MacLeod, Cameron

Cameron MacLeod was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on February 20, 1958. He was a talented artist from an early age, and produced the main body of his work from 1967-1981. He underwent open-heart surgery at the age of three, which, according to those close to MacLeod, affected him psychologically for the rest of his life. MacLeod became particularly involved in art during his high school years at St. George’s School, where his art teacher Edward Gale was an important mentor. Gale helped to stage MacLeod’s first exhibit in 1976 at the school. Jack Shadbolt was also a significant supporter of MacLeod during this time. After graduating from St. George’s, Cameron MacLeod completed an Honours B.A. in Fine Arts at the University of British Columbia, and also studied in London, Trois Rivières, and at The Banff School. At The Banff School MacLeod studied under Takao Tanabe and Alan Wood, who were important influences on his art. He also spent time travelling through Europe in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. MacLeod won various awards and scholarships, and showed six exhibitions of his work during his lifetime.
Cameron MacLeod’s art can be divided into four periods. The first period, from his time in high school and at UBC, consists mainly of paintings of landscapes and graveyards. This period was influenced by the Group of Seven and Emily Carr, and the time MacLeod spent in Haida Gwaii. The second period spans his time at The Banff School. It is comprised of landscapes and depictions of native teepees, which were influenced by the Fauve School, Gordon Smith, Allen Jones, and Alan Wood. MacLeod’s third period of work, completed during his travels in France and England, is made up of landscapes influenced by Cezanne and Van Gogh. His final period was heavily influenced by Francis Bacon and Giacometti. MacLeod used charcoal and oil to create black and white pieces that often reflected the trauma of his open-heart surgery, and represented, as curators Caroline Riedel and Meredith Temple described, a “final journey inward.”
MacLeod died of heart failure at age 25 in 1983, following a long struggle with anorexia. His work has been shown several times after his death. His family put on an exhibit in Vancouver in 2004 titled “Beyond Presences: An Exhibition of Cameron Ian MacLeod (1958-1983),” and in 2008-2009 the McPheson Library Gallery in Victoria put on an exhibit titled “In Search of Lost Time: The Art of Cameron Ian MacLeod, 1958-1983.”