Biographies > David Carlin

As an artist, Dave Carlin works in variety of media including print-making, painting, ceramics, sculpting, collage and video. He is also a teacher, and great supporter of fellow artists and the art community in northern Ontario. His work is powerful, often spiritual and whimsical and frequently has a political message. Both the human condition and relation to the landscape are common themes. Denis Geden says of David Carlin, “He never feels a work is finished and as long as it stays within reach, it will continue to evolve”. Dave describes his art and life as part of one whole, one continuum. The joy, the belief, the sadness and pain, the political beliefs are all there. Previous art contributes to new work. The prints in the TAG collection (Songs, and Winter Approaching: Cheminis) are unique works exploring new themes and with new focus, but using elements of earlier pieces. They are powerful images conjuring a spiritual relation to the landscape.

Influences for Dave go back to his youth. Early on he had a love of speed, car rallies and planes. Poor eyesight put paid to a promising career as a pilot. Instead, he went to the Ontario College of Art where instructors such Karl Schaeffer inspired in him a life-long interest in fine art. He was also influenced by artists Fred Hagan, Tom LaPierre and Eric Friefeld. He married fellow artist Sheila McRae and together they want to Mexico for several months. This trip included a visit to see the muralist David Alfaro Siqueros at work, and this had a lasting effect on Dave’s art. Dave and Sheila eventually moved to North Bay. Dave remained there, raising his two daughters after the death of his wife. He taught for many years in the local high school pursuing his art at the same time. Now retired, he is working intensively on his art work. This includes living for a few months each year in Cuba with his wife Judith, working at the Taller Experimental de Grafica in Old Havana. This in turn has resulted in curating exhibitions and organizing art exchanges between Canada and Cuba.

Dave’s work is represented in many collections including the Archives of the Government of Ontario, the Archives of the Taller Experimental de Grafica in Havana, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is a member and staunch supporter of various arts organization, including the Boreal North Sculpture Association, Visual Arts Ontario, Fusion, the WKP Kennedy Gallery, White Water Gallery and TAG. He lives in North Bay and maintains a studio on Lake Nipissing.1

1 Partly from interview for White Water Gallery, Virtual Museum of Canada