‘This particular collection was significant’: NSCAD receives Jim Dine artwork donation

Jim Dine has donated his artwork to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

Professor Mark Bovey opened a very special gift on March 23, donation of the final proofs and drawings from a Jim Dine series titled ‘55 Portraits.’

“This particular collection was significant to me,” Bovey said to CTV News Atlantic.

The professor says it will be used for teaching purposes, to help students understand the artist’s methods.

“This particular body of work is a body that started with 11 plates that he made, and he made 55 versions of those 11 plates, which required him to draw and push and pull those plates, erase things and work back into them, and to create a body of work that the students could look at and analyze,” Bovey explained.

With these proofs and drawings, Bovey says students can really learn to look closely at a piece.

Bovey has been teaching Dine’s work to students for years. When he heard the artist was going to donate to the University, he jumped at the opportunity.

“I’ve, for a long time, been showing his work through catalogues, and one of the bodies of work that I’ve shown students through these catalogs is this 55-print suite,” said Bovey.

When talks of Dine donating to NSCAD came about, Bovey asked about this body of work. He said Dine’s archivist laughed and told him it was unlikely as they had all sold out.

“Then, Jim wanted to talk to me about it,’” said Bovey.

“We got on the Skype, and he said, well, ‘I hear that you’re interested in my 55 Portrait story.’”

Dine then asked to see the studio where Bovey teaches at NSCAD.

“We walked around the studio and showed him the process and the etching patterns and everything that we do here with the stones and everything.

At that point, Bovey said Dine noticed how serious they were about learning printmaking, and suggested he may have something for them.

“He said, ‘We have these proofs of the plates that we made that we think we’d like to give to you.’ And I was kind of dumbfounded by it.”

When NSCAD received the proofs, students were able to listen to Dine on a video call, which left an impact on third-year student, Ash Oh.

“It also offers a lot for examples,” Oh said.

“Like, the possibilities of print and how we can experiment with it and build on top of what we are taught in first year.”

According to Bovey, Dine was a part of a group of artists who would be considered Pop or Neo-Dada artists in the late 50s and into the 60s, noting his significant role in the move toward drawing.

“Jim Dine is a historical figure of a magnitude that we can only call a star of the New York art world back at a time when it was forming,” said Bovey.

“Drawing being central to almost everything he did, including the way carved in sculpture.”

With ties to NSCAD and the East Coast through his colleagues, this donation from Dine will inspire the next generation.

“This work presents students with the multiple types of methodologies for making it, shows different kinds of papers that can be used there,” said Bovey.

“It really shows, kind of, introspection into Jim’s mind and thinking, which translates to a student feeling comfortable being more playful in their work.”

Bovey said Dine’s work is important reminder, “everything doesn’t have to be tight. We can loosen up and still make really interesting expressions.”

Hearing from the artist at the unboxing gave Oh a new way to think about her art.

“Being un-precious about your drawings and, just, if you’re able to do it once, you can do it one more time,” said Oh.

“Again, I think that was really valuable to hear as a student. Just to be a bit more loose. And these prints and drawings are definitely reflective of that.”

Dine’s collection is expected to be used in a public exhibit this fall at the Anna Leonowens Gallery in Halifax.

In the meantime, Bovey and other professors will be able to borrow pieces to continue to teach.

“It’s not every day someone gets a hold of you and says, ‘We’re interested in your institution, and we’d love to give something to you.’ So, it’s special,” said Bovey.

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