Dunn, a Fredericton artist who just celebrated her 80th birthday, has a new show opening at Gallery 78, and said that nothing has come between her and her work.
“I’ve been thinking about my past work and what was the most important thing I’ve learned about myself and my work and I have yet to come to a conclusion. There’s no answer to everything, really. Everything keeps flowing and changing and I keep on learning new things,” Dunn said.
Gallery 78 manager Inge Pataki said she’s excited to be hosting the show, “80th Birthday Celebration,” and to showcase Dunn’s amazing talent.
“She is an internationally branded artist and we are privileged to represent her in New Brunswick,” Pataki said. “Her work is beautiful – subtle yet strong – ‘a poem to the eyes’ – as the late American writer James Schuyler writes in a poem about her work.”
Dunn’s work has been shown all over America and Europe, in cities such as New York, London, Paris, and in local art galleries like the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the UNB Art Centre, and the New Brunswick Art Bank. Though born in London, Gallery 78 says that her work is deeply rooted in New Brunswick, painting scenery in and around her log cabin on the North Shore.
“I like her drawing- the light, colour and style of her painting – figurative, impressionism edges into the abstract. Her drawings are among my favourites,” Pataki said.
Dunn was adamant that she would keep doing what she loved, laughing at the thought of putting her passion for art aside and retiring or even take a small break.
“Oh no, never,” she said to questions about retirement. “I’d never stop. Not even if I was to go blind, because I could go into sculpting and work with my hands.”
Dunn would also like to encourage young fine arts degree students to keep their passion flowing.
“I’d encourage them to look carefully at their work,” she said. “Is it relevant to what the person is looking for? But ultimately, do it for yourself and look at the good things with pride and congratulate yourself but to have people suggest the bad things about your work and expand and learn from it. This would illuminate one’s character.”
Dunn and the gallery encourage students, friends, art lovers, and collectors to come visit the show at Gallery 78 on Queen Street, opening September 11th and running until October 4th. Details are also online (gallery78.com) and brochures are available at the gallery.
