Portraits

The premiere of Portraits, a documentary on Island artist Brian Burke, RCA, will be held at Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown on January 17 at 8 pm. Doors open at 7:30 pm. All are invited to attend and admission is free.

The decade of the 1960s marked a major cultural and political shift in the world. For Island artist Brian Burke and those he grew up with in the streets of Charlottetown, it was an exciting time with lots of laughs, good music, and great friendships.

Brian became one of Canada’s foremost figurative painters with a stellar international reputation. His ties to the people he grew up with were never broken. In tribute to his fond memories, Brian painted a series of portraits of his friends. No doubt many Islanders recall seeing the portraits hanging at Mavor’s lounge at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown for several years.

Portraits focuses on these paintings, Brian, and his friends. The documentary includes parts of a lengthy interview done with Brian before he died, and intimate interviews with all the portrait subjects. Portraits also incorporates archival film footage of Charlottetown from the 1960s. There are old family photographs, along with 1960s high school yearbook images.

The whole piece is held together with music composed and played by internationally celebrated guitarist Don Ross.

Portraits, a film by Island filmmakers Brian Pollard and William Harrington, is a subtle, delicate, and even gentle piece. It shows how the ordinary souls of this world have a rightful and powerful place in the midst of high art. It is innovative in its simplicity and avoids a lot of conventional notions about documentary production.

The storm date is January 24.