Header image: Dr. Anthony Clarke
In 2018, Anthony (Tony) Clarke tracked down Paul Deggan who was 85 years old and living with his family on Bowen Island at the time. He learned the following and has given me permission to share it here:
- His Scarfe sculpture is comprised of three separate pieces made of contrasting metals (bronze, aluminum, and brass) and was the result of a competition he won to adorn the entrance to UBC’s new education building in 1964.
- His art is an abstract piece with “organic inspiration.”
- In reference to the composition, Paul said to think of plant forms (for example, the underside of leaves, the forest floor, etc.).
- When Paul was shown the wall on which his work was to be placed he thought it was “a terrible wall, much like a tiled bathroom wall at Victoria Station” in England (Paul is originally from England).
- In designing the sculpture, he attempted to deflect attention from this “terrible wall” and contribute to the sense of place where the building now stands.
- Paul has exhibited widely. However, in the mid-60s he refused to exhibit his art “as a personal reaction to the inane trivialities of contemporary trends in art” at that time.
- Thus he is largely unknown today, although he has continued to teach and practice art since that time.
- In my conversation with him, he shared a great deal about the welding, deliberate patina (e.g., the bronze pieces were submerged in sea water), etc., that gives the shape, texture and form to his sculpture.
My interest in pursuing this inquiry was initiated when an ECNU Chinese student from the three-week program I coordinated in January, 2017 asked: “What is the sculpture on the front of the building?” To my embarrassment, I didn’t know the answer to that question. Now I do.
Anthony Clarke
Addition info:
- Born and educated in England, Paul Deggan came to Vancouver in 1957. In 1980, he and his French-born wife Babette purchased a retreat in Montaigut-le-blanc, France. They later began their Centre Estival des Arts (Summer Centre for the Arts). Deggan has taught painting and drawing, sculpture and design, at Vancouver School of Art and at Capilano College. Babette Deggan came to Canada in 1975 and worked as an assistant in the French Department at Simon Fraser University and then at Capilano College. She is a potter. Deggan wrote and illustrated All Our Summers Are French (Estival Press, 1992). [https://abcbookworld.com/writer/deggan-paul/]
- Paul’s son, Tristan, shares a beautiful tribute to his father:
- (May 18, 2020) How the Hearth is moving forward
https://www.bowenislandundercurrent.com/local-arts/how-the-hearth-is-moving-forward-3122560- “Since 2002, the Deggan family has lived on Bowen Island for part of the year. The summers for the last 40 years were spent in France. This year, it’s a little different (as it is for everyone) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Lock down” has inspired a new excitement for the Bowen woods in spring and a new body of work The Spirit of Place. Some of you may have spotted Paul sketching by the lakeside or in the trails with his signature Tilly Hat and plein air kit. With his many years of creating and teaching, Paul is a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration. This will be a fun and interactive session and may inspire more.”
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