The Essential Artist

Necessary Voice in Every Age

Duane Aubin
v4.4

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 3 ART ISIN SEARCH OF DEFINITION ....................................................................................... 4 DESCRIPTIONS IN THE DUST: ART SPEAKS IN ANCIENT EGYPT.............................................20 BRUSHES OF BRILLIANCE......................................................................................................34 ART SPEAKS FROM SPAIN .........................................................................................................34 CANADIAN CONTENT: THE GROUP OF SEVEN.................................................................................47

Pablo Picasso ................................................................................................................ 34 Salvador Dali ..................................................................................................................40 The Problem .................................................................................................................. 47 The Solution ...................................................................................................................52 The Aftermath ................................................................................................................ 56 The Legacy .................................................................................................................... 57 The King James Version .................................................................................................60 Wordsworth - Precursor to Freedom .............................................................................61

THE POWER OF THE PEN ......................................................................................................59 ENGLISH ELOQUENCE: THE POETS .............................................................................................59

AMERICAN MUCKRAKERS: ART GOES TO WASHINGTON.....................................................................67

ART GETS SHRILL: ASSESSING HEAVY METAL AND HIP HOP ................................................72 HEAVY METAL .......................................................................................................................72 HIP HOP .............................................................................................................................. 80 ART SPEAKS ON: DOES THE PAST SPEAK OF ARTS FUTURE? .............................................97 BIOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY ............................................................................................................97 MORE SHRILL MUSIC ............................................................................................................ 100 MORE SHRILL MOVIES .......................................................................................................... 105 CAN THE POLITICIANS HANDLE IT? ........................................................................................... 107 THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME ......................................................... 112 WHAT WILL CHANGE FIRST? .................................................................................................... 115 APPENDIX........................................................................................................................... 116 INDEX ................................................................................................................................. 124 BILBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................. 128

Upton Sinclair.................................................................................................................67 Ralph Nader ................................................................................................................... 68 Michael Moore ...............................................................................................................69

Introduction

Do we need artists? Is art important? Artists contributions to societys well-being may be, on the surface, difficult to objectively quantify, but if we just got rid of art altogether, would we miss it? This book was originally a research paper exploring the question, Are heavy metal and hip hop art? I came to realize that, in order to make an informed opinion, Id first need to grapple with the more fundamental question, what is art? This took me on quite a journey. From the anthropological, historical and social to the political, economical and commercial, a study of the arts is a study of the history of the human experience, including its highs and lows. While I will repeat it at a more appropriate point, I must say here that this process was, at times, uncomfortable, for a number of reasons. I was challenged to confront some realities and deal with some controversial issues in as objective a manner as I could. Some may not agree with my methods, but if I couldnt submit to the process, I certainly couldnt recommend that process to any other person. As such, please be warned: this book contains mature subject matter which will be offensive to some and is neither appropriate for children nor recommended for the squeamish. Now, sure, the title of this book betrays the tentative conclusion, but Ill appeal to the old adage getting there is half the fun - and invite you to share the journey with me. I have tried not to make it an overly long journey; and assume no pretense that Ive covered all the bases. Hopefully, it will be useful as somewhat more of a handbook in helping you just get started along your own journey of discovery. 3

Brushes of Brilliance

Giotto overwhelmed his audience in late 13th century Italy. Whereas the contemporary style of his time was one that alienated the common observer, Giotta softened and humanized his subjects, so that the observer could connect with his subjects. One might say that Giotto brought meaning by moving from symbol to substance, reality. His ability to capture depth changed European art, and his style dominated the European art world for centuries. The work of three particular art leaders in the 20th century has gone from reality to symbol. In this chapter we will look at Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and the Group of Seven.

