Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador (AGNL) Shaped by the Sea Permanent Collections Anne Meredith Barry Peter Bell Sylvia Bendzsa David Blackwood Wally Brants Manfred Buchheit Scott Fillier Scott Goudie Pam Hall Tish Holland Josephina Kalleo Kathleen Knowling Frank Lapointe Ray Mackie Colin Macnee Artworks: Page #1 Stewart Montgomerie George Noseworthy Paul Parsons Helen Parsons Shepherd Rae Perlin Christopher Pratt Mary Pratt Barbara Pratt Wangersky William B. Ritchie Gary Saunders Reginald Shepherd Gerald Squires Janice Udell Arch Williams Don Wright

Colin Macnee Colin Macnee was a young artist whom many critics judged as having considerable potential. But a tragic fire cut short his life in 1989, only two days before a major solo exhibition of his work. Macnee was born in 1959 in Pannitola, Assam, India. Encouraged by his parents, he began to be involved with art early in his life. Macnee was fascinated by the strange and colourful festivals and the exotic animals of rural India. Even years after he left India, the influence of the country could be found in the imagery and colours of his paintings. Jug Band Afternoon 1985 Oil on Canvas 60.5 x 91.5 cm (36KB) In 1968, the Macnee family moved to Newfoundland. Then, in 1971, Colin and his mother Charlotte went to Oxford, England. He continued to draw and paint at school in Oxford. This led him to Wolverhampton Polytechnic School, where he initially specialized in sculpture and also experimented with film. He graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours). It was during his time at Wolverhampton that his link to Newfoundland was re-established. His mother moved back to Newfoundland and married noted painter and art critic, Peter Bell. When Macnee came to Newfoundland to visit, he took a course at St. Michael's Printshop. After graduation he moved to Newfoundland and continued to work at the Printshop along with developing his painting career. While in Newfoundland Macnee also became known for his set design and painting for several local theatrical productions. All the while he continued to produce paintings, and his work appeared in several solo and group exhibitions. He was preparing for a major showing of his works when he died in October 1989 in a house fire in downtown St. John's. He was 30 years old. Macnee painted a variety of subjects, but he is probably best known for his Windows series and a set of drawings illustrating his bedroom. His art was often quite detailed and experimental, looking at objects from radically different views. He also explored different techniques, including woodcut, lithography, and photography. His artwork can be found in private and public collections, including the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador.