Brian Kipping (May 5, 1953 – April 1, 2007) was a Canadian artist and blues musician.Uncredited, Toronto artist Brian Kipping dies at 53. CBC News, April 5, 2007. Retrieved 2015-06-21.
History
Brian Kipping was born in Edmonton, Alberta on May 5, 1953. Kipping later relocated to Toronto, Ontario, and attended the Ontario College of Art, from which he graduated in 1974, being one of the recipients of the Ontario College of Art Medal. From 1975 to 1977, Kipping was the director of Gallery 76, a student art gallery associated with the school,Ontario College of Art and Design,Profile of Gallery 76 . Retrieved 2015-06-28. and curated shows.Michael Hoolboom, Russ Gill Interview 2 (January, 2015). Retrieved 2015-06-28. Kipping's first solo exhibition was in 1974, at Gallery 76. Kipping also met musician Paul James during this period, and joined his band as a bassist.Lisa McDonald, Interview with Paul James. Small Town Toronto, January, 2011. Retrieved 2015-06-26. In 1979, Kipping was a founding member of YYZ Artists' Outlet, which was established for the purpose of exhibiting art not shown in commercial galleries and institutions.History of YYZ Artists' Outlet; www.yyzartistsoutlet.org. Retrieved 2015-06-30.
As an artist, Kipping became best known for his oil paintings, though he also worked in copper and other metals. During his lifetime, Kipping's work was featured in approximately 150 national and international exhibitions. Commencing in 1978 and for the balance of his career, Kipping was represented by the Bau-Xi Gallery, based in Vancouver and Toronto.Profile of Bau-Xi Gallery; www.bau-xi.com. Retrieved 2015-06-30.
In 1985, Kipping, along with artists Andrew Bodor and Douglas Stratford, was featured in The New Intimists, a catalogue publication by gallery director Joan Murray, published by The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.artexte, Particulars of The New Intimists. Retrieved 2015-06-27.
In 1987, Kipping and fellow Toronto artist John McKinnonMercer Union, Profile of John McKinnon. Retrieved 2015-06-28. won a public competition to create a work to celebrate the City of Toronto. The mosaic work, Views to The City, was completed in 1988, and covers two walls leading into the offices of city councilors at Toronto City Hall.
In 1991, a live performance of "Hey Rosetta", by the Paul James Band, of which Kipping was a member, was included in Saturday Night Blues, a compilation album which won the 1992 Juno Award for Best Roots and Traditional Album.
In 2002, Brian Kipping: Descriptions of What is Known, being a catalogue of a 2002 exhibition of Kipping's work, compiled and with an essay by Linda Jansma, text by Victor Coleman and a foreword by David Aurant, was published by the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.49th shelf, Particulars of Brian Kipping: Descriptions of What is Known. Retrieved 2015-06-27.HathiTrust Digital Library, Particulars of Brian Kipping: Descriptions of What is Known. Retrieved 2015-06-27.
In 2004, Kipping was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, from which he died on April 1, 2007. He continued to play with the Paul James Band until shortly before his death, and was painting until two days before his death.
Discography
Paul James Band
Albums
2007 Lost in the Blues (Lick'n Stick)Record label owned by Paul James, who also managed the band. 2003 La Vie en Bleu (Lick'n Stick) 1998 Lazy Crazy Blues (Lick'n Stick) (re-release of Almost Crazy) 1989 Rockin' The Blues (Stony Plain) 1987 Paul James Band (OPM Records)Other People's Music, also known as Other Peoples Music, or OPM, being a record label run by producer and archivist Jan Haust since 1981, releasing primarily archival material in later years. See Richie Dagger, Profile of Other Peoples Music. Retrieved 2015-06-04. 1984 Almost Crazy (Lick'n Stick)
Singles
1989 Anna Banana/Jailhouse Rock (Stony Plain) SP-1069 1986 Route 66/Run Run Rudolph (Lick'n Stick) C-626 1986 Good Old Rock 'N' Roll/Joint Out Back (Lick'n Stick) C-595 1985 Six Pack (Lick'n Stick) C-580 1982 Suzette/Maryann (Lick'n Stick) C-350 1980 Lazy Crazy Blues/Trespasser//She Don't Care/Got What You Want (Lick'n Stick) C-311
Compilation Inclusions
1991 Saturday Night Blues (Stony Plain)
References