Sunday, January 14, 2018

Canadian Dreams

This is a set of Lawren Harris paintings together. From Opabin Pass, Rocky Mountains is at top left. North Shore, Baffin Island, is at bottom left. Top right features North Greenland. And at bottom right is Lake Harbour, South Shore, Baffin Island. These paintings were done in the 1924-30 period.


Girl On A Hill is a portrait from 1928 by the artist Prudence Heward. It is an oil painting of a dancer, Louise McLea.


Fir Tree And Sky is an Emily Carr work from 1935-36. One of our most accomplished artists, Carr was a contemporary of the Group of Seven, well known for her works depicting the Pacific Northwest. Her style is modernist but representational.


Another Carr painting is this one, Graveyard Entrance, Campbell River, an early work by the artist dating to 1912 and taking in First Nations subjects that would dominate her work throughout her life.


Here we have another perspective of the courtyard garden.


Transformation Mask is an undated sculpted work by the British Columbia artist Marven Tallio, depicting his First Nations cultural background in an impressive way.


Norval Morrisseau was one of the giants of First Nations artists in Canada. Artist And Shaman Between Two Worlds is a 1980 acrylic capturing Anishinaabe spirituality on canvas.


I finish the Canadian gallery with two more paintings by one artist, Alex Colville. Hound In Field is a 1958 painting; the accompanying panel says he often painted dogs during his career, and his daughter noted that her father "wasn't sentimental about animals, but he thought that they were essentially good and he didn't think that people were inherently good." Cynical, perhaps, but there are times I must agree.


To Prince Edward Island is a 1965 painting, a self portrait of sorts with the artist and his wife on a ferry to the island. Colville deliberately obscures our views of both himself and his wife Rhoda in a way that can be a bit unsettling. Tomorrow we start to have a look at some world art.

30 comments:

  1. The painting are lovely, I tend to love the landscapes, the dog is cute too. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've always admired Lawren Harris's work, but never took to Emily Carr, or Morrisseau. My dentist has a number of Morrisseau originals! But I saw a wonderful Alex Colville exhibition at AGO a couple of years ago, not long after he died, and I love the mystery and question he put into his paintings.
    I wish I had been able to see the recent Alex Janvier exhibition in Ottawa, and I see it is currently at the McMichael but I don't think I will get there this week and then it's over.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Another great collection of paintings and artwork. I like that last one very much.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think my favourite here is 'Girl on a Hill'.. it's been a pleasure to look at the artworks with you William ✨

    ReplyDelete
  5. You're showing some of Canada's best artists in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Francisco: thank you.

    @Tom: they are!

    @Eileen: thanks!

    @Shammickite: I imagine the AGO exhibit included these two.

    @Jackie: I agree.

    @Sharon: me too.

    @Grace: a pleasure to show them.

    @Red: they're great talents.

    @RedPat: me too.

    @Nancy: it is good.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Carr and Colville are among my favourites!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Appreciate seeing and learning about Canadian art, William!

    Modernist but representational. I like that

    ReplyDelete
  9. Artworks by Alex Colville look familiar although I didn't know about the artist. Love the view of the courtyard garden!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like the shaman between two worlds and that last picture!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wonderful art, I really like the paintings.

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Marie: they're great artists.

    @Cloudia: thank you.

    @Janey: definitely!

    @Tamago: he's got quite a fine style.

    @Lowell: I do as well.

    @Tammie: me too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Some of my favourite artists! I particularly enjoy Emily Carr's paintings. There was an Alex Colville exhibit here at the AGO last year. It was really good with so many of his paintings. It also inspired my husband to delve into making picture frames when he saw some beautiful frames that Colville made himself for his own paintings. Thanks for the tour William!
    Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hmm, dogs are inherently "good". I'll have to think about that.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wonderful art, William. My favorite is Fir Tree And Sky.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, good, I was afraid today would be the last of the gallery pictures. You can wander there as long as you want. The art work is great.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Interesting selection. Emily Carr has an enduring presence in Victoria. Her house is preserved and there's a wonderful bronze statue of her on Government Street.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've always liked this section. Harris, Morrisseau; hubby love Colville.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Lovely to see the artwork, and I enjoyed the seeing the Transformation Mask sculpture too.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  20. i enjoy the fencing/grave yard or the bird ...while those amazing wings. neat-O!! ( ;

    ReplyDelete
  21. That lady looks sad.
    Love the bird one.
    Such colours.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great collection.
    My favourite Canadian painter: Tom Thomson.
    Have you ever been to The McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, about 30-45 m from Toronto? They have about 6,400 artworks by Canadian artists. Absolutely fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  23. @Wendy: you're welcome.

    @Revrunner: I'm inclined to think so.

    @Bill: it's a good one.

    @Mari: I love getting back to the gallery.

    @Kay: I'd love to see it someday.

    @Jennifer: I love visiting this part of the gallery.

    @Jan: thank you!

    @Beth: thanks!

    @Whisk: Heward as an artist didn't go for the glamourous portrait. Her women seem moody.

    @Catarina: yes, I've been to the McMichael a couple of times, but it's been years now.

    @Klara: indeed!

    ReplyDelete