Thursday, May 10, 2018

Beyond Redemption

At present, several artists are represented in the National Gallery of Canada as a special exhibit. The Governor General's Awards In Visual And Media Arts is an annual event for the last eighteen years, awarding Canadian artists, and this year's artists are featured in this space. One of those artists is the Siksika (Blackfoot) artist Adrian Stimson. Beyond Redemption is a 2010 art installation by the artist, using a mounted bison, surrounded by frames covered with bison robes that eerily feel like First Nations peoples. The frames come from remnants of the residential school he attended, and the work as a whole weaves together the sacred and sacriligious, or the living and the spiritual.


My path then took me up into the world art section, where I wandered among the old masterpieces. One room, designated the Baroque Room, is a particular favourite, and I took a couple of wide angle shots in here.


I like taking perspective shots of the various galleries and side corridors in the building.


Turning around from the above shot gives us a view of Antonio Canova's Dancer, which I always seem to photograph when I'm in here.


Mrs. R.J. Sainsbury is an oil painting dating to 1940-41 by the British artist Wyndham Lewis.


I finish this tour with Standing Nude, by the French artist Aristide Maillol. A limestone carving done between 1919-21, it stands prominently along the main staircase descending from the world art area.

33 comments:

  1. I like that first section dealing with the bison. The bison was such an important part of the culture of Native Americans, too, and settlers and soldiers killed them just for the hell of it.

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  2. The Bison piece is extremely evocative, and I imagine that the Mrs Sainsbury in the painting is a member of the Sainsbury grocery dynasty from our country.

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  3. I like the spacious exhibition rooms. Beautiful paintings and sculptures!

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  4. The Bison exibition is most interesting. I love the dancer and Mrs Sainsbury would find a wall in my home. William, thanks for sharing and always visiting my blog. I hope your internet woes disappeared. Jo

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  5. Hello William. I love the perspective shot of the paintings, especially. Very interesting bison exhibit, too.
    Have a great day.

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  6. Very interesting I also love to go to Art Galleries !

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  7. The Bison exhibition is impressive, William !

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  8. I love the bison, up close like this.
    Janis
    GDP

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  9. ...such a beautiful gallery!

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  10. Love the expanse of the galleries. They do justice to the works.

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  11. @Lowell: the bison slaughter was a tragedy.

    @Rosemary: now that I didn't know!

    @Nancy: it's quite a building to explore.

    @Jo: we shall see. I had trouble opening up three blogs in the morning.

    @Mildred: thank you.

    @Gattina: I enjoy this one.

    @Francisco: thanks!

    @Karl: it is indeed.

    @Janis: I do too.

    @Tom: it definitely is.

    @Jan: that is quite an installation.

    @Marie: they do indeed.

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  12. Those gallery spaces are wonderful!

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  13. That is one impressive bison exhibit. Beautiful gallery.

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  14. I wonder what he meant by Beyond Redemption? I have a gut aversion to putting those two words together.

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  15. My favorite is the bison exhibit. The galleries are quite impressive.

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  16. We have some amazing art. I hope they put some of this on tour so the rest of us can see it.

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  17. The "Beyond Redemption" piece has a sort of mystery to it that would intrigue me. I enjoy looking at pieces like that and trying to figure them out.

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  18. The Stimson installation is fascinating and I suspect quite moving in person. Lovely art, all around.

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  19. @RedPat: they are indeed.

    @Betty: I agree.

    @Sandi: it is an enigmatic title.

    @Bill: I was glad to come across it. I'd seen an article about these exhibitions in the paper, and Beyond Redemption was prominently mentioned.

    @Red: that would be good.

    @Sharon: it is a compelling work.

    @Jeanie: I found it so.

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  20. Thought my bro was nuts to emigrate to Edmonton from Hawaii. But Canada is looking better all the time, William! [esp in your showing/sharing!]

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  21. i gotta say that bison piece is a bit creepy ...in a good way. like your hair on your neck stands up??! way cool. ( ;

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  22. I can't get over how spacious the exhibition rooms are, they certainly show the paintings and sculptures very well.

    All the best Jan

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  23. A place where one could wander happily for hours.

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  24. "Beyond Redemption" is striking, haunting. It says a lot. And I love your perspective shot.

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  25. Nude Not Descending a Staircase? Joking aside, I enjoyed the post. I remember the Dancer from when you showed it before. Beautiful.

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  26. Love the Bison exhibit ~ such wonderful history ~

    Happy Weekend to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  27. Love your perspective shots through the galleries William. Excellent series captured here and last post.

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  28. I can tell how much you enjoy these exhibits.

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  29. I am so glad we can now take pictures in the galleries... unless it is a new exhibit from another gallery.

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  30. I'd rather watch European bison on live in Wolinski National Park in Poland :-)

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  31. @Cloudia: thanks!

    @Beth: I like it a lot.

    @Jan: it was a well designed gallery.

    @Mari: I have spent a good many hours doing that.

    @Kay: it does indeed.

    @Linda: Dancer certainly impresses.

    @Carol: thanks!

    @Grace: thank you.

    @Norma: I really do.

    @Catarina: yes, they used to not allow photography. Now the rules are a bit different. One temporary exhibit, for instance, might allow it, while another does not. And certain paintings are marked on their display panel if photos are not allowed. I try to be careful to look for that.

    @Klara: they're amazing animals.

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