 |
| Sketch of Bill Perehudoff by Russian artist Vladimir Gubanov |
William (Bill) Perehudoff was a farmer, designer and artist whom I have known since the 1950s. He died in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on February 26th at the ripe age of 94.
The Saskatoon Doukhobor choir will sing at the funeral at Saskatoon Funeral Home at 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 4. Burial at Bogdanovka (Cee-Pee) Cemetery, 6 miles west of Langham.
For me, Bill was a Doukhobor legend. He illustrated several of my books. In 2002, I wrote:
'One prominent artist in a family of five is an honour. But when the wife [Dorothy Knowles] is also a prominent artist and the children [Rebecca, Catherine, and Carol] are equally promising, that is something outstanding. All were born in Saskatchewan where the landscape and the spirit of the Canadian prairies had affect. William (Bill) Perehudoff (1919- ), the head of the family, comes from a Doukhobor background and has been painting for over fifty years. His passion for form and colours have led him to experiment in his farm studio on the North Saskatchewan River. His perseverance and tenacity appear to stem deeply from his Russian roots.' ('A Family of Artists Reveals Its Prarie Roots', Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers' Strategies for Living (2002), pp.117-119.)
Little is published about Bill's opposition to militarism and war. During World War II, he was one of 92 Doukhobor absolutist conscientious objectors who chose to go to jail for four months in Prince Albert, Saskatchwan. While many of his contemporaries in the 'English' (other Canadians) world were avid patriots, Bill in his true Doukhobor spirit of plakun trava (meaning, flowing against the current) bravely went against the prevailing military propaganda of the day.
In Saskatoon in 1948, Bill was first known for murals he painted in the Intercontinental Packers Limited cafeteria. In 1952, he began a 25 year career as art director at Modern Press, a company owned by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, and publisher of the weekly Western Producer.
I began to know Bill in 1955 when he contributed Mother and Child, the first of his 5 abstract covers for The Inquirer, the first Doukhobor publication in the English language, which I edited. The original was soon purchased by the Saskatchewan Arts Board (page 10). By 1958, we published four articles about Bill's art career.
For my first book, Pictorial History of the Doukhobors, published in 1969, Bill laid out the text and did 16 pen and ink drawings of arms burnings and other historic views. I worked closely with Bill as he greatly enhanced this first pictorial book about the Doukhobors. His images filled in a missing visual texture of our Russian Doukhobor heritage. Coming from a Russian Doukhobor background, Bill had a creative feel for his Slavic roots, and admired the Doukhobor movement.
I vividly remember examining the finished book for the first time at the Doukhobor Historical Village Museum in Verigin, Saskatchewan. It was July 6, 1969, the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Canadians of Russian descent. Bill arrived in his station wagon filled full of books and 16 framed pen and ink drawings. We stacked the books for sale on a table at the meeting site. I sat for hours selling and autographing copies, talking and watching people admire the new pictorial volume. I also bought all his drawings, some of which have been on display in my living room for decades.
In 1980, the Doukhobor land and buildings Verigin was renamed the National Doukhobor Heritage Village. For a while my first book become a rare collector's item which sold for up to $700 a copy. Now you can find lower prices online.
The Saskatoon Doukhobor choir will sing at the funeral at Saskatoon Funeral Home at 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 4. Burial at Bogdanovka (Cee-Pee) Cemetery, 6 miles west of Langham.
For me, Bill was a Doukhobor legend. He illustrated several of my books. In 2002, I wrote:
'One prominent artist in a family of five is an honour. But when the wife [Dorothy Knowles] is also a prominent artist and the children [Rebecca, Catherine, and Carol] are equally promising, that is something outstanding. All were born in Saskatchewan where the landscape and the spirit of the Canadian prairies had affect. William (Bill) Perehudoff (1919- ), the head of the family, comes from a Doukhobor background and has been painting for over fifty years. His passion for form and colours have led him to experiment in his farm studio on the North Saskatchewan River. His perseverance and tenacity appear to stem deeply from his Russian roots.' ('A Family of Artists Reveals Its Prarie Roots', Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers' Strategies for Living (2002), pp.117-119.)
Little is published about Bill's opposition to militarism and war. During World War II, he was one of 92 Doukhobor absolutist conscientious objectors who chose to go to jail for four months in Prince Albert, Saskatchwan. While many of his contemporaries in the 'English' (other Canadians) world were avid patriots, Bill in his true Doukhobor spirit of plakun trava (meaning, flowing against the current) bravely went against the prevailing military propaganda of the day.
In Saskatoon in 1948, Bill was first known for murals he painted in the Intercontinental Packers Limited cafeteria. In 1952, he began a 25 year career as art director at Modern Press, a company owned by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, and publisher of the weekly Western Producer.
