Since my post on Whistler’s pastels, I have become more alert to pastels that really utilize the colour of the paper as part of the overall look of the piece. Yesterday, I was flipping through my catalogues of work by Joseph Plaskett and had to hit my forehead because here, in front of me, was a master of that technique.
In an essay for the 2008 Winchester Gallery catalogue, Joe wrote, ” …soon I learned to carry a box of pastels and sheets of paper wherever I travelled or when just stepping outside in heavenly Paris. This led to thousands of instant responses to the beauty of the world.”
Here are a few examples of those landscapes, the earliest from 1969 with others ranging to the mid-1980s. These images are generally 19 x 25 inches – that’s a large piece of paper to take on-site. Mine are generally 12 x 18 inches max!!
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Michelangelo’s Rome”, 1969, pastel, 25 1/2 x 19 3/4 in. Here Plaskett uses the gray/beige of the paper to indicate the bulk of the structures and pavement with a dark pastel revealing the shadows especially in the building on the right, and a light colour showing the sky, the highlights on the sculpture etc and the grout between the paving stones. Like Whistler before, Plaskett shows much with so little.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “The Rialto, Venice”, 1969 (?), pastel, 24 3/4 x 17 1/2 in. This pastel reminds me of Whistler’s work not only because it’s an image of Venice but also because of its sparseness of detail and the emphasis on what’s important to him namely the red striped poles and their location in relation to the Rialto.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Loch at Decises”, 1976, pastel, 20 x 26 in. Look at how much of the paper is left uncovered in the left bank. Again such simplicity that tells us so much. It’s a sunny warm day and I can imagine looking over the canal at the lock.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Cows Entering Western Gate”, 1979, pastel, 19 1/2 x 25 1/2 in. I don’t know for sure what paper Plaskett used but I could take a pretty good guess that it was Canson which comes in a range of colours. You can see in this piece he used the textured side. (For more on the difference in sides of Canson Mi-Teintes paper, see my last blog.) Plaskett uses the warmth of the paper to show the sunlit stone and the cows.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Canal in Decises”, France”, 1979, pastel, 19 3/4 x 25 1/2 in. In contrast to the piece above, Plaskett used a gray/blue paper to underscore the coolness of a day under stormy skies. A warm paper would definitely not have produced the same mood! Again, I am in awe of the simplicity of gesture and the paucity of line.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Destruction of the Marais,” no date, pastel, 19 x 26 in. Here the colour of the paper represents the building and the land – the bulk of the picture – while the sky and sunlit highlights are in white, and the whole is punctuated by the colour accents of machinery, car and tree. This piece shows off Joe’s skill at rendering buildings with so little line.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Between the Island, Paris”, no date, pastel,19 x 25 1/2 in. The dark coloured paper is a perfect way to show the structures silhouetted by back lighting. The light of the sky and its reflection in the water as well as a few small highlights are indicated with whites while a bit of green reveals the foliage among the buildings. Joe only included what was necessary to make the picture read. Does anyone know what building that is in the background? It looks under construction.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Boat and Landscape”, 1983, pastel, 19 1/2 x 25 1/2 in. An overcast and foliaged setting, Plaskett cleverly used a gray/green paper as his foundation, leaving much uncovered. We sit in the boat, where Joe himself must have sat to paint this picture, and look out at an idyllic landscape.
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “Washing in Back Yard”, no date, pastel, 19 1/2 x 25 1/2 in. This pastel is pretty wild, full of gesture on a reddish paper, and of one of my favourite subjects to paint namely laundry 🙂
JOSEPH PLASKETT, “An Anchorage, Queen Charlottes”, no date, pastel, 19 3/4x 25 1/2 in. Last but not least is this intensely coloured painting with very little of the paper covered with pastel – only shadows and their reflections, a bit of sky and the edge of land with rocks, boat and house. Pretty brave I’d say!!
Joseph Plaskett (1918-), was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada but since about 1957 has lived much of his life in Paris and the last few years in Suffolk, England. I first came across Joe’s work in an exhibition in Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver in 2001 (I was stopped in my tracks when I saw his pastel of apples on a table in the gallery window!) and have been an admirer ever since.