Art Speaks from Spain

Pablo Picasso
We often say a picture is worth a thousand words. What is frustrating is, sometimes it takes a thousand words to understand a picture. Interpreting meaning requires learning. Picasso is said to have moved us away from contemplating the final product, the what, towards contemplation of the process, the how. Ultimately, however, we still want to answer why? Consider a painting of an Ethiopian mother holding a child breathing his last. What rends the heart most? The child, in the throes of starvation? The mother, powerless to save? The dehydration that renders her weeping tearless? One painting can convey all this 34

emotion without an essay explaining who the artist is. But, such an easy connection is often not possible with Picasso or Dali. Nevertheless, these two artists represent the height of art in the mid 20th century, among the most recent giants of the art world. As we look at Picasso and Dali, we will find that, although they knew each other and in fact were compatriots, they were quite independent of each others work, ideas, and aims. Cubism is the product of Picassos creative genius. It is born of an attempt to use spatial distortions to provide the viewer with the maximum information possible about the painted object. To that precedent may be added the profound impression made on Picasso by primitive Iberian sculpture and African masks which revealed modes of synthetic and nonnaturalistic representation unknown in the European tradition, (Faerna, 7). Picasso would say that I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them, (Penrose, 13). This concept Picasso found in African art, and his work forged the first real link between African art and Western ideas, (13). I mention this up front simply to allow for the obvious connection to the history of art that finds much root in Africa, as previously concluded in the chapter on Ancient Egypt. Figure 2 - Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 1907. Widely regarded as the beginning of Cubism, with its line, juxtaposed planes, African mask faces

35

Picassos return to symbol perhaps makes meaning less clear than more clear. It took study to see in Les Demoiselles dAvignon his deep seated fear and loathing for the female body, which existed side by side with his craving for and ecstatic idealization of it, (Wikipedia, Les Demoiselles dAvignon). Carl Jung, comparing Picassos work to that of his patients, suggests that it is the ugly, the sick, the grotesque, the incomprehensible, the banal that are sought out not for the purpose of expressing anything, but only in order to obscure (Huffington, 202). With some reading, however, one can learn about Picassos symbols; from the feelings of despair in his blue period, to his heavy symbolism in Guernica, Picasso seems to want to say something, to express his fear of death or revulsion to war. Artists are indeed thinkers. . To read about the paintings of Picasso or Dali is to be overwhelmed with their willingness to put in words their views on what art is, and isnt, and what makes their contributions stand out.

36

We recall Callingwoods assertion that it becomes clear to him only as the poem takes shape in his mind, or the clay in his fingers, (29). Picasso concurs, observing that If you know exactly what youre going to do, whats the point in doing it? Since you

Note the common position of the head.

The Old Guitar Player 1903 know, theres no interest in it, (Cowling, 71).

Woman Ironing 1904

Picasso once said, You have to wake people up. Youve got to create images they wont accept. Make them foam at the mouth. Force them to understand that theyre living in a pretty queer world. A world that is not reassuring. A world thats not what they think it is, (Huffington, 109-110). Of course this immediately reminds me of a contribution of Wind, who suggested that art ought to have a socially stinging component to it (9). While his blue period reflects his mood at the time, dealing with a friends suicide, and his alienation in his new surroundings, Guernica ushers in a new model of the popular

37

artist; according to Faerna, never beforehad painting achieved such a universal expression of the drama of contemporary events, (53). Picassos great fresco is a monument to destruction, a cry of outrage and horror amplified by the spirit of genius, (Huffington, 233).

Figure 3 - Guernica, 1937 There is irony in the circumstances of the creation of Guernica, that speaks to our human fault of attributing unrelated character attributes to people we admire for particular skills. Once, while he was still working on Guernica, his two mistresses wished he would choose between them. He refused, saying they had to sort it out amongst themselves. James Lord comments on the irony, that, while the two mistresses

38

engaged in a fistfight in his studio, he peacefully continued to work on the enormous canvas conceived to decry the horrors of human conflict, (Huffington, 234). In fact, after learning about the dark side of Picasso, I have come to believe that he benefits from the modern phenomena of celebrity. As an artist, Picasso enjoyed fame, fortune, and running in the higher circles of society. As is the case with entertainers and people of fame and wealth, it seems that they can do no wrong. Only through this research (and after having read well into the subject) have I come across the startling facts of Picassos social relationships. Picasso had said when I die, it will be a shipwreck, and as when a huge ship sinks, many people all around will be sucked down with it, (Huffington, 470). Picasso was destructively self-absorbed. His relationships were generally poor all around. He had three illegitimate children. He died and left no will. There were three suicides in the wake of his 1973 death: the morning of Picassos funeral, grandson Pablito drank potassium chloride bleach after being told he was refused entry to his grandfathers funeral; in 1977, long time mistress Marie-Therese hanged herself, aged 68; and in 1986, second-wife Jacqueline, to whom he called out in fear in his final moments, shot herself. In 1963, which proved to be 10 years before his death, he told his son Claude that he could no longer visit him. I am old and you are young. I wish you were dead. Claude tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide, but lived on to inherit his share of the estate despite not being allowed to be present at his fathers funeral. Francoise Gilot, one of Picassos mistresses (she was the mother of two of his children, but the marriage-after-the-fact was a ruse, while he married Jacqueline just 12 days before) sought to tell her story in a 1964 book entitled My Life With Picasso. While the 39