I began to know Bill in 1955 when he contributed Mother and Child, the first of his 5 abstract covers for The Inquirer, the first Doukhobor publication in the English language, which I edited. The original was soon purchased by the Saskatchewan Arts Board (page 10). By 1958, we published four articles about Bill's art career.
 |
| Pen and ink work by Bill Perehudoff of the Arms Burning by Russian Doukhobors in 1895 |
For my first book, Pictorial History of the Doukhobors, published in 1969, Bill laid out the text and did 16 pen and ink drawings of arms burnings and other historic views. I worked closely with Bill as he greatly enhanced this first pictorial book about the Doukhobors. His images filled in a missing visual texture of our Russian Doukhobor heritage. Coming from a Russian Doukhobor background, Bill had a creative feel for his Slavic roots, and admired the Doukhobor movement.
I vividly remember examining the finished book for the first time at the Doukhobor Historical Village Museum in Verigin, Saskatchewan. It was July 6, 1969, the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Canadians of Russian descent. Bill arrived in his station wagon filled full of books and 16 framed pen and ink drawings. We stacked the books for sale on a table at the meeting site. I sat for hours selling and autographing copies, talking and watching people admire the new pictorial volume. I also bought all his drawings, some of which have been on display in my living room for decades.
In 1980, the Doukhobor land and buildings Verigin was renamed the National Doukhobor Heritage Village. For a while my first book become a rare collector's item which sold for up to $700 a copy. Now you can find lower prices online.
 |
| Doukhobor Dress |
In 1977 Bill retired from Modern Press, but continued to paint until 2001 when poor health restricted his work.
When I was co-curating the exhibit The Doukhobors: 'Spirit-Wrestlers' at the Canadian Museum of Civlization in 1995-1997, Bill generously donated a large abstract painting of a Doukhobor sash, acrylic on canvas (Tarasoff, 2002: 118) to the Museum. In 1995 he donated a painting ('Doukhobor Dress', right) to the Doukhobor Discovery Centre in Castlegar, BC. To the National Doukhobor Village Museum in Verigin, Saskatchewan, he donated an artistic depiction in colour of the 1895 arms burning which was then used in the Centennial quilt design (ibid.).
When I was co-curating the exhibit The Doukhobors: 'Spirit-Wrestlers' at the Canadian Museum of Civlization in 1995-1997, Bill generously donated a large abstract painting of a Doukhobor sash, acrylic on canvas (Tarasoff, 2002: 118) to the Museum. In 1995 he donated a painting ('Doukhobor Dress', right) to the Doukhobor Discovery Centre in Castlegar, BC. To the National Doukhobor Village Museum in Verigin, Saskatchewan, he donated an artistic depiction in colour of the 1895 arms burning which was then used in the Centennial quilt design (ibid.).
In 1994 was awarded the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, and in 1999 was named a member of the Order of Canada. He also received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
 |
| CBC Interview |
I feel that Bill Perehudoff is not fully recognized as an abstract modern artist, nor is his Doukhobor heritage well known. A Google search for the name Perehudoff finds 100s of pages about Bill's art career, and images of him and his paintings, even a Wikipedia page. After his death, some of his paintings are being sold for more than $80,000.
In sum, Bill Perehudoff's legacy will carry on not just as a creative artist who experimented with the abstract form as a way to discover something new so as to attract public attention, but also his deep roots in the prairie soil, and in the Russian Tolstoyan Doukhobor tradition of the Spirit Within, including its important nonkilling universal ethic.
We will miss you, Bill, but we will remember the beauty that you have given to the world, as well as the wisdom to work towards a world without wars.
Bravo, my dear friend. Bravo!
- William Perehudoff, Wikipedia.
- Fenton, Terry. William Perehudoff, The Canadian Encyclopedia, March 14, 2013 (Updated: Dec. 15, 2015)
- Perehudoff Crescent and Perehudoff Court — Two streets named in his memory.
- Obituary — William W. Perehudoff, Globe and Mail, March 2, 2013
- Saskatchewan modern artist William Perehudoff dies at 94, CBC News, February 27, 2013
- Well-known Saskatchewan artist dies, CTV Saskatoon, February 27, 2013
- Saskatchewan artist William Perehudoff passes away, Global News, Feb 28, 2013
- Renowned Saskatchewan Artist William Perehudoff Dies at 94, Saskatchewan Art News, February 27, 2013
Update: 21 May 2018 — Since 2013, Bill's works have been shown and sold in 4 solo shows, 10 group shows, and included in 13 gallery shows.
William Perehudoff (1918-2013), Curriculum Vitae, Artsy. Accessed 21 May 2018.
Update: 5 July 2021 — Since this article was posted on 2 March 2013, it has been targeted with excessive comment spamming. For that reason, the original URL was deleted and reposted here, with the 2 original comments. On 21 July more links and 'Doukhobor Dress' were added.
Posted: 2 March 2013
ReplyDeleteI first met Bill at the Banff School of Fine Arts. He had come to receive a gold medal, not really gold he informed me. On his way out of town, his car broke down, he hitched back and I brought him back to the car with a mechanic following. Dorothy had set up her easel and was busily painting the gorgeous scenery.
He later visited the Doukhobor Discovery Centre on more than one occasion where we lunched at our Bistro. He donated a stunning colourful abstract to the museum which he called "Sunday Dress".
I will always have fond memories of Bill, he was a composite of modestly, talent, and humanity immersed in creativity.
Posted: 2 March 2013
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Koozma.