Isla Burns, a beloved sculptor and gallery artist, passed away on September 24, 2024, in Camrose, Alberta. As one of Canada’s great abstract sculptors, her work has been proudly exhibited by Peter Robertson Gallery over the twenty years of our existence. She will be sorely missed by us at the gallery and by the many people she taught, inspired, and befriended. Isla was a wonderful mentor, alongside her husband, Phil Darrah, at the University of Alberta, where she influenced many young artists over the three decades she taught.
The artistic power and integrity of Isla’s practice are evident in everything she created. Her shows in the early 2000s featured sculptures incorporating wooden East Indian architectural details, as well as delicate wall-mounted pieces she called "prayer boxes," examples of which are shown below. Her life in Mulhurst and the commute it entailed greatly influenced her work. She created wonderful abstract sculptures inspired by prairie tree breaks, pieces that combined delicate flower petals with discarded and reimagined heavy equipment parts or corroded sour gas pipes rescued from scrapyards, all unified by her favorite technique of bluing, which created a dark, cohesive surface.
Though the mass of her steel sculptures was always apparent, one of Isla's many gifts was her ability to evoke weightlessness through the beauty of line and elegance of composition. She was an amazing artist but, perhaps more importantly, a wonderful person. I encourage you to read her obituary, linked below.
In lieu of flowers, donations to support visual arts—such as funding an up-and-coming artist or contributing to a public art gallery or arts foundation—would be welcomed. The gallery will accept and pass along cards to her husband, gallery artist Phil Darrah.
