group of 7 exhibit

exclusive Tom Thomson and Group of Seven engagement 

By William Doyle-Marshall

 Until January 6 there is an exciting exhibition at the McMichael Canadian art collection in Kleinburg, Ontario. The title of the show is –Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Images of Algonquin Park, Algoma, Quebec and British Columbia are included in the exhibition.
  The show by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is being done in conjunction with London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery and the National Gallery of Canada. It is considered the most impressive exhibition dedicated to Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven ever to travel to Great Britain and Europe. In the early decades of the twentieth century, circumstances brought together several artists who explored and fell in love with the varied landscapes of Canada. Collectively, they agreed that the country’s magnificent wilderness  regions needed to be recorded in a painting style that captured the untouched beauty of the landscapes that inspired them. Today these artists have become the most famous amongst Canadian artists and, indeed,  have become national icons.
   This is an exclusive engagement for the exhibition designed for Canadians to experience the works of these famous artists. Nine works and personal objects of the artists that were not in Europe have been added to the exhibition by the curator. Talk about serenity, relaxation and a spot that could evoke your creativity– that is the McMichael. During a specially conducted tour of the exhibition with Katerina Atanassova, McMichael’s Chief Curator, I  concluded that the McMichael is somewhere that Torontonians should devote some of their precious time, irrespective of the season.
  Ms. Atanassova proudly reflected on being at the collection at various times of the year, in our conversation. As someone who was born and grew up in Europe, this idea of the north being in the wild country was very foreign for her. However, 23 years ago when she came to Canada and friends took her to McMichael, that was the most interesting experience she had. “To come to McMichael and be surrounded by this virgin north land and territory even though I am not that far away (from the city). We are not Algonquin Park, we are not in Algoma but being surrounded by the beautiful  scenery, looking through windows and at the same time depicting the same idea of wilderness is perhaps one of the most moving experiences in every season of the year,” Atanassova reminisced.
   “You can come in the winter and you will see winter works or you can come in the fall as we are right now in November and you can see the follies through the windows and works of art. And the same thing for spring and summer. That is truly uniquely Canadian and I think there is no other gallery, there is no other location in Canada that really allows visitors to have such
An experience.”

Tom Thomson's Moonlight

    The current exhibition  started just over a year ago with 128 paintings at the Dulwich Picture Gallery and that grew into a European tour including the National Gallery in Oslow, Norway and then a stop in the Netherlands. Media reports from Europe boldly illustrates that the exhibition was an attraction for Canada among lovers of art and perhaps curious gallery viewers. We have a chance to see for ourselves. One must bear in mind when the works of these same artists went to Britain back in the 1920s there were negative responses. But with the passage of time and generations later opinions and appreciation have changed.
   The artists’ focus on the Canadian landscape as the subject for their art reflected an increasingly nationalistic sentiment within a deep-rooted love for the natural environment of Canada. The group’s intention was to produce work in a style that broke with European traditions in art. Their bright and bold use of paint and colour seemed a suitable complement to the aggressive expansion that the country was experiencing at the outset of the 1920s. Before the end of the decade, this new and distinctive painting style was supported by the National Gallery of Canada and gained an enthusiastic audience amongst the general public as well.
   The original members of the Group of Seven were J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932); Arthur Lismer (1895-1969); Frank Johnston (1888-1969); Frederick Varley (1881-1969); Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945); Lawren Harris (1885-1970) and  A.Y. Jackson (1882-1974).
  Later members were A.J. Casson (1898-1992); Edwin Holgate (1892-1977) and Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald (1890-1956)
   If you’ve never gone to Kleinburg, you are cheating yourself.(www.mcmichael.com) or phone(905) 893 1121