Commissioned by the National Arts Centre to create a mural for the Theatre Foyer, Gino Lorcini developed a vertical design of rectangular aluminum strips in different lengths that extend from the floor to the ceiling, some 14 metres above. As with his other aluminum works, Lorcini used the light reflectivity of the polished metal to convey his interpretation of the ever-changing movement of light structures in nature. Though the strips appear to be symmetrical and repeating, closer inspection reveals that each grouping is unique from one another. They are spaced to convey the theme of interaction, resolved in a delicate visual equilibrium.
Born in Plymouth, England of Italian descent, Gino Lorcini grew up in Edinburgh. In 1940, he joined the British Army and, during the war years, became a “Sunday painter”. After the war, he immigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto, where he worked at a variety of jobs while studying art part-time. In 1952, he moved to Montreal and studied at the Museum of Fine Arts with Arthur Lismer while working for five years as a designer at an advertising firm. After completing a teacher’s course at the Museum, he was able to dedicate himself fully to his art, working and teaching first at Lower Canada College and later at McGill University. It was during this latter period that his interest in sculpture became dominant. Lorcini’s work has been exhibited in numerous one-person shows and group exhibitions since 1963. His sculptures are included in the permanent collections of the National Gallery, Ottawa, the Musee d’Art contemporain, Montreal, and the Department of Defence, Ottawa. In 1969, Lorcini took on a three-year role as the Artist in Residence at Western University in London, Ontario, where he continues to reside.
