Portraits of the Wadi Rum: Paintings by Rob Bissett
6:00 PM on Friday Jun. 1st, 2018
Patrick Gordon Framing Studio, 160 Elm St.
6:00 PM on Friday Jun. 1st, 2018
Patrick Gordon Framing Studio, 160 Elm St.
Vernissage: Friday, June 1st; painting on display until July 15th.
Hot, dry and arid. The red desert is marked with fine sand dunes and cracked mud that prevents any semblance of life from emerging. Still, barren, without sound, the erie silence exaggerates the effect of the imposing, solid, sandy cliffs and canyons that are the distinguishable features that make up the Wadi Rum.
Located in the Jordan valley, Wadi Rum is home to historic landmarks that have shaped thousands of years of traditions and religion. Iconic holy sites, ancient pilgrim routes and lost civilizations are found deep in the red canyons. King Solomon, Moses and Saladin lived and fought here building temples, erecting castles and forging history. The visitor comes with many preconceived ideas and images based on these religious traditions and decades of teachings only to discover that things aren’t what one imagined.
Despite the historical significance of these holy lands life continues in a traditional way based on many generations. The road to Jerusalem is asphalt and road signs tell you how many kilometers it is to Bethlehem. It is this juxtaposition between the historical importance of these religious landmarks and the landscape that one experiences that provided the inspiration for this body of work. The Wadi Rum landscape was particularly poignant in providing a strong sense of wonder and awe and conveying the harsh and desperate fight for survival that led to a need to search for a larger meaning to life, something more powerful that nature itself.
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Rob Bissett painted this body of work while living and working in Baghdad between 2014 and 2016. While living in Iraq, he traveled throughout the Jordan Valley and surrounding region which is known for its religious tourism.
Rob, a local Ottawa artist, has previously shown at Patrick Gordon Framing Studio in 2014. He has also had shows at the ArtGuise Gallery in 2006 and 2007, and the Bank Street Art Gallery in 2002, as well as the Centre Cultural in Gunie Bissau in 1997 . Rob was a founding member of Gamma Ray Productions that managed the Gamma Ray Art Gallery on Somerset Street from 1998 – 2001.
Hot, dry and arid. The red desert is marked with fine sand dunes and cracked mud that prevents any semblance of life from emerging. Still, barren, without sound, the erie silence exaggerates the effect of the imposing, solid, sandy cliffs and canyons that are the distinguishable features that make up the Wadi Rum.
Located in the Jordan valley, Wadi Rum is home to historic landmarks that have shaped thousands of years of traditions and religion. Iconic holy sites, ancient pilgrim routes and lost civilizations are found deep in the red canyons. King Solomon, Moses and Saladin lived and fought here building temples, erecting castles and forging history. The visitor comes with many preconceived ideas and images based on these religious traditions and decades of teachings only to discover that things aren’t what one imagined.
Despite the historical significance of these holy lands life continues in a traditional way based on many generations. The road to Jerusalem is asphalt and road signs tell you how many kilometers it is to Bethlehem. It is this juxtaposition between the historical importance of these religious landmarks and the landscape that one experiences that provided the inspiration for this body of work. The Wadi Rum landscape was particularly poignant in providing a strong sense of wonder and awe and conveying the harsh and desperate fight for survival that led to a need to search for a larger meaning to life, something more powerful that nature itself.
---
Rob Bissett painted this body of work while living and working in Baghdad between 2014 and 2016. While living in Iraq, he traveled throughout the Jordan Valley and surrounding region which is known for its religious tourism.
Rob, a local Ottawa artist, has previously shown at Patrick Gordon Framing Studio in 2014. He has also had shows at the ArtGuise Gallery in 2006 and 2007, and the Bank Street Art Gallery in 2002, as well as the Centre Cultural in Gunie Bissau in 1997 . Rob was a founding member of Gamma Ray Productions that managed the Gamma Ray Art Gallery on Somerset Street from 1998 – 2001.