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David Bierk RCA (June 9, 1944–August 28, 2002) was a renowned American-Canadian painter whose deeply romantic and technically masterful landscapes earned him a lasting place in Canadian art history. Working primarily from his studio in Peterborough, Ontario, Bierk produced atmospheric, invented vistas that evoke both memory and imagination—vast skies, distant horizons, and radiant light rendered with quiet intensity. His landscapes reflect a profound sense of solitude and beauty, standing in contrast to his better-known art historical reinterpretations, and demonstrate the depth and emotional range of his creative vision.
David Bierk; British Columbia Morn, 1987
Born in Appleton, Minnesota, and raised in California, Bierk received his formal training at the California College of Arts and Crafts and completed a Master of Fine Arts in painting and photography at Humboldt State University. In 1971, he immigrated to Canada, where he began teaching in Peterborough before turning to painting full-time. In 1974, he co-founded Artspace, one of Canada’s earliest artist-run centres, playing a key role in the development of contemporary Canadian art through the 1970s and 1980s.
While Bierk is often recognised for his postmodern “Repaintings”—meticulous reinterpretations of works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and other Old Masters framed in modern industrial materials—his landscape paintings remain a vital and celebrated part of his oeuvre. These works are not copies of existing places but poetic inventions, constructed from light, colour, and form to express timeless emotion and reverence for nature. They are marked by a sense of stillness and contemplation, revealing Bierk’s deep understanding of pictorial space and his command of classical technique.
David Bierk; Kawartha Golden Sky, 1991
Bierk exhibited extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and internationally, with major solo exhibitions at Museum London, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York. In 2002, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts organised After History: The Paintings of David Bierk, a retrospective that toured across North America. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, Museum London, Canada Council Art Bank, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, and numerous other public institutions.
Among his most iconic pieces are The Laundromat, A Canadian Interior (1975), Hockey Night in Canada (1975), and a monumental 12-by-8-foot portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that once hung in the Peterborough Memorial Centre. Yet it is often his quietly luminous landscapes—layered with history, invention, and emotional depth—that continue to captivate collectors and viewers alike.
David Bierk, Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 1980
Elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1998 and posthumously awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, David Bierk remains a pivotal figure in Canadian visual culture. His paintings offer a powerful blend of technical skill, philosophical reflection, and emotional resonance, continuing to inspire appreciation across generations.