Behind the Exhibition

Friends and mentors is an exhibition about the common artistic discoveries of three gifted Alberta lithographers. It is an exploration of their mutual determination to succeed using lithography to enhance their creative expression. It is also testament to their success in establishing lithography as an integral part of Alberta’s visual arts.

It all began with John Snow whose interest in watercolor painting evidentially led him to the life drawing classes of Maxwell Bates in Calgary. The two met in 1946, following World War II and Snow’s return from England as a navigator for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Friendship came naturally and they began to explore artistic avenues together.

In addition to drawing and painting, they soon found themselves experimenting with old apple box ends, plywood and spoons which enabled them to create simple woodblock prints. By 1953, Snow had enough prints to show printmaker Glen Alps, a University of Washington, Seattle professor, who suggested Snow pursue lithography as an ideal medium for his art.

Upon returning to Calgary, Snow looked for existing lithography facilities and found none. Determined to explore the potential of this new medium, Snow visited a business acquaintance, Fred Maxie, at Western Printing and Lithography. For $15, he rescued two lithograph presses from the firm’s junk pile; lithography stones and an ink roller where thrown in free by Maxie. After installing one press in his basement and the other in Bates’, Snow took on the task of educating himself through library books and the help of another colleague, Laurie Duff (Duffoto Photography), who had actually run the presses for Western.

Despite his inexperience, Snow immediately fell in love with the possibilities lithography offered; the presses enabled him to achieve colors far richer than any he could print through woodblock and linocut methods. Snow never did receive formal training in lithography or any other method of printmaking. Instead, he and Bates experimented and read to learn and perfect the various techniques.

After only a year of evening and weekend experimentation, Snow and Bates were making quality lithographs. From the very beginning they collaborated; Snow became the technical expert while Bates encouraged and assisted Snow in his creative development.

Bates was partially paralysed by a stroke in 1961, after which he moved to Victoria; however, the two artists continued to communicate frequently. In all, between 1953 and Bates’ death in 1980, Snow helped produce 60 editions of Bates’ work, in addition to lithographs of his own.

In 1966, Barry Smylie, a Calgary high school student, became Snow’s printing assistant. Smylie helped in the printing of editions for both Snow and Bates by running the press, grinding stones, mixing colors, and eventually pulling prints. Smylie’s exceptional drawing and printmaking skills soon became obvious and he ultimately began creating his own work.

Smylie was the only one of the three artists to pursue formal training in lithography and eventually received a BFA with a major in printmaking. Following graduation in 1971, he rejoined Snow and the two worked side-bye-side for fourteen years. Working in Snow’s basement studio, they exchanged artistic ideas and printing techniques and created a large body of lithographs. In 1985, Smylie moved to Toronto and took with him Snow’s gift of one of the original presses. Like his friends and mentors, Smylie encourages and helps other artists use the press, and extends the tradition of artistic and technical sharing begun by Snow and Bates.

Richard L. White