Thursday, October 22, 2020

EMILY CARR: FRESH SEEING - French Modernism and the West Coast opens at Victoria's Royal BC Museum

Emily Carr, T’anuu ‘Llnagaay, Haida Gwaii. Carr painted T'anuu on her first trip to Haida Gwaii after her return from France. The Post-Impressionist influce may be seen in the cloud details. 


Here is yet another reason why I'm missing my adventures in British Columbia and beyond during the global pandemic. Emily Carr: Fresh Seeing ~ French Modernism and the West Coast has opened at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. It's the last stop on the exhibition's cross-Canada tour, with the addition of paintings and archival materials from the museum's permanent collection. The exhibition captures the moment Carr revolutionized her painting style -- emerging as a Canadian modernist -- following her 16-month trip to France in 1911. 

Picnic with Haida guides and old Billie dog, 1912

On her return from France, Emily Carr (center) travelled to Haida Gwaii with her dog, Billie. She was hosted by the Russ family (Clara Russ at right) and other Indigenous families who offered support and guidance.


The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from Victoria to France and back to British Columbia as Carr immerses herself in the world of modernist art. Her paintings from this period are displayed chronologically, growing in size/scope/color that developed into the iconic style for which Carr is known internationally. Says co-curator Dr. Kathryn Bridge, "I honestly believe that without her time in France, Emily Carr would never have become the great artist we know today."

                                             Emily Carr: Crecy-en-Brie

Carr visited Crecy-en-Brie while in France. This painting is part of the Royal BC Museum's permanent collection. 


Emily Carr: Fresh Seeing includes 67 artworks by Carr and her compatriots in France, which chart Carr's transformation into an artist of the Canadian avant-garde. An additional exhibition, Everyday Emily Carr, features 22 examples of Carr's portraiture from the Royal BC Museum's own collections -- they range from sketches to small watercolors, along with one of Carr's hooked rugs. 

Emily Carr: Fresh Seeing - French Modernism and the West Coast 
675 Belleville Street
Victoria, BC 

All visitors required timed tickets, available online for advance purchase. 
Adults $22.95 - Students & Seniors $14.95 - Youth $13.95
The exhibition runs through January 24, 2021

 Photos courtesy Royal BC Museum

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