The art of the First Nations
Aboriginal peoples have occupied Canada's vast territory for tens of thousands of years. Each of these aboriginal peoples has developed its own cultural characteristics. Today's Canadians have inherited from the first occupants their art of living in symbiosis with nature. Today, the recognition of aboriginal peoples means highlighting their artistic traditions. In Vancouver, totem poles recall the complexity of a heritage inseparable from its mythology. Take a stroll through Stanley Park to admire these wooden sculptures, proudly erected in the midst of nature. The MOA - Vancouver Anthropological Museum - invites visitors to explore Canada's cultural identity through its unique collection. Totem poles and works of art, including Inuit stone and bone sculptures and engravings, tell the story of First Nations life. Showcases of artefacts and everyday objects crown this vast overview of the world of the First Nations.
Pictorial heritage
From the outset, Canadian art was based on the artistic forms of France and England. At first, painting was religious. Abbé Hugues Pommier left France for Quebec in 1662. His faith-inspired easel paintings set the standard for many years to come.
In the early 19th century, portraiture enjoyed considerable success. By mid-century, Toronto artists such as Georges Théodore Berthon were establishing themselves as portraitists. Their careers were boosted by the economic boom.
Irish-born painter Paul Kane (1810-1871), who died in Toronto, was a true documentarian, painting the lives of native peoples. Calgary's Glenbow Museum offers both a historical and artistic tour. Illustrations by itinerant artists, railroad scenes sponsored by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Arctic explorers follow one another in its halls. Although engravings and drawings are more numerous, all means of expression are represented in this presentation that tells the story of Canada from the 19th century to the present day.
Artistic turnaround
In 1842, photography made its appearance. This marked the end of the great era of the painted portrait. Painters were forced to innovate to keep up with the competition. In Ontario, Robert Whale turned to decorative painting and became the most popular landscape painter. At the end of the 19th century, the influence of Impressionism and then Expressionism is felt in the creative milieu.
The Romantic fever that grips Canada is sealed by the founding of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. The Academy's first big names were Robert Harris, Homer Watson, Otto Jacobi and John A. Fraser, who collaborated with photographer Notman. The rigor of academicism encourages the emergence of a new Canadian painting that is eager for change.
Group of Seven
In Montreal, the early 20th century saw the blossoming of a harmonious art form, that of naïve landscapes. Montreal was undergoing a phase of unprecedented growth. After the war, it became the city of all pleasures. This lasted until the crash of 1929. Unemployment hit the population hard.
It was against this backdrop that the Group of Seven was formed in Toronto, Montreal's rival. Seven landscape painters radically redefined the country's visual identity by painting Canada's vast wilderness. The founding members were Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald and F.H. Varley. These revolutionaries of the brush were inspired by post-impressionism and the Scandinavian tradition. They painted romantic panoramas of the Canadian Shield, helping to define a "national vision". Tom Thomson's influence on the formation of the Group was never denied by its members. Before his untimely death in 1917, this park ranger certainly converted them to the pleasures of the great outdoors. It was under his impetus that the future Seven began to depict Ontario's wild landscapes. Together, they sketched and painted in the wilderness, inspiring and criticizing each other. Tom Thompson, who drowned in Canoe Lake, was not present at the birth of the Group, but its members have never ceased to salute the major role he played in their evolution.
Their influence will be felt for generations to come. Today, most Canadian public museums hold paintings by the Group of Seven. These include the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, theArt Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg.
Emily Carr (1871-1945), whose work is strongly influenced by the Group of Seven, is also worth mentioning. Recognized as a leading figure in Canadian art, her paintings focus on the forests and totemic art of the Pacific region. At the Vancouver Art Gallery, her many paintings in the collection offer an excellent insight into her vision of nature and the indigenous people of British Columbia.
The Sculptors' Society of Canada
Founded by prestigious Canadian sculptors, The Sculptors Society of Canada has been championing Canadian sculpture since 1928. Founded by Emanuel Hahn, Frances Loring and Henri Hébert, the Society's mission is to develop the art form and promote Canadian sculpture both locally and internationally. The SSC's commitment is supported by galleries, festivals and museums, including the National Gallery of Canada. Touring exhibitions have taken their work to Europe, across the United States and to the first Beijing International Biennale in 2003. The organization hosts exhibitions and debates, and supports young talent, especially the most innovative.
Modern influences
Following in the footsteps of the Group of Seven, Canadian artists made their mark internationally. Locally, the transition to the 20th century was characterized by individual expression and stylistic freedom. In the first half of the 20th century, Alberta artists were influenced by their peers who had come to teach in the region. Professional artists' associations and specialized schools sprang up. This was a fertile ground for the emergence of a generation of local artists. Landscape remained the major theme, but the currents revolutionizing art in Europe gradually permeated Canadian style.
Alfred Pellan (1906-1988) openly distanced himself from the influence of the Seven. In the 1930s, he spent time in Paris, where he was influenced by his encounters with Picasso, Miró and the Surrealists. His return to Canada in 1940 heralded the awakening of creative painting in Quebec. They dared to break away from tradition and embrace the École de Paris. Expressionism, Surrealism and Cubism were added to the previous inspirations.
Around 1950, the main influences came from the United States, starting with Abstract Expressionism. In Canada, abstraction evokes nature more than anywhere else. Technology broadened the field of possibilities: photographic and technological experiments enriched visual explorations. In this effervescence, Fusion des Arts was founded in Montreal in 1964, followed by Intermedia in Vancouver in 1967. Two informal groups that broke down boundaries by combining all available media (film, music, dance, poetry). Fusion artists, led by Richard Lacroix, François Soucy, François Rousseau and Yves Robillard, produced happenings and public performances.