Picasso faithful rallied in support of his legal war to prevent the book from publishing, James Lord said It is important to know how perverse, cruel, ruthless, sentimental, and promiscuous Picasso could be. Indeed, how could anyone honestly study his work and imagine him to be otherwise, (Huffington, 444). And on, and on. These are things I might never have known had I not this opportunity to look beyond the headlines of superlative accolades. So great is the support for Picasso that, as I studied him, again, the stories written about him merely glance over his darkness, if it is mentioned at all. Ultimately, Picassos death was not what one might have expected. Rather than a dignified scene of national mourning of an icon, very public, with all the family gathered around, it was a sad case of secrecy and alienation. Picassos death is starkly lacking in dignity; through his work he attempted to deal with his fear of death, and it was apparently unsuccessful. Huffington summarizes, there is a sense in all great art that beyond the darkness and the nightmares that it portrays, beyond humanitys anguished crises that it gives voice to , there is harmony, order and peacePicassos advanced age was filled with despair and fueled by hatred, (474).

Salvador Dali
Dalis story was not as pathetic as was Picassos, but, interestingly enough, Gibson suggests that Dalis life can be seen as a development on the theme of shame. Again, as in my study on Picasso, while fascination for the works remains, contemplating the source of inspiration of the works, and possible meaning of the works, is now in question.

40

Dali developed what he called the "paranoiac-critical method, a process that "materializes the images of concrete irrationality with imperialist fury of precision," (Naret, 66), "born solely of the 'obsessing idea,'" which would continue in the works of Warhol, Johns and others. It can be clarified as a "spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on the critical and systematic objectivity of the associations and interpretations of delirious phenomena," (Descharnes, 30-31). When you repeat out loud your name until it seems to lose its subjective meaning, this is an approach to the method, which attempts to strip an object of its subjectivity. This rather reminds me of Barnett Newmans concern that we ought not to rush to see in a work of art what it looks like, (suggestive of something else), but to grasp, or at least try to grasp, what the work is, in and of itself. Dali once said "the swastika, as old as the Chinese sun, demands honour for the object itself," (Descharnes, 34). His work included many instances of characterizations of Hitler, Stalin and others, and, in such a politically charged time as the 1930s, this was difficult for his Surrealist associates who ejected him from their association in 1934. Be that as it may, pursuit of understanding requires that we continue to push beyond what is, even after following Dalis rigour and confronting the intrinsic nature of the thing disconnected from its standard socio-political associations, and ask now what? What is the value of honouring the object itself? Dali obsessed predominantly on extremely sexual ideas, which must have been even more shocking than it would be in the relatively more permissive social climate of today.

41

His source was predominantly his dreams, and he was a master at capturing the images of his dreams with brutal honesty, as free of editing as he could muster. As I think about the sanctity of age, I realize that issues that scuttle modern works are overlooked in works of the past. Wind had implied something of this phenomenon, that it must be remembered that art is rendered and received within a socio-political context. As the work itself remains, while current events are swept into history, the reaction to the work begins to peel away from its right context and lose interpretive depth. Thus, in comparing music we refer to as classical (including genres such as classical, romantic and baroque) with contemporary forms of jazz, rock and rap, we must remember not to handicap the critique of the current with our socio-political views while allowing the music of the past freedom from its context. I say this now because Dalis work includes plenty of foul subjects and motifs, with recurring symbols of fellatio and sodomy, vaginas and excrement. Yet, again, as in the case with Picasso, I first found myself experiencing Dali in a state of wonderment, for indeed his images were technically most remarkable. And, if we would follow Dalis thoughts, we thus accept the challenge of contemplating organs and excrement without the baggage, as Dali might consider it, of meaning.

