The works of Marsha Whiddon

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/09/2016 (3342 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The best friend and creative partner of the late Marsha Whiddon is reviving her art for public viewing.

River Heights resident Randal Newman has curated an exhibit of Whiddon’s work titled I had a Friend who Painted Dogs, featuring over a dozen pieces that have been hidden for nearly three decades. The show opened at Warehouse Artworks (222 McDermot Ave.) on Sept. 2.

Whiddon died in 1988 at the age of 34 after years of struggling with persistent lymphoma and melanoma. The young painter and printmaker from Kenora, Ont. was on the cusp of a brilliant career in visual arts, Newman said.

“She will get a footnote in art history, even in her short career. Had she stayed around she would have been a national artist,” Newman said.

Newman and Whiddon met in art school at the University of Manitoba in the late 1970s and became inseparable. The two shared studio space and frequently collaborated on work. Eventually, they purchased a home in Wolseley which they transformed into their own studio.

“It got to the point where not only would we finish each other’s sentences, we would finish each other’s paintings,” Newman said.

However, the context that framed the pair’s friendship was grim. Whiddon knew her diagnosis was fatal though Newman said they didn’t discuss death until the end.  

“All through the time I knew Marsha, her imminent death was always on both our minds. So we made the most of the time we had,” he said.

Rod Sasaki, owner of Warehouse Artworks, said he is pleased to display Whiddon’s work in his gallery. The exhibit is part of First Fridays in The Exchange District and is free to see.

“A lot of artists who were practicing at that time (1980s) were aware of her, and admired her too,” Sasaki said. “The work people will be seeing is really quite something. It’s very skilled in terms of form and shape.

“This particular theme is very attractive, even if you like dogs or don’t like dogs,” he added. “Just the way she portrayed the dogs, her colour, the dynamics of the piece, it’s really skilled.”

Whiddon’s emotions and feelings were always evident in her work, Newman noted, resulting in scary, funny, and bright pieces that reflected her wit and dark humour. For the current exhibit, he’s chosen pieces from the periods where Whiddon was present in the moment and “between mortal thoughts.”

Newman recently sold the Wolseley studio the two shared and while packing, revisited Whiddon’s large collection of works. Newman said he was reminded of her brilliance and was bothered that he hadn’t done something to share her story sooner.

“(After her death) I just took all the work and kept it really close,” he said. “When I was moving I unearthed a lot of things that I hadn’t seen for a long time. I knew they were there and it was a comfort to me.”

Now, almost 30 years after her death, Newman is carrying on Whiddon’s legacy and once again helping his friend complete her portrait.  

“I need to put this work up and look at it as it stands as an artistic achievement, and remind people that there was a great artist who passed,” he said.

I had a Friend who Painted Dogs runs at Warehouse Artworks until Sept. 17.