Juan Geuer

Biography

Born in Soest (The Netherlands), 1917

1917 - 1939 raised in Europe amongst a family of artists. Architect, Piet Klaarhamer was his mentor from time to time and through him, Geuer had his first exposure to the aesthetics of purity. He liaised with Rilke and Nietzsche as well as the pacifist movement of Leon Tolstoy, the Anthroposophy, and other esoteric movements at the time. In 1933, his family lived in Germany but was sent back to Holland as his father publicly denounced book burning.

1939 - 1954 lives in the Yungas forest in Bolivia.  He manufactures glass and stained glass from minerals found in nature. He plays with expressionist work, engages in philosophical discussions, and is socially active in the local scene. Geuer distills alcohol and builds machines to roll vicuña wool.

1954 immigrates to Canada.

1955-1980 works as a designer at the Dominion Observatory. To satisfy his aesthetic curiosity, Geuer pursues numerous scientific projects at the Geophysics Institute. He paints large frescoes and sketches until 1968. He creates three-dimensional installations that relate to scientific implication and social concerns surrounding them.

Since 1980, he works full time as an artist in which he investigates the dichotomy between art and science, "awareness before everything is taken in concepts while the metaphor carries the best of fragrance." After four semesters teaching art at the Department of Art History at Carleton University in 1973, he establishes his own company, "The Truth Seeker" to focus his efforts on the new direction of his artwork.

His proposal is "studying our perception behind the science and the art and search our creative abilities to adapt to new visions and encourage us to we prepare for unforeseen situations."

His work has been shown in Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States, and has been collected by the National Gallery of Canada, the Ottawa Art Gallery, Museum Boymans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam (Holland). His work has been sited in various art magazines and specialized newspapers throughout the years.