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Visual Arts, Museums &

> Visual Arts
> Museums
> Indian and Inuit Art

Visual Arts

From the landscapes of Cornelius Krieghoff and the portraits of Théophile Hamel to the multidisciplinary works of Michael Snow andthe hyperrealism of Alex Colville, the tradition of visual arts in Canada is rich and varied. Early in this century, the Group of Sevencaptured the majestic Canadian landscape as never before. Here emerged a uniquely Canadian view of our land, our skies and our magicallight. "Make way for magic! Make way for objective mysteries! Make way for love! Make way for internal drives!," proclaimed Canadian painter Paul-Émile Borduas in1948, introducing his Refus global. This manifesto, signed by 14 artists, called for the abandonment of academicism and the advent of anew social order; Borduas and his group, the Automatists, advocated non-objectivity in art. In this track, painters Alfred Pellan andJean-Paul Riopelle moved away from figurative representation. The paintings of Jean-Paul Lemieux, on the other hand, remained faithful tofiguration. During the 1960s, another style, leaning toward geometrical abstraction, was introduced by Canadian artists Guido Molinari,Yves Gaucher and Claude Tousignant. In Toronto, Painters Eleven was formed by Jock MacDonald, Jack Bush, William Ronald and eight otherabstract painters. More recently, artists such as Paterson Ewen, "General Idea" and Jeff Wall have drawn international attention toCanadian art. These artists use various modern techniques, such as electronics and video, to express themselves. Today, new visions arebeing presented by Canadian artists such as Geneviève Cadieux, Melvin Charney, Stan Douglas and Jana Sterbak.

> Arts and CulturalIndustries
> Arts Scene: Heritage Canada

Museums

Canadian national museums include:

> Agriculture Museum > Air Defence Museum > Canada Aviation Museum > Canada Postal Museum > Canada Science andTechnology Museum > Canadian Children'sMuseum > Canadian Museum of Civilization > Canadian Museum ofContemporary Photography > Canadian Museum of Nature > Canadian War Museum > Currency Museum > National Gallery of Canada > Virtual Museumof Canada > Virtual Museum(Canadian Museum of Civilization) > Virtual Museum of New France

To search a database of other museums by province or subject, visitfind a museum.

Indian and Inuit Art

For Aboriginal peoples in Canada, art is an excellent way to promote cultural identity and instill pride in Aboriginal heritage. Indianand Inuit Art, which is sought after worldwide, is also a significant economic activity. In the past, Aboriginal art carved from bone,ivory and wood included birds, bears and other land and sea animals, human figures, masks and maskettes, and face clusters. It isbelieved that these works had a definite magic or religious intent, and that they were worn as amulets or used in shamanic rituals. Since1984, Canadian Inuit artists have produced a brilliant art in carvings of stone, ivory, antler and whalebone, as well as drawings,paintings and prints. Such artists as carver Karoo Ashevak, and printmakers Pudlo, Parr and Jessie Oonark, create works that, while theyembrace the forms and techniques of the Euramerican artist, are distinctly representative of their own culture and their uniqueperception of the Canadian landscape. Canada's native artists, including Haida sculptor, Bill Reid, and painters, Alex Janvier and NorvalMorrisseau, reach deep into the traditions and techniques of their ancestors, while continually expanding their vision to create worksthat are universally compelling.

> Indian and InuitArt
> Indian and Northern Affairs Canada


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Last Updated:
2005-04-18

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