Dave Petko has made art for more than a quarter-century, and now he’s inviting Sea to Sky folk to join him in appreciating a blast from the past. On Jan. 13, the veteran artist is hosting what he calls “Retro Petko” in the Pemberton Industrial Park: a collection of pieces made from 1995 to 2023 that includes paintings, sculptures and screenprints.
One of the more prominent sculptural items in the display is something Petko made alongside his partner Tanya Kong, and he specifically mentions it as one of his prouder works. It represents a reflection on living the best life one can, and leaving a meaningful legacy.
“I think my earlier work represented a lot of experimentation with styles and subject matter, as well,” says Petko. “A lot of it was based off of abstract sketches from my sketchbooks, and the later pieces represent my love of the outdoors, nature and mountains.”
Petko has called Whistler home since 1995, and the area has given him plenty of artistic inspiration. He’s witnessed top-tier Olympic athletes strut their stuff. He’s met eclectic groups of visitors and locals with unique stories to tell. Of course, he’s spent time marvelling at the Sea to Sky’s natural beauty, and there’s rarely a dull moment in his studio as he tries to translate it all to canvas.
Not that canvas is all Petko’s familiar with. He’s truly well-rounded, with skill as a tattoo artist in addition to experience in the mediums mentioned above.
“[My career has taught me] to be open-minded and to try different things,” he says. “A painter might just be using acrylic paint for the duration of their career, but for me it’s everything: pencils, pencil crayons, screenprinting, acrylic and spray paint. Then with the three-dimensional stuff, it’s using silicone molds with concrete or silk flowers or glitter, or oven-baked hardening clay.”
For eight years, Petko ran a production company with some friends called Blind Mute Productions, through which they showcased artwork from established and up-and-coming creators in the Sea to Sky. They mated the art with electronic music, resulting in many exhibits that turned into late-night dance parties featuring local DJs. Though it wasn’t a financially lucrative endeavour, it did allow Petko and his buddies to brush shoulders with all kinds of people.
“We got to meet a lot of artists, and a lot of them had sports backgrounds,” Petko recalls. “They were sponsored snowboarders, mountain bikers and all that, but as a pastime they made art. A lot of them were inspirational to each other’s work … the technical things that they were doing with the mediums that they were using crossed over from artist to artist. It was pretty cool to see.”
Petko hopes he can continue contributing to the cross-pollination among local creators with his upcoming exhibit, which runs on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at #5-7342 Industrial Way, directly behind the Pemberton Distillery.
