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Famed Oakville artist Josef Petriska dies at age 86 by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff 13 | Friday, April 10, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com It was an image Josef Petriska could never forget; one he captured in his most famous work; one he shared with political leaders in the hope that it would shock them into taking action to protect the environment. Struggle for Survival, a 14-foot-high bronze statue of a bird with its long, thin neck drooping, was inspired by the hundreds of oil-soaked birds the artist saw after a spill in Santa Barbara, Calif., in the late 1960s. The Romanian-born artist, who called Oakville home for nearly half his life, died at home Mar. 23 after a battle with cancer, a week after his 86th birthday. It was his environmental pieces, such as his painting, Our Choice, that came to symbolize his work. Petriska presented smaller versions of Struggle for Survival to prime ministers, premiers and other high-ranking officials in hopes that it would serve as a reminder of the importance of protecting the environment. "We have to change. I don't have the power to do it alone," Petriska told the Toronto Star in 1989. "We all have to get together and force the politicians to make changes before it is too late." Petriska worked diligently to find a permanent home for Struggle for Survival. He of pollution. He also offered the sculpture to the town of Valdez, Alaska after an oil tanker struck a reef and covered 2,100 kilometres of coastline with oil in 1989. He promised to replace it with a thriving, shining bird once the coastline was cleaned up. However, Petriska always met with resistance, being told by one politician that the sculpture was `too sad' for public display. So for years, the sculpture took up residence in the yard of Petriska's Oakville home. With his art not having the desired impact on politicians, Petriska himself ran for office as a candidate for the Green Party in the 1980 provincial election. Still, Petriska considered himself an artist, first and foremost. "I don't even call myself an environmentalist," he told the Star in 1989. "All I do is follow and observe what is happening to us." Though the environment was the main theme in his work, he produced a wide variety of pieces, including a 90-ton see Artist on p.26 ART'S FISH & CHIPS Josef Petriska | Oakville Beaver file photo Nick && Staff atat Liz, Nick Staff GOLD wish our customers a Happy & Healthy Easter and remind you Survived another Good Friday. that we will be OPEN on Good Friday, 12 Noon to 8 7pm In the 8 hours we were open, we went through: Come and avoid 5 caught pm rush. · 32, 50-lb bags of early Orangeville potatoes · 410 the lbs. wild Alaskan halibut · 110 lbs. north Atlantic haddock We will be serving whole orders of Halibut and Haddock Fish & Chips only with a limited menu of side orders and will not take any phone-in orders for pick-up 5 p.m. Thank you, our customers, for your patience (up to 1 1/2 after hr. wait) and THANKforgiving YOU FOR our YOUR PATRONAGE! mistakes. hoped to have it placed at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls so that both Canadians and Americans would be reminded of the effects 1500 Sixth Line (Just South of Upper Middle Rd.) · 905-844-9209 THE ANSWER FOR TRUE DIVERSIFICATION MAY BE IN YOUR BACKYARD A world-class asset manager--based in Oakville--Acorn invests over $100 million on behalf of institutions and accredited investors seeking true diversification to achieve better portfolio returns and risk reduction. Let Acorn help you diversify your portfolio. Contact us to find out how at acorn.ca or 905-257-0773 DIAMOND DIAMOND GOLD BAEU LER APPRO ED