atHOME Victoria Issue 1 Feb. 2015 | Page 53

uthrie Gloag is an artist and a biologist. Raised in British Columbia, he collects driftwood from various locations around the coast (Savory Island and Quadra are his favourite spots) to incorporate into his expressive, true to life sculptures of animals and humans. He also uses found bone, concrete and steel to capture specific character traits of the forms he creates. The animals that he assembles tend to be native to the northwest coast. G Gloag is an emerging talent, starting his creative process only in 2011, but people are definitely taking notice. Guthrie’s background as a biologist is noticeable; his intimate knowledge and interpretation of animal anatomy is striking in its accuracy, and yet poetic. Each piece is crafted without a subframe and the pieces of wood remain unaltered—the rough patina of the wood gives his work much of its character. His oeuvre continues to evolve with each piece he embarks on and never fails to render one speechless. His animals—stalking, graceful predators or regal perched ravens with intricate plumage— literally turn heads. His work is arresting. Every day, people stop in their tracks and stare at his work through the windows of the gallery, until seeing it up close becomes a necessity. atHOME Victoria