Artist Statement: Jerald W. Blackstock

Jerald W. Blackstock is a multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges the tactile traditions of classical European art with the boundless possibilities of digital innovation, all while interrogating the psychological undercurrents of human existence. Rooted in decades of technical mastery and informed by a career in psychotherapy, Blackstock’s practice is a dynamic dialogue between the past and present, the analog and the algorithmic, and the intimate and the universal.

Trained in the rigorous techniques of the Old Masters under mentor Gary Ripley (1972–1980), Blackstock’s early foundation in the materiality of painting — evident in works like The Ascension of Saint Jerald — echoes the drama and luminosity of Baroque religious iconography, reimagined through a contemporary lens. This classical grounding later expanded into digital experimentation during his studies at the Alberta University of the Arts (BFA ’98), where pioneers like Alan Dunning and writer Suzette Mayr shaped his interdisciplinary ethos. His series Digital Debauchery exemplifies this fusion, marrying surreal, layered narratives with pixel-perfect precision to critique modern excess and existential disconnection.

Blackstock’s art is deeply informed by his dual careers in psychotherapy and education. As an addictions counselor trained in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) under Dr. Albert Ellis, he explores themes of human vulnerability and resilience, as seen in The Last Selfie. This provocative piece juxtaposes Renaissance-style portraiture with the fleeting narcissism of social media, interrogating identity in the digital age. Similarly, Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man reflects on mortality and self-perception, blending chiaroscuro techniques with glitch aesthetics to evoke the fragility of memory.

His role as an educator and recreational therapist in long-term care homes further infuses his work with empathy and accessibility. Publications like The Duchy of Jerald: A Retrospective and The Garden of Algorithmic Delights (a nod to Bosch’s chaos reimagined through AI) underscore his commitment to democratizing art, offering viewers both visual splendor and intellectual provocation.

Now based in Calgary, Blackstock channels his eclectic practice through Blackstock Art & Design, publishing limited-edition books and prints that challenge the boundaries of medium and meaning. Whether through the haunting vulnerability of street photography or the layered satire of his digital collages, his work invites viewers to confront the contradictions of contemporary life — where tradition and innovation, reason and desire, collide.

In every pixel and brushstroke, Jerald W. Blackstock reaffirms art’s power to heal, disrupt, and transcend.