Walter BACHINSKIPrevious ArtistNext Artist

Walter Bachinski was born in 1939 in Ottawa. He worked closely with Frederick Hagan at the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1965, and went on to complete his Master's Degree at the University of Iowa under the direction of Mauricio Lasansky in 1967. Shortly thereafter he began teaching at the University of Guelph, gaining tenure in 1970 and progressing through the ranks to Full Professor in 1984. At that time he began reducing his teaching, eventually leaving the University in 1994.

Bachinski has travelled extensively throughout his career, at first studying the mural work of Orozco and Siquerios in Mexico and later the museums of Europe to see first hand the great works of the past. Eventually he focused on the masterpieces (particularly French) of the late 19th and early 20th century art housed in collections in France and the United States.

The very early work was primarily black and white and concentrated on the areas of printmaking and drawing. He began working on sculpture in the round and relief in the early 1970s. In 1975 Bachinski introduced the Mother and Child theme and shortly thereafter the Artist and Model. His work continued to evolve, becoming more classical in style; his exploration of colour in pastels, leading to his re-examination of the possibilities of still life, began in 1978-79 during an extended stay in France. Since 1994, Walter Bachinski has devoted himself exclusively to his art in his studio in Shanty Bay, Ontario.

Birth Date

1939, Ottawa, Ont.

Education         

  • 1967
    • Masters Degree, University of  Iowa, under the direction of Mauricio Lasansky.
  • 1965
    • Graduated from the Ontario College of Art.

Work Experience

  • 1967
    • Began lecturing at the University of Guelph, gaining tenure in l970, and progressing through the ranks to a full-professorship.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

  • 1996
    • Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Ont.
    • Walter Bachinski: A Fifteen Year Survey of Prints, Erindale College, University of Toronto.
  • 1995
    • Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ont.
  • 1993
    • Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Que.
  • 1992
    • Bachinski: Still Life - Ten Years, McLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ont.
    • Drabinsky Gallery, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1991
    • Approaching Classicism, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Ont
    • Heffel Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
  • 1990
    • Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ont.
  • 1989
    • Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ont.
    • Heffel Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
  • 1987
    • Gallery Moos, Toronto, Ont
  • 1986
    • Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ont.
    • Gallery Moos, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1985
    • Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Ont.
  • 1984
    • Galerie l'Art Francais, Montreal, Que.
    • Gallery Moos, Toronto, Ont.
    • Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ont.
  • 1982
    • Gallery Moos, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1981
    • Walter Bachinski Sculpture and Drawing Retrospective, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ont. 
    • West End Gallery, Edmonton, Alta.
    • Keenlyside Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
  • 1980
    • Gallery Moos, Calgary, Alta
  • 1979
    • Gallery, Moos, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1977
    • Gallery Moos, Toronto, Ont.
- Bachinski: Work from l966 to l976, Exposition regionale/Regional Tour: Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Stratford Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Rodman Hall, St. Catharine's, University of Guelph.

Selected Solo Exhibitions continued

  • 1975
    • Gallery l640, Montreal, Que.
  • 1974
    • Mazelow Gallery, Toronto, Ont.
    • Peter Hess Gallery, Hamilton, Ont.
  • 1972-73
    • Bachinski: 1967 to 1972, Exposition regionale/Regional Tour: Acadia University, Wolfville, N.S./N.E., Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, Memorial University Art Gallery, St. John's, Nfld./Terre-Neuve.
    • 1971Mazelow Gallery, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1967
    • University of Iowa, Iowa City.
    • Ontario College of Art, Toronto, Ont.

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 1995
    • Printmakers at Riverside, Exposition itinerante/Travelling exhibition, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.  
    • One Year Later...Additions to the Permanent Collection, North York Art Gallery.
  • 1993
    • Practice and Pedagogy, London Regional Art Museum, London, Ont.
    • Regional Art Museum, London, Ont.
    • A Show of CATS: The Feline in Art, Prior Editions, Vancouver, B.C.
  • 1992
    • The Print Defined, The Blyth Art Gallery, Blyth, Ont. - Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Que.
  • 1990
    • Red, Durham Art Gallery, Ontario
  • 1989
    • Blue, Durham Art Gallery, Ontario
  • 1988
    • Yellow, Durham Art Gallery, Ontario.
    • The Object is the Object, Georgian College, Barrie, Ont.
  • 1986
    • V Bienal americana de artes graficas, Museo de Arte Moderno, Cali, Colombia.
  • 1985
    • Celebrating 20 Years: l965-l985, University of Guelph Faculty of Fine Arts, MacDonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph.
  • 1983-84
    • The Hand Holding the Brush: Self-Portraits by Canadian Artists, London Regional Art Gallery.  Tournee nationale/National Tour.
  • 1982
    • Variations: 29 by 9, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario.  Tournee regionale/Regional Tour.
    • Art for Architecture, The MacDonald Gallery, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1980
    • Sculpture from Public Collections in Ontario: l950-l980, Burlington Cultural Centre, Ont.
  • 1977 
    • Visitors, Exiles and Residents: Artists since l827, University of Guelph, Ont.
  • 1976
    • Spectrum Canada. (Jury) Itinerante/Travelling.  Royal Canadian Academy/ Academie royal du Canada.
    • Portraits on Paper, Morris Gallery, Toronto, Ont.
    • Four Canadian Printmakers, Central Washington State College, Ellensburg, Washington. 
    • Ontario Now, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ont.
    • International Sculptures, Gallery Moos, Toronto, Ont.
    • Of Human Bondage, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Exposition itinerante/Travelling Exhibition.
  • 1974
    • 5e Biennale internationale de la gravure, (Jury) Cracovie, Pologne.
    • Commonwealth Art Gallery, London, England.
    • Bachinski, Urquart, Weinstein, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.
    • Contemporary Canadian Prints & Drawings, McMaster University Art Gallery, Hamilton, Ont.
    • IV International Biennial of Graphic Art, Florence, Italy.
    • Graphics Canadian, Art Gallery of Ontario, Itinerante/Travelling.
  • 1973
    • Canadian Printmakers, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ont.
  • 1972
    • Three Canadian Printmakers, Art Gallery of Brant, Brantford.- XI Bienniale of Prints and Drawings, Lugano, Switzerland.
  • 1971
    • Exposition internationale des arts graphiques, (Jury) Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal, Que.
  • 1970
    • Canadian Graphics, Canadian Society of Graphic Art, Toronto, Ont. 
    • Adams and Yves Gallery, Toronto.
  • 1969
    • Young American Printmakers, Southern Methodist University, Texas.
  • 1968-69
    • Three Printmakers, National Gallery of Canada, Itinerante/Travelling.
  • 1968
    • 35th Annual Exhibition, Canadian Society of Graphic Art, London, Ont.
  • 1967
    • 38th Northwest Printmakers International Exhibition, Seattle, Wash.
Books
  • 1989
    • Burnett, David, Cineplex Odeon: The First Ten Years, Cineplex Odeon Corporation, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1989
    • Burnett, David, Cineplex Odeon Corporation, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1984
    • Bayer, Fern, The Ontario Collection, Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Toronto.
  • 1982
    • Parkin, Jeanne and Boyle, William, Ed., Art in Architecture (Art for the Built Environment in the Province of Ontario), Visual Arts of Ontario, Toronto.
  • 1980
    • Morris, Jerrold, l00 Years of Canadian Drawings, Methuen, Toronto.

