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Aspects of Wood v i s u a l arts | by C a r o l e Badgley For Robert B u c k h a m , a m e m b e r of t h e Prisoner of W a r Society, a n d author/Illustrator of forced March to Freedom, art played a key role In f e e d i n g h i s spirit a n d s o u l w h i l e h e w a s a Royal C a n a d i a n A i r Force (RCAF) Prisoner of W a r (POW) in G e r m a n y d u r i n g WWII. M y i n t r o d u c t i o n to B u c k h a m w a s t h r o u g h a n artist referral in A u g u s t 1 9 9 9 . It w a s d u r i n g m y studio visit w i t h B u c k h a m that I learned of his ordeal d u r i n g t h e Second W o r l d War. A s my m o t h e r a n d her parents h a d b e e n interned for three years in Siberia a n d d i d n o t discuss their bleak p e r i o d of internment, I b e c a m e intrigued w i t h B u c k h a m ' s life. I sensed that his t a l e n t for d r a w i n g a n d p a i n t i n g c o u l d w e l l be t h e factor t h a t kept h i m alive. B u c k h a m ' s art career b e g a n d u r i n g t h e century's m o s t e c o n o m i cally depressed decade, t h e 1930's. He e x p l a i n s " d u r i n g that period the majority of e m p l o y e d artists w e r e hired by e n g r a v i n g plants or w e r e in a variety of s p e c i a l i z e d studios s u p p o r t e d by advertising a g e n cies. O n Sundays, hence t h e t e r m 'Sunday painters,' they w o u l d leave the city b e h i n d a n d , in t h e countryside, give vent to their need for self expression." WOOD SPIRIT, 2 0 " X 24", ACRYLIC In t h e late '30's, B u c k h a m w a s invited to join a M o n t r e a l advertising agency as art director. This o p p o r t u n i t y w a s cut short as B u c k h a m j o i n e d t h e R C A F t o train as a pilot in 1 9 4 1 . Eventually shot d o w n over G e r m a n y , he spent more than t w o years as a Prisoner of W a r in Stalag Luft III d u r i n g w h i c h time he, together w i t h t w o other artists, m a n a g e d t o o r g a n i z e an art exhibition for t h e t a l e n t e d prisoners in t h e c a m p . Inevitably, he w a s asked t o forge papers for t h e c a m p ' s escape o r g a n i z a t i o n . A t t h e c o n c l u s i o n of t h e War, B u c k h a m e n r o l l e d in t h e Pratt Institute in B r o o k l y n for a refresher course a n d then returned to M o n t r e a l t o r e s u m e his a d v e r t i s i n g career a n d c o n t i n u e t o paint. W h e n he a c c e p t e d the p o s i t i o n as art director w i t h C o c k f i e l d A RTS C L U B T HEATRE C OMPANY B r o w n A d v e r t i s i n g Agency, w h i c h w a s e m e r g i n g as o n e of Canada's major agencies, B u c k h a m e m b a r k e d u p o n " t h e m o s t s t i m u l a t i n g a n d e n d u r i n g p e r i o d of my career, lasting for twenty-three years. A h o m e studio w a s a l w a y s available to ensure that p a i n t i n g continued a l o n g w i t h t h e d e m a n d s of c o m m e r c e . " In 1 9 8 4 , a n O t t a w a publisher p r o d u c e d the journal that B u c k h a m m a n a g e d t o m a i n t a i n w h i l e m a r c h i n g w e s t w a r d from the P O W camp in 1 9 4 5 . Every prisoner h a d been issued w i t h a small blank book that, fortunately, w a s small e n o u g h for B u c k h a m t o keep in his pocket. Throughout t h e m a r c h he w a s able t o record the scenes before h i m "in sketches a n d w o r d s as time a n d o p p o r t u n i t y a l l o w e d . " The Do Real Friends Tell The Truth? A Sharp Comedy about Men, Taste, and "Art" starring Tom McBeath Morris Panych Daryl Shuttleworth directed by Yasmina Reza Christopher Hampton C a n a d i a n W a r M u s e u m in O t t a w a has over o n e h u n d r e d of Buckham's w o r k s for its p e r m a n e n t c o l l e c t i o n . Currently, D a v i d Paperny Films of V a n c o u v e r is p r o d u c i n g a d o c u m e n t a r y f i l m , t o be released this year, based o n B u c k h a m ' s b o o k Forced David Storch Ken MacDonald March 15-May 6 Co-sponsored by March to Freedom. B u c k h a m ' s current e x h i b i t i o n at the Seymour A r t Gallery is the c u l m i n a t i o n of five year's w o r k . It does not depict w a r scenes. It depicts the artist's f a s c i n a t i o n w i t h w o o d that d e v e l o p e d d u r i n g a m e m o r a b l e sketching trip to the Rouge River in Quebec. "The sun w a s shining a n d the river w a s in spring f l o o d . A s I a p p r o a c h e d the area, I set & costume design by lighting design by Alan Brodie sound design by John McCulloch C C & L TAP n o t i c e d a g r o u p of a g e d l o g cabins that h a d collapsed nearby, roofless, totally w e a t h e r beaten, c r u m b l i n g . Forest surrounded the site; a rotting snake rail fence s a g g e d nearby, quite uselessly o n g u a r d . The silence w a s only broken by t h e rhythm of t h e rushing river. The presence of the w o o d d o m i n a t e d t h e site. W o o d , e l e m e n t a l , ever present. I sat d o w n and began to work." Stanimi Granville @12th THEATREp Ticketmaster 2 8 0 - 3 3 1 1 · BoxOffice 6 8 7 - 1 6 4 4 Corporate & Group Sales 687-531S · www.artsclub.com IHFI'MljtHlSIV 1 % "fcCS" CSC Hl Tele Aspects of Wood is on \ i at the Seymour Art Gallery to March 25. Opening reception is I ch 4, 2-4 pm. March I April