ALEX BRUNING

Condolences & Memories (2 entries)

• I studied Fundamentals of Drawing under Alex at the School of Art at the University of Manitoba during the 1981 - 1982 school year. The first week of school, Alex had us move outside to draw during which he came and spoke to each student individually. When I told him that I had never taken an art class, he responded with: “What makes you think you can draw?” He then quickly commented that: “Maybe that’s a good thing that no one has had the opportunity to screw you up!” Alex’s drawing class was well structured with lessons building on previous lessons throughout the year. He expected us to draw as much out of class as in class. Alex created a collegial and respectful classroom providing both coffee and numerous insightful and pointed comments. I learned an enormous amount from him during the school year. Alex’s quiet energy permeated his classroom. I met Alex at a Tim Horton’s on Portage Avenue years later as I had asked him for a reference. I spread various photos of my work across the table for him to see what I had been creating. The gentleman at the next table looked over and said something like: “I know those. There’s a large one hanging at the entrance of the downtown library. I love it!” Alex looked at me with a grin asking if we knew each other - thinking that I had set the whole exchange up in advance (I hadn’t)! Alex was a brilliant artist. He had a show in 1985 of paintings and drawings he made during a sabbatical year in 1984. Just last year I purchased the accompanying catalogue from that show having often thought of his floating/falling shapes over the years. The catalogue can be found online here: https://digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca/islandora/object/uofm%3A2646003/datastream/OBJ/view. Alex’s work is beautiful and mysterious and, at its core, timeless. I feel fortunate to have crossed paths with Alex and will always be appreciative of my time with him. - Posted by: Paul McLennan (Former Student) on: Dec 19, 2022

• From my own years as a student at art school, U of M, 1968 to 1972 I recall Alex as he entered the early morning drawing class , wearing a green kaki army jacket, brooding, sporting a dark beard, stroking it as he moved around the students at their drawing boards and always smoking a pipe. At times he would put on jazz music for the ambience. As an impressionable student these images of him stayed with me for some time and his voice and comments are still with me today as I work in my studio. - Posted by: Toews Allan (Former student.) on: Dec 11, 2022