Vitalities: Reflections on Landscapes by Toni Onley and Arnold Shives

British Columbia-based artists Toni Onley and Arnold Shives each shared a love for landscapes at great heights –achieved by hiking, mountaineering, and even flying above them. Onley once said of their distinct approaches: “We see the same place but come up with very different imagery.” Vitalities brings together selections of each artist’s formidable career to offer reflection and repose in the face of the region’s impressive land, water, and skyscapes.

Whereas Onley’s ability to represent the vast, moody atmosphere of the provinces’ islands and mountains was opened up by flying seaplanes and ski-planes, Shives reached towering heights by climbing. Not only did their ascents differ—so too did their materials. Shives is renowned for his taxonomic representation of mountains, which he achieved through printmaking. Onley, on the other hand, sought to represent the subtle tonal qualities of light which evoked the sensibilities of mist and clouds, and became known mainly for his watercolour landscapes depicting British Columbia coastlines. Nestled within this contrast in their work is the shared inevitable emotional experience of being human and humble among nature.

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