42

The Lugubrious Game, Gibson observed, contains a veritable anthology of the sexual obsessions for which only compulsive masturbation and painting itself were providing Dali with an outlet at the time, (215). While Dali was at this time obsessed by the subject of anal penetration, he liberally distributes vaginas, for him the most terrifying of orifices, throughout the work. Dali is credited by the Surrealists themselves as making critical contributions to their

43

work. Breton, who led the trial that would eject Dali from the fraternity of Surrealists, admits that Dali had "endowed Surrealism with an instrument of primary importance, in particular the paranoiac-critical method, which has immediately shown itself capable of being applied equally to painting, poetry, the cinema, the construction of typical Surrealist objects.... all manner of exegesis," (Descharnes, 31). But, Dali was most unwilling to submit to the discipline Breton wished his associates would maintain. When in 1928 Dali submitted two works for an exhibit, the curator felt he had no choice but to ask Dali to withdraw the two paintings voluntarily. Dali told his dealer that he was delighted by the objections, since they proved that painting could still possess the subversive value of horrifying and traumatizing the public, (Gibson, 186-187).

Figure 4 Dali, The Great Masturbator, 1929

44

Was this aim to shock virtuous, noble in intent? I dont know, because I think that shock for shocks sake is sensationalist and shallow. Dali, however, was not just shocking for shocks sake. He was putting his shame on display, sharing the intimate inner self, the purest and truest elements of his soul, (Gibson, 187). Such honesty is remarkable, for indeed we are permanently geared towards self-preservationist habits of self-packaging, and presenting an image to the outside world that attempts to protect the inner darkness. In this, Dali and his work is a great triumph, as he produces a legacy of work based on a most un-championed emotion shame. Picasso and Dali have a lot in common. Both are products of Spain. They both championed controversial art forms. They both found satisfaction in graduating from representational art towards a more introspective and revelatory style that emphasized not what was but what they saw within their minds. They both had relationship problems and sought sexual excess beyond traditional marital expression. Both had a fear of death, and dealt poorly with it. But, the differences are also quite marked. Picasso occupied the social elite while believing himself apart from it, while Dali always seems to crave it the more, although his relationship with the media was strained. Picasso walked gingerly on political issues, while Dali trampled on them. What does all this mean to our study of the voice of the artist? I believe that its reasonable to conclude that the sociological issue of class has as much to do with the interpretation of art as does the art itself. As I move on to consider contemporary music forms, I am encouraged to know that hesitations to acknowledge the newer material may

45

well rest on issues through which Picasso and Dali plowed a generation ago despite all the baggage accompanying their stories, their art rises above to stand on its own. Although I accept that art is more than just skill, I recall my sense of wonderment as I began to see the technical merit in the works of Picasso and Dali. For those who will observe the works with little if any investigation into the source of the works (the lives, the passions and fears), this technical merit alone will make the experience worthwhile. Beyond the works themselves, however, as I am drawn into the inquiry of the identity of the artist the times, relationships, philosophies I confirm that the art was a catalyst for studying history, philosophy, and some of the fundamental questions that are with us still.

46

Canadian Content: The Group of Seven

Just when I thought that I might be able to make some hypotheses about the work of the Group of Seven, based on the findings thus far, I was pleasantly surprised to find I was way off in my assumptions. After having grappled with the maelstrom of Picasso and Dali I assumed that the Group of Seven painters, contemporaries bringing the Canadian landscape to their canvass, were quiet, benign and harmless, peacefully forging a Canadian identity of anonymity and passivity. I thought that, as the art world was in the throes of the challenging characters and creations of cubism and surrealism, I would find the work of the Group of Seven relatively bland. I was overwhelmingly wrong, and the method requiring exploration of the social milieu in which they worked has proven again to be necessary for a real appreciation of their impact.

