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Imagination and Introspection

Royden Josephson’s pentimento paintings at Gage
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Time changes everything…but not that much.”

Artist Royden Josephson presents a vibrant show of his pentimento paintings at the Gage Gallery.

The term pentimento comes from the old Italian concept of pentirsi (to repent). In painting, it refers to the appearance over time of images or original drawings that had been painted over on a canvas.

In this exhibition, Josephson’s acrylic-on-canvas paintings sometimes reveal earlier images that contribute a historical character. There is a time relationship between present and former compositions. The viewer is encouraged to contemplate how much or how little time really changes us and our world. With no special narrative in these paintings, the viewer can find fuel for the imagination and relevance for introspection.

The exhibition runs from 24 January to March 12 at the Gage Gallery in downtown Victoria (19 Bastion Square). The opening reception, which takes place 4 to 7 pm on January 26, is one day after Robbie Burns Day and will feature a special tribute to the Bard. (There is, after all, a whiff of Scottish thrift in painting over old canvases.)

Gallery hours are 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 12 to 4 pm on Sunday. The artist will be in attendance most afternoons and weekends.