Walter Gibson Dexter (October 3, 1931 – June 2, 2015) was a Canadian ceramist, potter and teacher.
Art education
At an early age Dexter was drawn to art. His family encourage his interest in drawing cartoons. After completing high school he attend the Alberta Institute of Technology and Art commercial art diploma program. Under the tutelage one of his instructors,
Luke Lindoe
Luke Orton Lindoe (8 March 1913 – 4 December 2000) was a Canadian potter, painter, sculptor, and businessman who did most of his work in Alberta, Canada. For long periods he was based in Medicine Hat. He had many different jobs, from mineral pros ...
, Dexter became interested in ceramics. He went on to receive the Diploma in Ceramics from the then Alberta College of Art in 1954. Lindoe continued to be a mentor to Dexter long after he completed his studies. His efforts in seeking to enter a Masters program or find a position teaching pottery did not come to fruition. However, he was offered a scholarship by the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Swedish School of Arts and Crafts in Stockholm where he continued his studies of ceramics. He had a two-year sojourn in Europe after he finished his course in Stockholm. He lived in England but traveled extensively. His former teacher and mentor, Luke Lindoe offered Dexter a studio position so he was convinced to return to Calgary. He worked in Lindoe's studio for two years then worked in a ceramics manufacturing firm in
Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is approximately east of Lethbridge and southeast of Calgary. This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff to the northwest are with ...
as a designer and manager but left that employment. He had a studio in Kelowna from 1963 to 1967. He engaged in production pottery and renewed his experimental work with Raku. During this time he also developed his art repertoire creating coppered bowls and plates. In 1970 he studied at the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...
.
Work
Dexter's work falls into three main categories that correspond to the phases of his artistic development, Raku,
Stoneware
Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. Whether vi ...
By 1957, he was experimenting with the Japanese ceramic Raku process. He was a pioneer in introducing this process to Canada. By the early 1970s Dexter had discovered contemporary Raku technologies. When American ceramists
Paul Soldner
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
and Hal Reigger were in Nelson he attended their workshops.Brian Gibson Bio In Ceramic Art 2009 Based on his own experimentation and learned techniques he became known for his raku ceramic works.
Stoneware production
He also produced high-quality stoneware. He has produced this type of work throughout his career. Dexter's decorated plates are designed for wall mounting. His most common subject matter depicts running or leaping nude female figures displaying various gestures. These decorative plates express a representational aspect usually associated with drawing and painting.
Torso vases
Between 1995 and 2012 Dexter produced a body of artistic
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...
work referred to as the "Torso Vases". The name arises from the shape of the pieces, resembling a headless torso. This colourful abstract figurative work has been widely acclaimed and written about.''Walter Dexter: the torso masterworks'' by Jonathon Bancroft-Snell, Studio Artist Series No.1, Toronto, Ronald P. Frey + Co., 2012, , 190 pages, Publication announcement His sketch books for the torso vases reveal the essence of the development of these forms. Vessels and plate forms make up a substantial part of his work. These pieces are often decorated with dancing figures. He was drawn to this motif by his study and collaboration with the American ceramist
Paul Soldner
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
.
Selected collections
Dexter's works are held in the following public collections;Bronfman Collection Biography /ref>
*Claridge Collection, Montreal, Quebec
*Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa Ontario
*Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
*Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec;
*Confederation Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
*University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
*Burlington Art Gallery, Burlington, Ontario
*Alberta Foundation of the Arts, Alberta
*Winnipeg Art Gallery, Manitoba
Saidye Bronfman Award
The Saidye Bronfman Award is a Canadian award for fine craft. It is one of the largest individual visual-arts prizes in Canada. The $25,000 annual prize is administered by the Canada Council for the Arts as one of the Governor General’s Awards i ...
, Canada Council, Ottawa, 1992
* Member,
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880.
History 1880 to 1890
The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...
Commissions
Dexter created a raku Donors' Wall for the Saanich Peninsula Municipal Hospital in Victoria, a major public commission in British Columbia.
Academic positions
Dexter was a pottery instructor at a number of academic institutions in Western Canada between 1960 and 1974. From
1967 until 1974 head of Ceramics at the Kootenay School of Arts in Nelson, British Columbia.Notes about Dexter by CBC The other positions that he held were;
*Instructor,
Vancouver Community College
Vancouver Community College is a public community college in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1965, it is the largest and oldest community college in British Columbia, offering 91 certificate programs, 31 diploma programs, and 3 bac ...
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
*Summer Instructor,
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...
, Victoria, British Columbia.
Publications
By Dexter
Murray, Rona and Dexter, Walter; ''The Art of the Earth, an historical, literary and philosophical compilation of extracts and illustrations on clay-working'',Sono Nis Press, December 1979, and
, Paperback, 116 pages.
About Dexter
Amy Gogarty, Book Review - ''Walter Dexter'' by Jonathon Bancroft-Snell in BC Potters Newsletter, 4 May 2102 at p. 11 - ''Walter Dexter'' by Jonathon Bancroft-Snell by Jonathon Bancroft-Snell, Studio Artist Series No.1, Toronto, Ronald P. Frey + Co., 2012, , 190 pages, Publication announcement. edited by Jonathon Bancroft-Snell, Limited edition of 50, including 5 numbered and signed prints, Toronto, Ronald P. Frey + Co., 2012, , 134 pages, Publication Information Walter Dexter by Brian Gibson in Ceramic Art 2009 Walter Dexter by Brian Gibson in Ceramics Monthly December 2008
Administrative positions
Walter Dexter has held a variety of executive positions in arts organizations. In 1978, he was the President of the Craftsmen's Association of British Columbia and a Director of the Canadian Crafts Council. He has also served as President and Vice-President of Ceramists Canada.
Selected exhibitions
Walter Dexter has had a considerable number of exhibitions and shows across Canada as well as in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, England, Finland, Italy, Japan and, the United States.
The following are selected exhibitions and shows.
Solo exhibitions
*''Walter Dexter: Surface and Sculpture'' Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia 1995.
*''Tribute'' was a retrospective exhibition (2007) focusing primarily on Walter's the Torso vases that were the primary focus of the book ''Walter Dexter'' published in 2012.
Group exhibitions
*''International Ceramics Exhibition'', Prague, Czechoslovakia (1962)
*''Abstracts at Home II'' (2012) featuring Painters Eleven artist William Ronald and Walter Dexter, Jonathon Bancroft-Snell Gallery, London, Ontario
Personal life
After his first marriage ended in divorce Dexter moved to British Columbia to take up a teaching position in
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
. While living in Nelson, he met Canadian writer and poet Rona Murray. They were married while he was teaching at the Kootenay School of Art. After he left that position they moved to Surrey and then, in 1975, to
Metchosin
The District of Metchosin is a municipality and community in Greater Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is a coastal community adjacent to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Metchosin is part of the Western ...
on Vancouver Island. There they became part of the arts community. Since the death of his spouse he has lived in
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...
. He continued to work in his studio and participate in the arts community. Walter Dexter RCA died on June 2, 2015, at the age of 83 in Victoria, British Columbia.Obituary /ref>
See also
*
Canadian art
Canadian art refers to the visual (including painting, photography, and printmaking) as well as plastic arts (such as sculpture) originating from the geographical area of contemporary Canada. Art in Canada is marked by thousands of years of hab ...
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of History (french: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of C ...