The Problem
It is noteworthy to begin by stating outright that the Group of Seven did not happen by accident, and that they had every intention of making a bold statement. The milieu into which the Group thrust themselves was choked with a prevailing attitude that Europe was the place to be where art was concerned. Indeed, France had developed a system that supported the arts financially, educationally, and culturally. And the Dutch influence was also great. These and other factors dictated that the critically accepted trends tended to be determined outside Canada, and imported into Canada by Canadian artists who studied abroad. Collectors weresupporters of foreign importations; thus, the

47

Group arrived at the conclusion that there would be a formidable resistance to such an art, as what they were creating (Reid, 149). Art must sting. It is not overkill to repeat this contention working towards an assessment of heavy metal, hip hop and the future of art in general, this most salient position is again sufficient to recognize a common development of theme in the overview of what art is all about. As time moves on, and current art becomes art of the past, that art loses its context, and all the reactionary nature of it (both in terms of its reactionary statements about its world, and the worlds reaction to it) fade. Weve seen through the thoughts of critics such as Rosenberg and the works of artists such as Picasso that art must see beyond the surface, beyond what it is to what it means; as time moves on, all we are left with, short of studying context, is what it is, which can only be less than what was intended of the creator of the piece. The immediate impact of the work of the Group of Seven has indeed supported, and perhaps even created, a perception that Canada is predominantly a wilderness, a hinterland of raw nature, and its people as retreating, retiring conservatives. Robert Stacey cites Canadian geographer Brian Osborne as suggesting that the work of the Group of Seven came to dominate Canadians self-images, or at least, the images of their country. An ideology of Northern distinctiveness became central to the iconography of Canadian landscape, (Tooby, 42). My initial reaction to such thought was that this is claptrap. I am a born and raised Canadian, and there are a number of difficulties I had with such terms as a Canadian sky and other such attempts at iconography. First, if I could somehow blindfold the average person, take them to another country and, in the middle of an open field, 48

remove the blindfold, I doubt strongly that person could identify the country in which they were, based on looking at the sky. Further, I havent travelled a whole lot, but Ive travelled enough to know that each country offers a rich diversity of natural environments such that anywhere could look like anywhere else, short of some particularly identifiable landmark, such as Ayers Rock or Niagara Falls. And finally, 80% of Canadians these days live in urban centres (Statscan). The majority of my acquaintance with Canada is in Toronto, with its CN Tower (tallest free standing tower in the world for 35 years) and Rogers Centre (largest retractable roof/electronic scoreboard), and its Path underground network of shops and services (again, the largest in the world)if I didnt go on camping trips in public school, the raw nature that typifies images of Canada would never have been seen. But, after thinking about it, I understand the term iconography not to describe the actual geography of a region, but the geography as represented in a body of artistic works. Stacey helps, in commenting that one finds politico-geographical terms such as Canadian art, Canadianism, the Canadian North or Lawren Harris The North bandied back and forth, denied, or asserted to characterize the new movement in its essence, (42). If artists build their body of works in a region to reflect certain standard views, we tend to accept those views as representative of the actual region, rather than a symbolic expression of the artists view of the region. Thus, the artist becomes the creator of a stylized ideal, and we are in turn invited to investigate and discover that ideal. As Stacey said, they are used to characterize not so much Canadian terrain itself, but the new movement in its essence.

49

Cornelius Krieghoff, After the Ball Chez Jolifou. Oil. 1855. 24" x 36". For some reason, this issue struck a chord with me as being particularly noteworthy. My reading bears out this reaction, as Michael Tooby saw fit to address it up front in his editorial forward, that landscape paintingis both obvious and fundamental in discussing Canadian art since it has itself acted as an ideological and psychological vehicle for defining Canada. In a country where today almost 80% of the population lives in urban areas, this early modern art dominates both popular consciousness of what constitutes Canadian art, and forms a central body of material for intellectual, academic and artistic debate over the development of a sense of national identity in the visual arts and in Canadian culture as a whole, (11). So, Im back to Rosenbergs recommendation Ive got to look deeper than the work itself. I was surprised to find that the Group of Seven anticipated resistance, but, on what basis? What is to resist in the painting of a waterfall, forest tree line or mountain lake?

