Headbones Gallery is pleased to host “Beyond Narrative” an exhibition by Michael Bjornson with an opening reception on Saturday, June 21 from 6 until 8:30 PM with the artist in attendance.

Born in Vancouver, Bjornson went to UBC for a degree in Art History and then a second degree from UBC in Architecture. He was a practicing architect for many years as well as being involved in the film business in Vancouver. He opened the Third Street Gallery which he curated and directed for ten years and then joined forces with Sherri Kajawara in Bjornson Kajawara Gallery. Both galleries were renowned for contemporary and often edgy art works. He subsequently attended and graduated from Emily Carr at the same time as the Young Romantics.  When the gallery closed in 2010 he immersed himself in creating. His philosophy is inclusive and he has a working relationship with artists Kitty Blandy and Geoff Carter collaborating on paintings, drawings and installations. “Beyond Narrative” brings to the fore recent solo paintings.

Bjornson's haunting portraits, somewhat reminiscent of the work of Edward Munch or Francis Bacon, depict man in a sociological framework that points to a potential for isolation. He also brings a psychological presence into the picture that is as palpable as the portrait. The feeling of psychosis is not an active, violent, or disturbed concentration, however, but a poignant and beautiful appreciation of melancholy. Like Goethe’s young Werther the sentiment is drenched in perfumed romance.

Perhaps it is the time spent working in film that brings a sense of drama to his paintings. As Bjornson endeavors to develop visual narratives, he frequently moves back and forth with images, ultimately reaching an edited and/or reconstructed version that suggests a time of acceptance. Michael Bjornson’s identification with story-telling moves beyond the physical plane to evoke a more colourful and complex set of personalities. He creates a world peopled with characters who appear to have colourful foibles and in doing so he invites us into the picture as well.