Catalogues

  • 1996
    • Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Que.
  • 1992
    • Moore, William, Walter Bachinski: Still Life - Ten Years, McLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ont. Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, Ont
  • 1981
    • Cumming, Glen, Tritschler, Dr. Thomas & Plaskett, Joe, Walter Bachinski: Sculpture and Drawing, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ont.
  • 1976
    • Ihrig, Robert & Duval, Paul, Bachinski: A Decade, Kitchener, Ont.
  • 1972
    • Weinstein, Alan, Walter Bachinski, Nova Scotia Art Gallery & Museum, Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Public Commissions

  • 1992
    • Mines & Minerals Research Centre, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ont.
  • 1988
    • Cineplex Odeon Theatre, Kitchener, Ont
  • 1985
    • Donald Forster Sculpture Park, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Ont.
  • 1984
    • Maclean Hunter Building, College Park, Toronto, Ont.
  • 1980
    • Mohawk College, Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton, Ont.
  • 1977
    • Kitchener Court House
  • 1975
    • University of Waterloo

Honours, Awards, and Grants

  • 1982
    • Canada Council Short-Term Grant to study in France/Bourse a court terme du Conseil canadien des arts, pour etudes en France.
  • 1978-79
    • Canada Council Materials Grant/Bourse pour materiaux du Conseil Canadien des arts. 
    • Arts Council of Ontario Grant/Bourse du Conseil des arts d'Ontario.
  • 1974
    • Premio dell'instituto Bancario S. Paolo di Tuono, (Prize/Prix), V Biennale (Graphic Arts/arts graphiques), Florence
  • 1973
    • University of Guelph Research advisory Board Grant/Bourse pour etudes.
    • Merit Prize, Los Angeles Printmaking Society, International Exhibition.
  • 1971
    • University of Guelph Research Advisory Board Grant/Bourse pour etudes. 
    • Prix Albert Dumouchel, Exposition, Internationale d'art graphique, Montreal.
  •  1969
    • Canada Council Short-Term Grant, for the production of Litho portfolio After Birth/Bourse a court terme du Conseil canadien des arts, pour la production d'un folio de lithographies After Birth.  Printed by / Imprime par George C. Miller and Son, New York.
Public Collections

Affaires externes/External Affairs, Canada       

Art Gallery of Brant, Brantford, Ont.

Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ont.                          

Athabasca University, Alberta

Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal                 

Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa

Cineplex Odeon Limited, Toronto                   

Civic Museum, Lugano, Suisse/Switz.

Collection Claridge, Montreal                          

Garth Drabinsky Collection, Toronto

Esso Resources Ltd., Calgary                          

Ford Centre Art Gallery, North York

Gallery Stratford, Stratford, Ont.                     

General Foods of Canada, Toronto

Georgian College, Barrie, Ont.                         

Guaranty Trust, Toronto

Government of Ontario

Hammerson Canada Inc.

Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Ont.               

A.E. Lepage Ltd., Toronto

Los Angeles Printmaking Society                       

Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo

McMaster University, Hamilton                         

Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax

Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal                 

Robert McLaughlin Art Centre, Oshawa

Norcen Energy, Calgary                                     

OMERS, Toronto

Rothmans of Canada Collection, Toronto

Rodmans of Canada Collection, Toronto

Royal Bank of Canada                                      

Shell Canada Collection

Sun Life Insurance of Canada                            

University of Guelph

University of Iowa                                             

University of Lethbridge

University of Manitoba                                      

University of Windsor

Uffizi Gallery, Florence                                      

Vancouver Art Gallery