50

At the time, the style that gained the critical acclaim was definitely European. Coming out of the Paris school and the Dutch movement were mood, atmosphere, heaviness, and sombre colour. At right is a piece from the great Canadian, Cornelius Krieghoff: note the brooding sky, the muted colour. This work is a development of one of his favourite themes, the all-night country inn revel. This piece was considered a renewed commitment to the Canadian scene, although the type of stage-set genre had developed in Dsseldorf and was popular in Europe and the US, (Reid, 63). As testament to the times, this great Canadian painter was not born in Canada, but rather in Amsterdam. Nor, did he die in Canada, but rather in Chicago. He was considered somewhat of an itinerant, yet spent enough time in and developed an influential body of work of Canadian subjects to earn that mantle. There was a time when his works were considered to be missing the mark by the educated Quebeckers apparently, people in his Quebec City circle encouraged him to return to Europe for a refresher course in the noble aims of the art of painting, (Reid, 62). Krieghoff became known for his attention to details, his technical abilities to capture those details. James W. Morrice. La plage, Param, 1902 oil This would be starkly contrasted

51

in the soft texture that came to describe much of the Group of Seven style. And then there was James W. Morrice. Considered one of Canadas finest painters, he spent most of his productive years in France. An idea the Group was Lawren S. Harris. Snow, 1917, oil on canvas. 69.7 x

aiming to challenge was that a Canadian painter didnt have sufficient material based on Canadian landscape. To press this issue in the face of Morrice was quite confrontational, since Morrice was the most famous and undoubtedly the most important member of the Canadian Art Club; there might only have been one other Canadian considered to have the strongest reputation outside the country, (Reid, 132). In fact, Duval suggests that Morrice was regarded by many, especially in Quebec, as our greatest painter, (135). At left is one of Morrices acclaimed works. Again, as a champion of the European influence, the colours are drab, with no boldness, no quickening. Although born in Montreal, he studied in England and Paris.

The Solution
Of such was the establishment with which the Group determined to contend. The chief weapons in their arsenal would be colour and line.

52

Of all the members, Lawren Harris work strikes me the most. He was among the more

Lawren S. Harris, From the North Shore, Lake Superior vocal of the members, especially on the issue of forging a Canadian content agenda. In response to the Federal Art Commissions mandate that procured what the Group considered a gross imbalance towards foreign art, Charles Hill tells us that Harris said Their whole policy is a stupid and senseless effort to keep us on the beaten track whichleads to oblivion. This is where Canadian art is bound unless it cuts itself loose fromHolland and the Royal Academy in England and becomes something more than a mere echo of the art of other countries, (Tooby, 71).

53

Tooby suggests that what is clear though is that the Group of Seven took on a crucial shift: that this art shouldcelebrate the country in a moral and spiritual way, (25). Harris was also a leader in this area. His work display a dramatically reduced, austere but inspiring form, such that one can almost trace the course of Harris spiritual development in his canvasses (Reid, 152) through the 1920, having become a member

Lawren S. Harris, Morning Light, Lake Superior of the theosophical movement near the end of World War 1. As aforementioned, these soft lines, bold colours and lack of minute detail are in stark contrast to the details that impressed the previous generation in the works of artists such as Krieghoff. Again, it wasnt by accident, but a part of their general agenda to forge a style and interpretation that reflected the value and beauty they saw in Canadas subject matter. I find that the Harris style serves not to pull a viewer towards the canvas to gawk

54

at elements of the picture isolated by scrutiny from the whole, but to stand back and take in the bigger picture, much as one would do if enjoying a sunrise, or afternoon glory.

Lawren Harris, Afternoon Sun, Lake Superior

Idealized art isnt always virtuous, as it reflects the ideas and ideals of the artist (as discovered in the study of Dali and Picasso). Perhaps because I am male, I have been somewhat desensitized by the abundant studies in the female nude form bearing titles Nude . Looking over the work of Group member Fred Varley, I was shocked back to sensitivity to note that his several portraits with titles such as Girl in Red 1926, Indian Girl 1927 as compared with Portrait of a Man 1950, suggest a condescending male chauvinism, not to mention the seeming dehumanization in the title Negro Head 1940. But then I remember that those were different times. Not to mention, judgments of virtue are a whole other discussion. It reminded me of Dalian titles of hands or hindquarters, that objectification at least is a common art tool. Is this good or bad?

