Peter Gough
Peter Gough (1947-2020) - Biography
Born in 1947, Peter Gough made his studio on the south shore of Nova Scotia. He began his art education at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, having received a scholarship to the college in 1969. Three years later, Gough attended Andrews University in Michigan, USA and continued his fine art education under the influence of sculpture Allan Collins, who designed the Kennedy Memorial for John F. Kennedy at Runnymede.
Gough exhibited in the United States, Scotland, England and Canada. He is represented in galleries across Canada and the US. His works are in many private, corporate and public collections throughout Europe, the United States and Canada. One of his paintings was presented to his Royal Highness, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh on his royal tour to Canada in 1997. In 1992 Peter was awarded the Canada 125 medal for the creation of the Canada 125 logo. Sadly, the artist passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer.
Selected Public Collections:
Acadia University, K.C. Irving Environmental Science Center, Nova Scotia
Newfoundland Trailway Council/ Trans Canada Trail
City of Aberdeen, Scotland
Parks Association, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
City Museum & Art Gallery of Bristol, England
Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, Art Procurement Program, 1997
Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, Parks Division
HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Government of Nova Scotia Art Bank
Beaverbrook Art Gallery-Permanent Collection
Artist Specialization: A realist painter, Gough is influenced by his rural surroundings and is constantly aware of the challenges it faces by urban progress. Firmly rooted in the physical reality of the places he chooses, at a moment in time, his paintings are imbued with a luminosity that transcends realism: "My goal as an artist has not been to merely create a detailed likeness of the landscape. Rather I am looking for a dimension, a personality, a mood that resides in each of the places that I paint. And I hope my work encourages the viewer to give serious thought to humanity’s relationship to our natural surroundings – our need to respect, to revere nature. Although my paintings have been inspired by real places, they serve as metaphors for me, a narrative of my life, about who I am and what's important to me and how I see myself as part of the natural world. I like to paint large canvases, their epic size doing justice to the grandeur of the subject matter- landscapes and seascapes in the romantic landscape tradition. The depiction of light is integral to my painting, and reflects my appreciation for the work of the 'luminists' and the Hudson River school." - Peter Gough
