OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.- The National Gallery of Canada presents Christopher Pratt, on view through January 8, 2006. Many Canadian artists have created works that capture the unique qualities of the northern landscape and express deep attachment to their surroundings. Few have done this with such abiding passion and commitment as Christopher Pratt. The National Gallery of Canada is proud to mark the 70 th birthday of one of Canada's most celebrated painters with Christopher Pratt , a major exhibition representing his achievements over the last four decades.

Born in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1935, Pratt has lived most of his life on the Island and proudly asserts his East Coast origins. With an eye always to his environment, he has created some of the most memorable and cherished images in contemporary Canadian art.

The National Gallery has a longstanding and special relationship with Christopher Pratt. In 1961, the print Boat in Sand was selected for the Gallery's 4 th Biennial Exhibition and was later acquired for the collection. Since then, the gallery has built an important collection of Pratt's paintings and prints, including the recent major work, Deer Lake: Junction Brook Memorial . In 2003, the National Gallery collaborated with the Canadiana Fund State Art Collection, Ottawa, to present and tour the exhibition of prints, Christopher Pratt: Places I Have Been.

Following on that exhibition, Christopher Pratt is unique in highlighting the artist's recent production and focusing on his paintings; some sixty canvases produced between 1964 and 2004 are featured, with an emphasis on work from the last twenty years. Study drawings for seven major paintings reveal the evolution of Pratt's images over the course of his creative process. Whether he depicts landscapes, seascapes, boats, buildings, or the female figure, over the last two decades Pratt's work has continued to evolve as the artist now takes a more direct approach, working less from memories of places and events, and more from his immediate experiences and his surroundings.

The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Canada and was made possible thanks to the generous support of David Marshall.