Riopelle
In 1948, an artistic manifesto by Paul-Émile Borduas was published under the cloak in Montreal by the Automatistes. In these pages, the author of Refus Global questions the values of Quebec society, rejects all constraints and advocates individual freedom. Signatories included psychiatrists, actors and designers, as well as painter and sculptor Marcel Barbeau, photographer Maurice Perron and Jean-Paul Riopelle.
Born in Montreal, Riopelle (1923-2002) moved to Paris in 1947, where he befriended the Surrealists, before returning to his homeland. In 1958, he began his career as a sculptor. Back in Paris, he exhibited his sculptures and trained in pastel, engraving, collage and ceramics. Nature and figurative elements played an increasingly important role in his creative process. As his success continued, he took on commissions on both sides of the Atlantic. Between abstraction and figuration, Riopelle likes to renew himself, exploring both stencil painting and aerosol cans. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which devoted a major exhibition to him in 2006, holds several of his works: La Roue, Hommage à Grey Owl, Soleil de Minuit and Hibou. His fountain "La Joute" stands in a square named after him, opposite the Palais des Congrès.
Towards a contemporary Aboriginal art
The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa brings Aboriginal and Canadian art together in a remarkable scenography. Nearly a thousand works span a vast period of over 7,000 years. It's clear that Native art is coming of age.
The Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver is one of the few cultural venues devoted to contemporary Aboriginal art from Canada's northwest coast. In addition to the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions are reserved for young artists. The museum owes its name to Canadian painter, sculptor, silversmith and writer Bill Reid (1920-1998) of Haida origin. The Haida are an aboriginal community in British Columbia. According to the famous anthropologist and ethnologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, Bill Reid literally saved Haida culture. Bill Reid began his career at the age of 30, with the aim of reviving the Haida artistic tradition. It was thanks to his intervention that the totem poles of the islands of the Haida Gwaii archipelago were saved. They were then placed in front of the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. This same museum now houses his imposing 1973 sculpture, The Raven and the First Men, which represents the origin of the Haida community. For the record, in Haida mythology, the raven gave birth to mankind by freeing the humans trapped in a huge clam shell. Travellers stopping off at Vancouver International Airport will have the chance to contemplate its majestic Spirit of Haida Gwaii sculpture.
Street art
In Vancouver. The first large-format public works to appear in Vancouver were probably Ocean Concrete's painted silos on Granville Island. Also worth seeing: the magnificent Canada Secret Mountains mural (at 325 West4th avenue), painted by international artist Okuda San Miguel; the Lady Mermaids by Chazillah / Nik Martin; the blue palisade by Khelsilem, inscribed in the Musqueam language (a British Columbian people): Is this our land? Among the pioneers, the mysterious local artist iHeart was scattering stencil creations before their time, which were regularly erased. But all that changed in 2016 thanks to the Vancouver Mural Festival. The association's mission is to ease social tensions by giving pride of place to artistic communities. Its action is part of a policy of reconciliation with First Nations. Urban art now has its official place, thanks to the dedication of the festival's organizers, who work in collaboration with the city. Artists from across Canada and around the world work on the subject of their choice. The only requirement is that they obtain permission from the owner of the medium, whether it's a wall, the ground, a garbage can or any other usable surface.
In Toronto, the StART program involves communities in street beautification. In doing so, StART hopes to encourage soft means of transport such as walking and cycling. Discover Kensington Market, the bohemian district where bargains are made. The Orbital Arts alley is completely covered in graffiti. A ten-minute walk away, Graffiti Alley is urban fresco territory par excellence. To the south of Chinatown, between Spadina Avenue and Portland Street, Rush Lane is a symbol of the StART program: this kilometre-long alleyway has become a favourite playground for artists. Don't miss the gigantic aquarium by Canadian artist Uber5000, whose vision of the underwater world makes you smile. The portraits, entitled Remove me, are a reference to Mayor Rob Ford, who in 2011 went on a graffiti-hunting spree armed with a water jet. Don't miss the Yorkville Murals festival at the end of August.
Urban art is everywherein Montreal. Keep your eyes peeled! It can be found in unexpected places: parking lots, street furniture, cul-de-sacs and stairwells. Some ideas? In the Plateau Mont-Royal district, sublime frescoes adorn boulevard Saint-Laurent and surrounding streets. The charming Little Italy district also hides its treasures bequeathed by muralists. The Mural Festival is no stranger to the phenomenon...
Contemporary atmosphere
Since 2000, the Toronto International Contemporary Art Fair has been one of Canada's major annual events. Located in the heart of the city, the event brings together local and international galleries.
The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal' s collection is open to all media: video, sculpture, photography, painting, installation, sound and digital work, drawing. Bold sculptures by Louise Bourgeois share space with self-portraits by photographer Raymonde April (b. Canada, 1953), paintings by Janet Werner (b. Canada, 1959) and the work of Jon Rafman. Born in Montreal in 1981, Rafman combines sculpture, painting, installation and photography to denounce the role of technology in today's world.
Part of the collection takes to the streets of Montreal with the aim of making art more accessible. As Art Souterrain's actions attest, public art occupies a special place in Montreal's heritage. In this respect, the underground city is known as a hotbed of public art.
The Quartier International du Vieux-Montréal is home to a multitude of art galleries. The Canal districts bring together antique shops, modern art, established and emerging artists. More specifically, Griffintown has quickly become a fashionable destination. William Street, Ottawa Street and Notre-Dame Street West are home to a whirlwind of artists' studios and galleries. The Centre d'art de Montréal has studios for 100 member artists, as well as two art galleries: Galerie William on the second floor and Galerie Griffintown on the second.
