Roberts gallops across familiar territory with 'Equus'

And anyone yet unfamiliar with the well-known Irvine Avenue resident's work is in for a real treat the next time they visit the Gallery at Victoria Hall, where Roberts's latest exhibition, 'Equus,' is on display through Saturday, Feb. 6.

As the title suggests, the current show draws Roberts back into familiar territory, with quickly rendered studies of horses everywhere one looks in the brightly lit gallery. As what can be loosely described as a 'serial' artist, Roberts has, over the years, produced many different portfolios of paintings and drawings focusing on specific subjects, such as life in the big city, dancers, and jazz musicians. But his (literally) unbridled passion for wild horses has trumped them all, and the knack for capturing their power and graceful movement is definitely his forté. Roberts's horses are neither milk cart nags nor tired old calèche veterans, but young, wild creatures whose energy is captured and conveyed to the viewer in just a few deft lines.

Known throughout the local art community as a prolific artist, Roberts is likely to exhibit again in the near future — but for the uninitiated, the horse sketches of 'Equus' provides an excellent introduction to the unique, dynamic burst of creative energy that is Bruce Roberts, as it shows him in his very element. • 'Equus', an exhibition by Bruce Roberts, continues in the Gallery at Victoria Hall, 4626 Sherbrooke St. W., through Feb. 6. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. For more information, call 514-989-5226.