Landscape -

Landscape

1953<br />Watercolour on paper<br />55.9 x 36.8 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1957<br />Gouache on paper<br />10.8 x 17.8 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1952<br />Watercolour on paper<br />55.9 x 37.0 cm<br />Collection of the artist

1957<br />Gouache on paper<br />17.8 x 10.8 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1954<br />Watercolour on paper<br />34.3 x 52.1 cm<br />Private Collection

1953<br />Watercolour on paper<br />50.8 x 33.0 cm<br />Private Collection

1953<br />Watercolour on paper<br />33.0 x 50.8 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1976<br />Pencil on paper<br />27.9 x 38.1 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1974-75<br />Pencil on paper<br />39.4 x 57.8 cm<br />Collection of the Artist<br />In 1972, Tanabe received an invitation to teach summer school at the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, also known as the Banff Centre. Early in his term, he accepted a long term position that would design and develop a more professionalized Visual Arts program. Over eight years living in Banff, Tanabe did not paint mountainscapes, as one might imagine—rather he challenged himself with the subject of the vast prairies and foothills to the east of the Rocky Mountains. It was not until much later in his career that he approached the majestic scenery of Banff, which had left a lasting impression in his mind.

1955<br />Pastel on paper<br />48.3 x 30.5 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

Circa 1954<br />Watercolour on paper<br />39.1 x 51.5 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1977-82<br />Pencil on paper<br />22.9 x 38.1 cm<br />Collection of the Artist<br />Takao Tanabe has spent a great deal of time observing, drawing and painting the Canadian prairies. The rural landscape’s connection to the coastal subject matter Tanabe has explored shares many aesthetic qualities including long sweeping vistas, diminished human representation, and an acute attention to the spatial relationships between the land, water and sky. West of Regina is one example of a series of drawings created by Tanabe during the mid-1970s that reveals the simplicity, expansiveness and contemplative nature of the prairie landscape. The monochromatic nature of the graphite is challenged through expressive tonal variations and line to reveal a dynamic and vibrant sense of place.

1949<br />Watercolour on paper<br />29.8 x 45.6 cm.<br />Collection of the artist<br />West of Winnipeg is recognized as one of the first watercolours painted by Tanabe. At the end of his training at the Winnipeg School of Art (1949) Tanabe sought to develop his own style and approach to creating art. This early work reflects the artist’s interest in the forms that converge and interact with one another to create a landscape. Drawn from a neutral, sombre palette of colours, Tanabe creates a sense of place that reflects the distinctive landscape around the city of Winnipeg.

LANDSCAPE

Place in Space

As World War II tensions mounted between Axis and Allied forces, Canada adopted a policy of confinement and forced labour for the Japanese Canadian population. In 1942, when Tanabe was 16, he was forced to relocate from his home in Prince Rupert to the Slocan Valley, in BC’s interior. After two years in an internment camp, Tanabe was able to transfer to a prison farm in Manitoba. It was here that he had his first experiences with the Prairie landscape. After the war ended, Tanabe was able to attend art school through the Winnipeg School of Art. Early works reveal his experimentation with colour and form to create abstract, yet recognizable tracts of land, and mark the beginning of his fascination with the sweeping expanse of the Prairies. As World War II tensions mounted between Axis and Allied forces, Canada adopted a policy of confinement and forced labour for the Japanese Canadian population. In 1942, when Tanabe was 16, he was forced to relocate from his home in Prince Rupert to the Slocan Valley, in BC’s interior. After two years in an internment camp, Tanabe was able to transfer to a prison farm in Manitoba. It was here that he had his first experiences with the Prairie landscape. After the war ended, Tanabe was able to attend art school through the Winnipeg School of Art. Early works reveal his experimentation with colour and form to create abstract, yet recognizable tracts of land, and mark the beginning of his fascination with the sweeping expanse of the Prairies.

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