the attending public to be the most popular work in the entire collection of over 500 works of art. It is also purchased by the Bradford Gallery for its permanent collection.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York acquires a proof of Early Autumn for its permanent collection.

The December exhibition at Gallery Moos includes a large egg tempera, At the Crease, that will become a 'Canadian classic' and one of the most widely recognized of Ken's works. A few years later, having seen it in print, his mentor, Andrew Wyeth, writes to Ken, "I think your painting, At the Crease, a terrifying and exciting picture. Keep up this high quality."

1973

Ken Danby - 1973

Danby prints are included in exhibitions in Switzerland and Cali, Columbia.

A German film crew travels to Canada to create a one hour documentary for West German Television, on the work of three Canadian artists; Ken Danby, Alex Colville, and Christopher Pratt. Highly successful, the film is later televised in England, France and Canada.

In December, after exhibitions in Winnipeg and Vancouver, Ken returns to the William Zierler Gallery in New York with important new works, including another 'classic' entitled Pancho, a portrait of a friend and neighbour. A review in the U.S. magazine Arts, declares that, "Danby's realism is a triumph of technical virtuosity and clearly reveals his primary interest in utilizing and synthesizing all the formal elements of art."

The year marks the creation of another important image of hockey. Lacing Up is Ken's response to his long experience of preparing for the game.

1974

Sunbather and At the Crease are two of a collection of Danby paintings that are exhibited in Paris, Brussels, London and New York.

Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are gallery locations for one-man exhibitions - with another group show participation at the Oklahoma City Art Centre, Oklahoma. Leather Hat, a large egg tempera, is included in the Gallery Moos exhibition in Toronto.

< Previous Decade Next Decade >

1965	Each year culminates in a new body of work and another one-man exhibition at Gallery Moos - each of which again, quickly sells out.In 1965 an egg tempera painting, Early Morning is purchased by the National Gallery of Canada for its permanent collection.
1966	Ken's 1966 egg tempera, The Red Wagon, is acquired by the Art Gallery of Hamilton and Maples in the Winter Sun is acquired by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
1967
	In 1967 Ken's exhibition at Gallery Moos features such works in egg tempera as Towards the Hill.
1968	In December of 1967, Ken leaves Toronto and relocates to a country property that he has purchased near Guelph, Ontario - which is more favourable for his work. Anticipating the outcome of the election, Time Magazine asks Ken to create a cover portrait of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Working on a tight deadline, Ken completes his portrait in four days and nights without sleep - and then collapses. Upon receiving the delivered work, Time's editor writes "...I consider it one of the very best cover portraits I've seen in nearly twenty-four years at Time Magazine."
1969	A new twist, which will occur regularly over the next decade, is added to Ken's annual exhibition at Gallery Moos. Collectors line up for hours throughout the cold December day waiting for the gallery to open and the chance to acquire a Danby original. One newspaper article likens the line-ups to those at the Canadian National Exhibition. Another informs collectors that, "A Danby exhibition is now sold out before it opens." Hollywood star Dan Rowan acquires his second Danby original - Still Running, one of the show's featured egg tempera paintings - and visits the artist's studio.
1970	Ken experiments with an unusual concept of multicolour print- making using silkscreen techniques, and completes his first original serigraphs. The complete editions of his first two serigraphs, Abandoned Wagon and Mill Window are immediately acquired by Gallery Springer in Germany. The annual exhibition at Gallery Moos features one of Ken's largest egg tempera paintings, Reflections. Also exhibited for the first time are proofs of his new serigraphs. Reflections is included in a special group exhibition at the Canadian Manufacturer's Association Convention, in Toronto. Asked to vote for their preferred work of art in the exhibit, four out of five of the attendees pick Reflections.
1971	Reflections is again exhibited, this time in Paris, France, at the 1st International Biennale des Jeunes. Ken's serigraphs are exhibited in the 1st International Graphic Mart, in Zurich, Switzerland. 1971 is a year of near total emersion in his studio as Ken completes a volume of work that culminates in a December show at Gallery Moos, as well as a New York show early in the new year. One of the results is a major egg tempera titled Delicious.
1972	Ken's first one-man exhibition in New York is held in February at the William Zierler Gallery on Madison Avenue. New works include Blowing Up (1971) - a large egg tempera of Ken's mill property in winter. In the exhibition catalogue, Mario Amaya, Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario, writes, "Danby's art is an independent one, outside canons of fashion, and devoid of mannerisms or autograph gestures." Early Autumn (1971), Ken's 19-colour original serigraph (a study of his son, Sean), is chosen by an international jury for inclusion in The Third International Print Biennale held at Bradford Art Gallery, Bradford, England. At the end of the three month exhibit, Early Autumn has been voted by the attending public to be the most popular work in the entire collection of over 500 works of art. It is also purchased by the Bradford Gallery for its permanent collection. The Museum of Modern Art in New York acquires a proof of Early Autumn for its permanent collection. The December exhibition at Gallery Moos includes a large egg tempera, At the Crease, that will become a 'Canadian classic' and one of the most widely recognized of Ken's works. A few years later, having seen it in print, his mentor, Andrew Wyeth, writes to Ken, "I think your painting, At the Crease, a terrifying and exciting picture. Keep up this high quality."
1973	Danby prints are included in exhibitions in Switzerland and Cali, Columbia. A German film crew travels to Canada to create a one hour documentary for West German Television, on the work of three Canadian artists; Ken Danby, Alex Colville, and Christopher Pratt. Highly successful, the film is later televised in England, France and Canada. In December, after exhibitions in Winnipeg and Vancouver, Ken returns to the William Zierler Gallery in New York with important new works, including another 'classic' entitled Pancho, a portrait of a friend and neighbour. A review in the U.S. magazine Arts, declares that, "Danby's realism is a triumph of technical virtuosity and clearly reveals his primary interest in utilizing and synthesizing all the formal elements of art." The year marks the creation of another important image of hockey. Lacing Up is Ken's response to his long experience of preparing for the game.
1974	Sunbather and At the Crease are two of a collection of Danby paintings that are exhibited in Paris, Brussels, London and New York. Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are gallery locations for one-man exhibitions - with another group show participation at the Oklahoma City Art Centre, Oklahoma. Leather Hat, a large egg tempera, is included in the Gallery Moos exhibition in Toronto.