Julian Forrest
Contact
Associate Professor, Augustana - Fine Arts & Humanities
- jforrest@ualberta.ca
- Address
-
H146 Hoyme Complex
4901-46 AveCamrose ABT4V 2R3
- jforrest@ualberta.ca
Overview
About
Julian Forrest, BFA, MFA, resides in Edmonton, Alberta and serves as both an artist and Associate Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Alberta’s Augustana campus. He has shown as part of the Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art (2007) as well as in numerous national and international exhibitions. His paintings are held in several public collections, notably the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and have earned him multiple distinctions, including three Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Awards and the 2014 Eldon & Anne Foote Edmonton Visual Arts Prize.
In June of 2023, Forrest flew to Svalbard (Norway) where he joined 28 other artists from around the world aboard the Antigua, a traditionally rigged Barquentine sailing ship. As part of the Arctic Circle Residency he and his shipmates circumvented as much of the archipelago as ice would allow, frequently heading to land on zodiac boats to explore and make artwork based on glaciers, moraine, abandoned whaling and hunting refuges, wildlife, and other eroding elements in the region. For Forrest, the residency was an opportunity to explore the relationship between internal and external landscapes. More about this below.
Research
Forrest's work often centers on the physical and cultural shifts in landscapes caused by our drive for expansion and conquest. Previously that meant the west (Forrest lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada’s petrochemical epicentre) where inexorable shifts occur with the influx to oil-rich centres. More recently it has meant the far north, where the accelerating pace of environmental change evokes a sense of urgency. During his time in Svalbard, Norway, in 2023, Forrest documented scenes of abandoned whaling and hunting sites, wildlife, coal mines, cemeteries, and melting icebergs. His current paintings and photographs reflect on themes of transformation and loss — whether human, animal, or mineral — exploring the intricate web of erosion, consumption, burial, and decay that defines the complex relationship between humans and the environment. For much more, including visual examples of work, please see his professional website listed below.
Teaching
In any one year at Augustana, I teach Drawing courses (Art 131, 230, 232), Painting courses (171, 270, 272) and depending on the year, courses at the senior level
Courses
AUART 131 - Drawing I: A Basic Toolkit
An introductory course focused exclusively on the practice of drawing. Historical and contemporary techniques are used to explore a balance of directly observed, and photography-based, subject matter. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUART 121 and AUART 231 (2024). Requires payment of additional student instructional support fees. Refer to the Fees Payment Guide in the University Regulations and Information for Students section of the Calendar.
AUART 171 - Painting I: A Basic Toolkit (Oil)
Painting from the ground up. The course introduces painting techniques in oil media. Perceptual and conceptual problems are based on historical and contemporary practices with an emphasis on personal creativity. Critical analysis of art is a component. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUART 171 and AUART 271 (2024). Requires payment of additional student instructional support fees. Refer to the Fees Payment Guide in the University Regulations and Information for Students section of the Calendar.
AUART 230 - Special Topics in Drawing
An introductory drawing course that explores contemporary themes germane to other disciplines.
AUART 232 - Drawing II: The Figure
Further exploration of drawing practice with the application of observational and conceptual skills that focuses on the figure. Includes an examination of anatomy, the portrait, and the expressive potential of the human form. Prerequisite: One of AUART 111, 131, 230, or 231 (2024). Requires payment of additional student instructional support fees. Refer to the Fees Payment Guide in the University Regulations and Information for Students section of the Calendar.
AUART 272 - Painting II: Advanced Painting
Advanced painting course that further develops techniques (in oil) and concepts with a focus on contemporary practices, leading to self-initiated projects. Prerequisite: AUART 171 or AUART 271 (2024) or approval of instructor based on a portfolio submission. Requires payment of additional student instructional support fees. Refer to the Fees Payment Guide in the University Regulations and Information for Students section of the Calendar.
AUART 331 - Drawing III: Contemporary Ideas in Drawing
Senior drawing course that further develops techniques and concepts with a focus on contemporary practices leading to self- initiated projects. Prerequisite: AUART 230, 231 or 232. Requires payment of additional student instructional support fees. Refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations section of the Calendar.