Ken Danby: 1940-2007 (updated)

Ken Danby, the Sault-born contemporary realist painter best known for his depictions of athletes, has died at the age of 67.

Relatives here in Sault Ste. Marie have been advised that Danby died yesterday in Algonquin Park.

Cause of death is believed to have been a heart attack.

"What a shock," said Michael Burtch, director and curator of the Art Gallery of Algoma, when advised this morning by SooToday.com of Danby's passing.

"He’s the last person in the world you would expect. He was so young and healthy. He was really athletic and active."

Burtch had curated one exhibition of Danby's work and had been talking to the artist about another show here in the Sault. Danby's 1972 egg tempera At the Crease [shown] hangs in countless homes throughout the Sault and is regarded as somewhat of a national icon.

He was a member of the governing board of the Canada Council from 1985 to 1991, a trustee of the National Gallery of Canada from 1991 to 1995 and was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Laurentian University in 1997.

Danby was a member of both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada, and last year was one of the initial inductees to Sault Ste. Marie's Walk of Fame.

Wikipedia reports that "his son Noah Danby is an actor and has been in various commercials and movies. Currently his son plays Connor on the hit scifi drama Painkiller Jane."

Two years ago, Danby returned to his hometown to appear at the Art Gallery of Algoma's 25th anniversary celebrations.

"I grew up in one of the best parts of the world," he said at that event. "It's pretty hard not to get inspiration from that."

The following is the artist's official biography, which is reprinted here with permission of Greg McKee, Danby's studio manager:

************************* Ken Danby was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on March 6, 1940, the second son of Gertrude and Edison Danby.

His brother, Marvin, four years his senior, displayed natural abilities and interest in creating art as a teenager, which he later set aside.

Ken credits Marvin's early interest with inspiring his own.

Their parents were very supportive when Ken's artistic skills expanded throughout his elementary years at Cody Public School, where he became known as "the school artist," and they soon became aware of the serious degree of his interest.

When he was 10 years old, in Grade 6, he informed them that he wanted to become an artist, and that a guidance teacher had advised him of a school called the Ontario College of Art, where he could study art.

Eight years later, in 1958, he enrolled.

Despite certain anxieties for their son's future, Gertrude and Edison resolved to continue their support for Ken's ambitions as he was unwavering in his determination.

Even when he quit the college two years later, he did so with a belief that for him, it was the right decision.

Ken then began his personal odyssey at the age of 20, to not only learn and grow independently as an artist, but to somehow support himself through his artistic abilities.

It was a struggle, but he persevered through a multitude of art related jobs over the next three years, all the while nurturing his personal exploration of various directions in his painting and drawing.

In 1963, after having returned to a representational focus in his work, and needing some reinforcement of his convictions in this regard, Danby arranged to review his work with gallery owner, Walter Moos, of Toronto.

Moos was positive and supportive when his keen eye recognized the artist's exceptional abilities.

In 1964, Gallery Moos presented Danby's first one-man show, which promptly sold out and set an example that was repeated and surpassed over many years.

So began an artist-dealer relationship that continues today - even though Gallery Moos is no longer Danby's "exclusive" representative.

Over the years, Danby and Moos have presented many one-man exhibitions and the artist has participated in numerous group shows internationally.

Major collectors, including private, corporate and museum collections, responded enthusiastically and the artist is today recognized internationally as one of the world's foremost realist painters - as well as being one of Canada's best known artists.

His rural property includes a grand 1856 stone mill beside the river, overlooked by the original miller's stone house, a horse stable, and a renovated barn building, which serves as an office for his publishing company.

Together with his wife, and favourite model, Gillian, he enjoys the privacy of his scenic and historic surroundings which have often been reflected in his paintings.

The recipient of many awards and honours, Ken Danby continues to respond to his personal experiences with unique and creative dedication.

Whenever he's asked to identify his best work, or his favourite, his answer remains the same - "my next one".

Ken Danby is one of only a few contemporary artists who have created paintings that make the transition from artwork to cultural icon.

While the popularity of his work and his contributions to the arts make him a celebrity in Canada, it is his outstanding timeless images that have earned him international recognition as one of the foremost realist artists.

Where some see only an incredible attention to detail, others are aware of the artist's greater accomplishment... the presence, the life and the emotion which emanates from each meticulously composed image.

Studying a Ken Danby painting is more than experiencing fine art.

It is sharing in the artist's response to his own experience.

Ken Danby's work has been the subject of several popular books, including Ken Danby, published by Clarke Irwin, Danby: Images of Sport, published by MacMillan of Canada, and Ken Danby: The New Decade published by Stoddart.

He is listed in numerous reference publications such as Who's Who in Canada, Who's Who in America, Dictionary of International Biography, Who's Who in American Art, Canadian Encyclopedia, and Contemporary Artists.

Many public institutions hold Ken Danby's originals in their collections, including The Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum in New York, The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Oklahoma Art Centre, The Governor General of Canada, Vancouver Art Gallery, University of California Art Gallery, The City of Jerusalem, Israel and the Bradford City Art Gallery in England.

Ken Danby is an elected member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

Among the many awards he has received are the Jessie Dow Prize, the 125th Anniversary Commemorative Medal of Canada, and spanning twenty-five years of recognition, both the Queen's Silver and Golden Jubilee Medals.

He has been invested in both the Order of Ontario, and the Order of Canada, the province's and country's highest and most prestigious honours.

************************* Full SooToday.com coverage of this story

Ken Danby: 1940-2007 Statement from Michael Burtch on death of Ken Danby OPP says Danby collapsed on canoe trip