Glen Boles: Mountain Masterpiece
A year after his passing, we remember Glen Boles: mountain artist, climber and author, and honorary past president of the ACC.
by Lynn Martel
images courtesy of the Glen Boles estate
"Mt Assiniboine 2,” by Glen Boles.
Tiered buttresses, stacked cliff bands, blocky chunks of tottering seracs, chaotic striations imprinted in a glacier’s crevasses — the patterns in Glen Boles’ artworks are distinct to the hand that guides the pencil. It’s easy to imagine Boles’ hands had grasped the very rock he so meticulously replicated in his drawings and paintings; and the intimate connection he had with his mountain subjects no doubt imparts a deeper, more personal expression to his creations.
"Bighorn Ram," by Glen Boles.
“Unlike many mountain artists who focus on atmosphere and colour but treat geology and topography in a gestural manner, Glen Boles wanted you to feel the cold stone in his drawings,” says mountain art aficionado Bob Sandford. “Every line in a Glen Boles painting tells you something about the composition of the rock, the line of ledges, the nature of the route; and each ultimately points the way to the summit.”
Widely respected as one of the most prolific climbers to ever explore western Canada’s mountains, Boles is credited with numerous firsts among his 600 climbs. Boles dedicated himself to serving as honorary president of the ACC from 2005 to 2009, and was the subject of a 2014 Summit Series book, Alpine Artistry (available on the ACC website). But he’s equally celebrated as a photographer, author and artist. Alongside the esteemed Summit of Excellence Award and honorary membership in both the Canadian and American Alpine Clubs, he holds a very special place in the hearts and imaginations of the mountain community.
"On the Way Up," by Glen Boles.
From the wondrously intricate curls of a bighorn sheep’s horns to the spectacularly jumbled icefall tumbling into Mount Robson’s Berg Lake, Boles reveals an insiders’ perspective into the mysterious, inaccessible, remote wilderness available only to ravens and climbers — sculpted snow ridges, steep rock faces and fractured icefields — and welcomes his viewers to contentedly admire the spectacle.
"Opabin Trail," by Glen Boles.
For mountaineers, Boles’ work is personal, each piece holding intimate memories of the deep bond between climbing partners. His works take climbers home, back to the hard-won, intensely rewarding landscape of the high alpine. — ACC
"Snowpatch Spire 2," by Glen Boles.
View the gallery
To see more of Boles’ work, including works for sale, visit www.glenboles.ca