Portraits
Small Narratives
Romanian Debacle is one work consisting of 68 paintings that revolve around events that transpired in 1979 related to the disastrous neglect, by air Canada employees, of an exhibition of Romanian painting called 8 Contemporary Romanian Painters. The sizes of the small works vary but no painting is larger than 7 inches on its longest side.
In 1979 a touring exhibition of Romanian paintings came to Nova Scotia. Organized by the Office for Exhibitions of the Council of Culture and Socialist Education in the Socialist Republic of Romania. Called 8 Contemporary Romanian Painters, the exhibition was comprised of 68 works by, Virgil Almasanu, Sabin Balasa, Horia Bernea, Sever Frentiu, Ion Ghorghiu, Georgeta Naparus Grigorescu, Ion Pacea and Constantine Piliuta. The exhibition traveled to Halifax for exhibition at Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery.
The paintings arrived at the Halifax International Airport where Air Canada employees offloaded the crates containing the work and, for reasons unclear, left them outside on the tarmac for 6 days. The crates were not insulated to withstand the elements. When it rained the paintings inside were quickly soaked. As they arrived at the gallery, There was so much water still running out of the crates that a hallway was flooded. Many of the paintings had water damage and mould had begun to propagate on the damp canvases. Restorers from the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa were sent to Halifax and worked to salvage the paintings from the water damage. Over the course of a month the paintings underwent extensive conservation and restoration. They were briefly exhibited before returning to Romania. Air Canada eventually agreed to pay for the conservation of the paintings.
In 1979 a touring exhibition of Romanian paintings came to Nova Scotia. Organized by the Office for Exhibitions of the Council of Culture and Socialist Education in the Socialist Republic of Romania. Called 8 Contemporary Romanian Painters, the exhibition was comprised of 68 works by, Virgil Almasanu, Sabin Balasa, Horia Bernea, Sever Frentiu, Ion Ghorghiu, Georgeta Naparus Grigorescu, Ion Pacea and Constantine Piliuta. The exhibition traveled to Halifax for exhibition at Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery.
The paintings arrived at the Halifax International Airport where Air Canada employees offloaded the crates containing the work and, for reasons unclear, left them outside on the tarmac for 6 days. The crates were not insulated to withstand the elements. When it rained the paintings inside were quickly soaked. As they arrived at the gallery, There was so much water still running out of the crates that a hallway was flooded. Many of the paintings had water damage and mould had begun to propagate on the damp canvases. Restorers from the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa were sent to Halifax and worked to salvage the paintings from the water damage. Over the course of a month the paintings underwent extensive conservation and restoration. They were briefly exhibited before returning to Romania. Air Canada eventually agreed to pay for the conservation of the paintings.