Museum London has opened a new exhibit, Highlights from 150 years of Art-Making, to showcase the rich artistic outputs of London that started over a century ago.
This exhibition, to honour Canada’s 150th birthday this year, was first opened to the public on February 4th and will run until April 23rd, 2017. It features many famous and noteworthy artistic creations by homegrown London artists starting from 1867 and continuing throughout the 21st century. This specific exhibition is located in the Ivey Gallery on the second floor of Museum London. The high and open industrial ceilings are another main attraction that adds further character to the exhibition.
Highlights from 150 Years of Art-Making starts off with remarkable paintings from the 1800s all the way to the 1950s, varying from oil on canvas paintings to detailed portraits. The next section of the exhibit honours the rise of artistic creations from the London Regionalism movement, which took place between the 1970s to the 1980s. Finally, it finishes off with more interpretative works by contemporary artists that reflect the city of London.
The best way to fully experience this new exhibition is to attend their one-hour free full-guided museum tour on any Sunday at 2:00 p.m., which is usually directed by their informative and enthusiastic tour guide, Jacqueline.
Jacqueline starts off the tour by leading guests to the first piece of the exhibit, a noteworthy piece hanging strikingly from the ceiling. It is made of aluminum and coiled rolled metal, molded into the shape of a small whale. The tour guide points up to the top of the piece, which is hanging by rolled rope hardware and states that Tom Benner, the artist, created this in 1983 to show the “impact people can have on their environment.”
She further explained that Benner wanted to use materials in his art that would be malleable, able to bend and break when it comes into contact with humans. The person viewing the piece of art should begin to understand that their touch on nature and the environment can be damaging and to take proper precautions to protect Canada’s landscapes and animals.
One of the oldest paintings the tour guide focuses on is the painting “The Wave” by Frederic Marllet Bell Smith. Painted in 1894, this piece of artwork showcases the beauty and serenity of the Great Lakes. The delicate and strong brush strokes of dark blue and green show movement in the piece while the painted dark, gray sky adds an element of mystery. Jacqueline also adds that she “doesn’t really know which lake is displayed here,” but that it is “one of the oldest and most prestigious works in the exhibit.”
Jacqueline guides the tour group to the next cluster of oil on canvas paintings, primarily a pair of well-known portraits by Paul Peel and Florence Carlyle. The tour guide points out that “both of these artists studied art in France and came back to paint their inspirations in London, Ontario.” Paul Peel’s painting, “Portrait of Robert André Peel” in 1950, displays a young boy standing in the forefront while the background is full of greenery, but Jacqueline adds that it is “considered to be an unfinished painting.”
Carlyle’s painting “The White Flower” from 1895 showcases a woman in a white dress beaming from the black abyss of the painted background. The delicate and detailed brush strokes of the women and her white dress make it exceptionally interesting to the eye.
The next part of the exhibition is dedicated to the London Regionalism Movement, which displays “what it means to live in London.” To the right of the exhibit section, the painting “Short Wave Radios on a Long Board” by Greg Curnoe is showcased. The combination of watercolor and graphite on paper creates bursts of bright colours and attention-grabbing textures.
Another thought-provoking piece of artwork situated near the end of the exhibition is the sculpture by Murray Favro, “Still Life (The Table),” created in 1970. At first glance, the sculpture looks like a couple of white boxes lying on a table. Jacqueline then turns on a projector that is connected to the top of the display and the light beams on the plain white sculptures to create pictures of books and everyday items. This is the most interactive piece in the exhibition since Favro wanted “the projection to reveal the art.”
Museum London also created a conjoining exhibit to the Highlights from 150 Years of Art-Making, situated in the Lawson Gallery. This additional part of the exhibit showcases over 150 pieces of artwork by a multitude of student talent from Thames Valley District School Board and London District Catholic School Board. These students from JK to Grade 12 were asked to create pieces of art that they feel reflect what it means to be Canadian.
Take some time over the next couple of weeks and make your way to Museum London to share in the experience of the new exhibit Highlights from 150 Years of Art-Making. It is one of the best ways to celebrate Canada’s birthday this year, as Jacqueline exclaims, “you will be amazed by the many different types of art and how they contribute to the richest of London.”
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