55

The Aftermath
Several factors contributed to the demise of the Group, that didnt have to do with art specifically, but with the various other social forces in which arts are entwined. First, resentment began to build against the Groups resounding success. Although the members travelled and obviously were influenced by and reflected their journeys westward, the members themselves were almost all central Canadians, headquartered in Toronto. There were accusations of exclusivity in who could join their house, (Reid, 178). In part a manifestation of this national restlessness to reflect more of Canada, and in part a maturation of the ideas of the Group and wish to expand, the Canadian Group of Painters was formed in 1933. This groups principle centre of activity remained Toronto but the group represented progress nonetheless. From a philosophical point of view, the Group had its fair share of detractors, as it expected it would. Chief among them was John Lyman, who resented the hegemony and the elitist presumption that only the Group were considered true Canadian artists, precluding the acceptance of other painters who were as accomplished, (Reid, 202). But, more than that, he felt that the Group had focussed on the wrong area. Developing a Canadian expression was not so much in the subject matter, but in the freedom of Canadians to be creative, and see beauty where it might have been found, within Canada or otherwise. His champion was Morrice who, he felt, reflected what Canadian art might theoretically become through an association of the spirit of the two dominant races, (Reid, 202).

56

Interestingly enough, war was hardly an influence to their work, as far as I was able to read. In fact, there is no entry in Reids index for any of the wars. He did, however, mention that several members of the Group were commissioned as war artists between 1914 and 1918, and World War 2 did slow the activity of the latter Canadian Group, lead by former Group of Seven members Lismer and Jackson. Whereas war provided inspiration for some of the Spaniards most profound works (both Picasso and Dali had political involvement and relationships that extended beyond their art), the Canadian school seemed quite content to prevent war from defining their body of work, only tangling with their government on issues directly related to their work. Of course, the Depression took its toll on much of the activity, as funding slowed, as exhibits and shows decreased, and as buyers dwindled. Reid makes several albeit general mentions of it in his work.

The Legacy
Ultimately, the Group was successful, as they dominated the Canadian art scene, leaving a legacy that still defines and influences Canadian art to this day, and spawned a body of schools to emulate and expand upon their ideas as well as a contingent of opponents who were motivated to ensure that their vision of Canada was not overlooked in the enthusiastic acceptance of the work of the Group. The Group of Seven left a body of work that is much easier for Canadians to embrace as emblematic of the spirit of Canada than, say, what Dali left for the average Spaniard (The Lugubrious Game is challenging, isnt it?). However, for the first time, I am aware of the challenges they faced in spearheading a movement that gave Canada its own hat to

57

toss into the ring of the world scene. At a time when Canadian content was thought to be impossible, when the rugged landscape considered too rugged for the tastes that appreciated the misty romanticized European flavour, the Group pushed forward. In reflecting on the many claims to fame emanating from Canada, its possible the quiet confidence either begins or is taken to new heights with the Group of Seven. Rather than beating our nationalistic chest while waiving our flags in the faces of the nations, we make our significant contributions to medicine, aeronautical engineering, computer technology, sports, the arts, etc., and allow the contributions themselves to speak for us.

58

Bilbliography

Aldred, Cyril. 1973. Akhenaten and Nefertiti. New York: The Viking Press, Inc. Ashton, Rosemary. 1996. The Life of Samuel Taylor Coleridge: A Critical Biography. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Astle, David. 1975. The Babylonian Woe. Toronto: Harmony Printing. "Bach, Johann Sebastian," Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99 Begley. Sharon. Music on the Mind. Newsweek, July 24, 2000. http://www.brams.umontreal.ca/plab/research/dossiers_vulgarisation/newsweek _musicmind/newsweek_musicmind.html?Story_ID=329414 Bloom, Harold, ed. 1986.Modern Critical Views: Samuel Taylor Coleridge. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. Byatt, A. S. 1989. Unruly Times: Wordsworth and Coleridge in their Time. London: The Hogarth Press. Collingwood, R. G. 1938. The Principles of Art. London: Oxford University Press. Cornford, Francis Macdonald. 1945. The Republic of Plato. New York: Oxford University Press. Cowling, Elizabeth and John Golding. 1994. Picasso: Sculptor/Painter. London: Tate Gallery.

