Art Gallery of Newfoundland and
Labrador (AGNL)
Shaped by the Sea
Permanent Collections
Considered to be one of Canada's foremost painters, Pratt's style of art continues to defy easy categorization by both supporters and critics. His work has been called realism, magic realism and even abstract realism, while others have profoundly disagreed with labelling his art as being "realist." Pratt himself likes to refer to his artwork as representational.
The man who generates all this debate was born in St. John's in 1935. His childhood there influenced the kind of work he would produce later in life. Pratt says he started painting to cope with the things going on around him. His wife, Mary, stated in an interview that Pratt's artistic passion for order comes from the total chaos of his childhood.
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Study for Family Portrait 1960 Gouache on Paper Unknown Dimensions 
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Pratt moved to New Brunswick in 1953 to attend Mount Allison University in Sackville. While there he tried different degree programs including English, biology and medicine. However, it was painting that made him truly happy. During this time he met the woman who eventually became his wife, Mary West. Along with one of Pratt's teachers, Alex Colville, she encouraged Pratt to continue painting.
After leaving school he returned home to paint. In 1957, he was reunited with Mary and they were married. Two days afterwards, they left so he could attend the Glasgow School of Art. After spending a while in Scotland, they returned to Mount Allison, where he completed his fine arts program.
In 1961, Pratt accepted the position of curator at the newly opened Memorial University Art Gallery in St. John's. He stayed with the art gallery for two years before deciding that he wanted to concentrate on painting full-time. To accomplish this he and his family moved to a summer home given to him by his father at Salmonier, about one hour southwest of St. John's.
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On Water Street—Sunlight 1988 Lithograph, 2/8 33.2 x 66.3 cm
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While the first few years at Salmonier were difficult, Pratt's work quickly obtained a large audience. His paintings now sell for upwards of $75,000. However, obtaining his work can still be difficult. A notorious perfectionist, Pratt averages only one to three paintings a year and often spends months or sometimes years on a single painting. Pratt is also noted as a skilled printmaker, primarily in serigraphs. His editions can begin with up to 110 prints, but he frequently destroys dozens of prints that he considers to be inferior. There are three books featuring a large number of his prints: Christopher Pratt, The Prints of Christopher Pratt 1958 - 1991 and the more recent Christopher Pratt—Personal Reflections on a Life in Art.
In 1980, Pratt also designed Newfoundland's flag. He has honorary degrees from Mount Allison University and Memorial University and was named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1983. In 1985, the Vancouver Art Gallery organized a retrospective of Pratt's work that travelled throughout Canada.
Artistic talent runs in the family. His father J.C. Pratt began painting after he turned 60. His wife Mary is considered one of Canada's best realists, and his daughter, Barbara Pratt-Wangersky, is rapidly acquiring a reputation as an excellent photo-realist painter. Pratt still lives and works in his studio at Salmonier.
