B + ht_ ff * EVER St NCE they were kids, the Mayrs brothers kne be artists. Seen here in Gimli, Manitoba in 1944 are (left to right): photo eubmiited w they wan Frank, David, Charlie (foreground) Bill, and Sport, the family dog. Fab four The Mayrs brothers exhibit works collectively for the first time INKER, TAILOR, soldier, sailor — when it comes to selecting a career, parents often have enormous sway in their children’s decisions. But when it came to choosing between chopping meat and any- thing else, the Mayrs brothers chose the latter. EVELYN JACOB spotlight feature What is surprising is that they ail chose, and succeeded in, the world of art. And for the first time ever, the brothers — Bill, Frank, David and Charlie — are laun- ching a group exhibit of their paintings at the Diane Farris Gallery. Gallery owner Farris was so im- pressed upon discovering the fab four that she cancelled a previous- ly scheduled exhibit to fit them in from June 15 to 21. David, 55, and Charlie, 50, have come to talk about their show, but they stumble on the first question: How is it that all four brothers share the same artistic calling? Even more remarkable, how is it ‘that they are all painters? “| knew | was going to be an artist of some sort since Grade 1,” says Charlie, the youngest. “There's no explanation for it,”’ Bill, the eldest, says in a telephone interview. ‘‘As far back as I can remember — to the diaper stage — twas interested in drawing.” The brothers’ artistic bent wasn’t inherited, says Charlie, who lives in West Vancouver (David and Bill live in North Vancouver}. Neither parent was an artist, nor, for that matter, was a single relative, with the exception of an aunt consid- ered to be a ‘Sunday painter.” But all three brothers agree that their parents inadvertently en- couraged them to paint. During the sweltering summers in Gimli, Manitoba, their mother, who according to Charlie, cried during the entire family move to Vancouver in 1947, would give them sheets of paper to draw on. Their father, David remembers, used to bring home crayons from his greengrocer’s store. “| never remember us com- peting with each other at all,”’ says Bill. “We would all lie down on the floor with a piece of paper and decide what we were going to draw, and because it was during the Second World War it was usually airplanes and German soldiers.”’ But Ma and Pa Mayrs were disappointed when, one by one, each son declared his passion for painting and intention to pursue it seriously. Their father, says Charlie, had wanted his sons to take over his butcher shop business. “can remember a real fight when Bill decided he was going to go to art school. All our aunts and uncles came over and tried to per- suade him to go to UBC instead,” says Charlie. ‘You have to un- derstand that to our parents, who were dirt poor in Ireland, educa- tion was the be all and end all. But Bill left home anyway, and went to art schoo! on his own. He really paved the way for us.”’ With the same determination, Frank, 56, Dave and Charlie followed Bill to the very same school and by 1961, all four had graduated with honors from the Vancouver School of Art. Each one went on the pursue his own career — Bill, who founded Westworld Magazine, is now a design and publishing consultant; Frank is a photographer and inter- national exhibition designer (he was creative director for Expo ‘86 and designed the Expo logo); David, probably the most active painter of all, has exhibited worldwide and teaches printmak- ing at Emily Carr Schoc! of Art; and Charlie runs his own advertis- ing agency (he designed the graphic for SkyTrain). Painting, however, always re- mained their first love, and, just as they forged their own careers, each brother established his own artistic style. David’s work has been describ- ed as everything from neo- See Brothers Page 28 ted to 27 - Wednesday, June 13, 1990 - North Shore News THIS AD IS (AEE TO ALL FATHERS FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL JUNE 13 (WED.) TO JUNE 17 (SUN.) FICTION SALE PRICE REG. Bourne Ultimatum — Robert Ludium $19.88 $26.50 The Burden of Proof — Scott Turow 20.96 27.95 The Evening News — Arthur Hailey 20.96 27.95 Golden Fox — Wilbur Smith 21.71 28.95 The Golden Orange — Joseph Wambaugh 20.96 27.95 Hollywoed — Gore Vidal 19.50 26.00 Lazarus — Morris West 20.23 26.95 Mother Earth, Father Sky —Sue Harrison 18.71 24.95 The Outlaws of Mesquite — Louis L’Amour 14.95 19.95 Titmuss Regained — John Mortimer 18.71 24.95 NON-FICTION SALE PRICE REG. Carmanah: Artistic Visions of an Ancient Rainforest $45.00 $60.00 Paradise Won: The Struggle for South Moresby 20.96 27.95 The Next One Hundred Years: Shaping the Fate of our Living Earth 18.71 24.95 The Cerebral Symphony: Seashore Reflections on the Structure of Consciousness 18.72 24.95 Inventing the Future — David Suzuki 18.71 24.95 A History of Werld Whaling 22.46 29.95 Men at Sea: The Best Sea Stories of All Time 26.21 34.95 Men in the Air: The Best Flight Stories of All Time 25.46 33.95 Summer North of Sixty: By Paddle and Portage Across the Barren Lands 18.71 24.95 Marching to War 1933-1939 — Martin Gilbert 18.71 24.95 A Nation Forged in Fire: Canadians & the Second World War 1939-1945 26.25 35.00 Ready, Aye, Ready: An Illustrated History of the Royal Canadian Navy 18.71 24.95 Birds of a Feather — Allan Fotheringham 18.71 24.95 Father Son & Co.: My Life at IBM and Beyond 20.96 27.95 The Genius That Was China: A Companion to the PBS Series 29.96 39.95 Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored History 18.71 24.95 Great Disasters: Dramatic True Stozies of Nature’s Awesome Powers 22.46 29.95 In the Arena — Richard Nixen 22.46 29.95 Peril and Promise — John Chancelfor 17.96 23.95 Flash Backs — Morley Safer 18.71 24.95 (limited quantities) Readers Retreat Bookstore 985-7616 Lynn VaLeey CenTre FATHER’S DAY DINNER 1199 Lynn Valley Rd. N. Vancouver sunday, june 17 3 Lettuce Salad with virgin oil dressing 3 Lettuce Salad with virgin oil dressing FRESH ROAST LEG OF LAMB Fresh Mint and Port Sauce Roast Potatoes Market Fresh Vegetables ALBERTA PRIME RIB OF BEEF Yorkshire Pudding Roast Potatoes Market Fresh Vegetables 5 Layer Chocolate Cake 5 Layer Chocolate Cake ——s = (emcees FATHERS DAY the BRIDGE HOUSE Restaurant 3650 capilano road, north vancouver 987- 3288