Jim Robb

Jim Robb
CM
Kissing Buildings by Jim Robb, circa 2015
Born
James I. Robb

1933 (age 90–91)
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Known forPainter
StyleExaggerated truth
AwardsQueen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal; Member of the Order of Canada

James I. Robb CM (born 1933) is a Canadian artist known for his paintings celebrating the life, culture and history of the Yukon.[1]

Early life

Robb was born in 1933 in Quebec City, Quebec, and moved to Montreal with his family when he was six years’ old. In 1955, Robb moved to the Yukon, and currently resides in Whitehorse. Robb worked various jobs in the Yukon until eventually taking up painting.[2][3]

Career

Robb began his artistic career working with pastels and charcoal on raw moose hide, eventually finding his way to watercolour paintings and photography.[2]

Robb attempts to capture the folklore of the Yukon in his paintings,[1] and is widely known for his rustic depictions of contemporary and historic Yukon landmarks and buildings.[4] Robb’s artistic style, known as “exaggerated truth”, takes inspiration from Yukon’s famous lopsided and leaning structures, particularly those found in Dawson City,[5][6] which is exemplified by his 2015 painting, Kissing Buildings.[7][8] Robb’s work is widely featured in books, magazines and newspapers,[9] with originals of his watercolours selling for thousands of dollars (CAD).[6][10][11]

Robb is also the author of The Colourful Five Per Cent, the first volume of which was published in 1984. Each softcover volume contains an assortment of unique photographs, sketches, paintings and essays, and tells the stories of the Yukon’s most extraordinary inhabitants.[12]

Honours

Robb was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002,[13] and appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on October 30, 2003, in recognition of his artistic achievements.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Lerner, Loren Ruth; Williamson, Mary F. (1991). Art and Architecture in Canada: A Bibliography and Guide to the Literature to 1981. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 722. ISBN 978-0-8020-5856-0.
  2. ^ a b "Jim Robb". North End Gallery. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  3. ^ The Alaska Journal. Alaska: Alaska Northwest Publishing Company. 1975. p. 224.
  4. ^ "'Here comes the condos': Iconic Yukon artist depicts changing city". CBC News. 2021-02-20. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  5. ^ Leduc, Heather (2021-11-03). "Jim Robb is still coming up with new ideas". Whatsup Yukon. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  6. ^ a b "Kissing Buildings-Original-Framed-Jim Robb". North End Gallery. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  7. ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca. "Le Yukon à la pointe du crayon". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  8. ^ "Jim Robb Pins - Yukon Transportation Museum". Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  9. ^ a b "Order of Canada". archive.gg.ca. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  10. ^ "Two Man Mining Company-Original-Framed-Jim Robb". North End Gallery. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  11. ^ Bonnay, Vincent (2022-04-03). "Jim Robb has spent a lifetime drawing Yukon history in colourful characters and places". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  12. ^ Plonka, Gabrielle (2020-02-04). "Book on colourful characters to be released tomorrow". Whitehorse Daily Star. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  13. ^ Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. "Mr. Jim Robb". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2022-01-03.