To read about his life, check out his autobiography A Speaking Likeness published 1999:
In an exhibition of his work at Winchester Gallery in 2008, I had the privilege of meeting Joe. After showing him examples of my work, to my delight, he wrote in the exhibition catalogue, “To Gail – Keep living your life in painting and may it be a long one. You have made a beautiful beginning.”
Me after meeting Joseph Plaskett at the opening of his 2008 show at Winchester Gallery, Victoria. You can see I’m thrilled!!
Winchester’s most recent exhibition last September promised ‘artist in attendance’ but it turned out that at 94 and after a fall, Joe was too fragile to travel. A huge disappointment. And still he paints. I await his next show with anticipation!
I’d love to hear what you think about Joe’s work and how it compares to Whistler’s pastels. I look forward to bringing you more examples of Joe’s beautiful and inspiring work in future blogs.
For now,
~ Gail
PS. Another artist, Dan Gray, who is a colleague of mine, paints en plein air and also uses the paper as an important colour in his work. Check out his website here.
Last year at a large Gallery in Vancouver which was displaying paintings for auction I saw a large still life oil by J. Plaskett. It was so beautiful and I did bid on it but alas and sadly it was not meant for me.
I remember and I’m glad you at least bid on it. When I look back at my old catalogues of Plaskett’s work I think, if only I had bought something. Dang that hindsight!!
exciting exploration of the paper as part of the visible work.
as a foundation the paper is always carefully considered and chosen, then to allow it to form part of the work really celebrates it’s own beauty, history and contribution to the piece. more about the paper please. colours, tooth, weight, where it was made, from what fibre.
Shirlee, many thanks for your comment. I will try and track down more info on the paper. I love what you have written about the importance of the choice of paper and how it contributes to the overall effect.
Hi, just finished reading your latest blog.
The Plaskett piece called “Between the Island, Paris” appears to be a view looking south-south east from the intersection of Voie George Pompidou and Rue de Lobau. The bridge is likely Pont Saint-Louis between the islands of Île Saint-Louis and île se la Cité with the Tour Zamansky building being constructed in the background. The skyscraper was finished in approx. ’73 which would put the date of the painting at ’71 – ’72?
Ah Brett, am I surprised that you figured out the location of the Plaskett pastel??? Ah no. Brilliant. Thanks so much. I will post the image you sent in my next blog.
Once again excuse my antiqity and lack of knowledge but this blog was astounding and as ever a great learning experience Thanks is an insufficient word
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12 thoughts on “Joseph Plaskett landscape pastels – paper untouched!”
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the coloured paper! Break out some red stuff and be brave! Thanks for this… and all your other blogs!
A
THANKS Andrea for your enthusiasm. I think I’ll go find me some red paper and see what happens. I can be brave with support such as yours!!!
Last year at a large Gallery in Vancouver which was displaying paintings for auction I saw a large still life oil by J. Plaskett. It was so beautiful and I did bid on it but alas and sadly it was not meant for me.
I remember and I’m glad you at least bid on it. When I look back at my old catalogues of Plaskett’s work I think, if only I had bought something. Dang that hindsight!!
exciting exploration of the paper as part of the visible work.
as a foundation the paper is always carefully considered and chosen, then to allow it to form part of the work really celebrates it’s own beauty, history and contribution to the piece. more about the paper please. colours, tooth, weight, where it was made, from what fibre.
Shirlee, many thanks for your comment. I will try and track down more info on the paper. I love what you have written about the importance of the choice of paper and how it contributes to the overall effect.
Hi, just finished reading your latest blog.
The Plaskett piece called “Between the Island, Paris” appears to be a view looking south-south east from the intersection of Voie George Pompidou and Rue de Lobau. The bridge is likely Pont Saint-Louis between the islands of Île Saint-Louis and île se la Cité with the Tour Zamansky building being constructed in the background. The skyscraper was finished in approx. ’73 which would put the date of the painting at ’71 – ’72?
Ah Brett, am I surprised that you figured out the location of the Plaskett pastel??? Ah no. Brilliant. Thanks so much. I will post the image you sent in my next blog.
Once again excuse my antiqity and lack of knowledge but this blog was astounding and as ever a great learning experience Thanks is an insufficient word
Sandy, I know I can count on you to make me feel reeeeeeaaaaal good. Thank you so much for all your commenting 🙂
Very fine artwork by this master.
They are quite wonderful aren’t they!