128

Crenson, Matt. Is there a music gene? Salon, July 16, 2000. http://www.salon.com/news/2000/07/16/music_gene D, Chuck. 1997. Fight the Power: Rap, Race and Reality. New York: Delacorte Press. Dante, Arthur C. 2001. In the Bosom of Jesus. The Nation, May 28, 2001. http://pierretristam.com/Bobst/library/WF-33.htm David, Rosalie. 1993. Discovering Ancient Egypt. London: Michael O'Mara Books Limited. ________________1998.Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. New York: Facts on File, Inc. ________________. 1986. The Pyramid Builders of Ancient Egypt: A Modern Investigation of Pharaohs Workforce. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul plc. Dika, Vera. 1990. Games of Terror: Halloween, Friday the 13th and the Films of the Stalker Cycle. Cranberry, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. Diop, Cheikh Anta. 1991. Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology. New York: Lawrence Hill Books. Dodson, Aidan. 1998. The Egyptians. 3rd ed., revised. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. Duval, Paul. 1976. A Heritage of Canadian Art. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin & Company Limited. Huffington, Arianna Stassinopoulos. 1988.Picasso: Creator and Destroyer. New York: Simon and Schuster. Jaff, Hans Ludwig C. 1983. Picasso. New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc. Jennings, Gary. 1984. World of Words: The Personalities of Language. New York: Atheneum.

129

Kleinbauer, W. Eugene, ed. 1971. Modern Perspectives in Western Art History: An Anthology of 20th-century Writings on the Visual Arts. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Ksenych, Ed, and David Liu, ed. 1992. Conflict, Order and Action: Readings in Sociology. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press, Inc. Lanier, Vincent. 1982. The Arts We See: A Simplified Introduction to the Visual Arts. New York: Teachers College Press. Lehrman, Bari Music as a Medium of Discontent: a comparative approach to blues, jazz, reggae, and hip hop. April 18, 1988. http://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/lehrman.html Maddox, Conroy. 1979.Salvador Dal: Eccentric and Genius. Amsterdam: Benedikt Taschen. Muscarella, Oscar White, ed. 1981. Ladders to Heaven: Art Treasures from Lands of the Bible. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart/ Nret, Gilles. Salvador Dal. Amsterdam: Benedikt Taschen, 1994 Nicolson, Adam. Gods Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible. HarperCollins. Penrose, Roland. 1991. Picasso. Revised and enlarged. London: Phaidon Press Ltd., Purkis, John. 1986A Preface to Wordsworth, revised. London: Longman Group UK Limited, Reid, Dennis. 1988. A Concise History of Canadian Painting, 2nd ed. Toronto: Oxford University Press,. Romer, John. 1994. Ancient Lives: The Story of the Pharaohs Tombmakers. London: Michael OMara Books Limited,

130

Round, Chris Rap Music and Hip hop Culture Affirm, Celebrate and Articulate the Political and Social Realities of the Urban African-American Experience: A Discussion. Undated. http://www.cagliarinet.it/bands%20artist%20home.htm Rosenberg, Harold. 1972. The De-definition of Art. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. _______________. 1975. Art on the Edge. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Sampson, Edward E. 1991. Social Worlds, Personal Lives: An Introduction to Social Psychology. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Statistics Canada. 2006. Population, Urban and Rural, by province and territory. http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo62a-eng.htm Thomas, Cleveland J. 1997. A Quest for Reality and Certainty. 2nd ed. Mandeville, Jamaica: West Indies College Press. Tooby, Michael, ed. 1991. The True North: Canadian Landscape Painting, 1896-1939. London: Lund Humphries, Walser, Robert. 1993. Running With the Devil: Power, Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press,. Weinstein, Deena, 1991. Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology. New York: Lexington Books, Williams, Scott W. 1999. Mathematicians of the African Diaspora. Buffalo: State University of New York at Buffalo. http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/AncientAfrica/mad_ancient_egyptpapyrus.html Wind, Edgar. 1964. Art and Anarchy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

131