Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form – A perpetual state of evolution

Vol ‘n’ Tell is an ongoing series of blog posts written by RMG Volunteers. Raechel Bonomo is an Oshawa native, art enthusiast and second-year Print Journalism student at Durham College.

There are not many rooms in Oshawa with totem poles, fish swimming through space, and rolling Canadian hills up on its walls.

Evolving Form at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) is the first major retrospective of Macdonald’s work in more than 30 years. The exhibit gives a fresh look into his influential career as a Canadian artist. According to the exhibit’s curator Linda Jansma, the exhibit came together through a long process that began in spring 2011. “This exhibit traces the artistic transition [Macdonald] underwent,” says Jansma. “His career as an artist journeys in a perpetual state of evolution.”

In 2012, Jansma was in the process of writing a grant to receive funding from the Department of Heritage for the exhibit when she received an email from Jock’s nephew, Alistair Macdonald. During their correspondence, he notified Jansma about 40 letters written by his uncle stored in the Edinburgh Gallery’s archives. This was the missing piece to Jansma’s puzzle, she said. That fall, she took a five-day trip to Scotland to view the letters. The content of the letters led her to uncover the lost work of Macdonald. She explored the various styles and periods of Macdonald and brought back with her paintings, drawings and methods unseen before by Canadian audiences currently up at the gallery.

Macdonald was born in 1897 in Thurso, Scotland. After his time in the army, he studied design at the Edinburgh College of Art. Macdonald immigrated to Canada in 1926 to take up a teaching job as head of design at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts. One of his greatest contributions is as a founding member of Toronto-based abstract group, Painters 11 formed in 1953.

In the early stages of his career, Canadian Group of Seven member Lawren Harris’s work inspired Macdonald to paint abstract landscapes. This influence is visible in his work In the White Forest, 1932. You can see in his work Drying Herring Roe, 1938 Macdonald was inspired by Canadian Aboriginal culture. The painting features large traditional totem poles and reserves. These pieces, among 91 other original works, are currently up in the RMG.

“Intuitively artists create within the structural forms of nature,” is a quote from Macdonald posted above his landscape works in the exhibit. There is a notable predominance of nature as his main influencer in the majority of his work. Jock always painted the fourth dimension of nature,” says Jansma. “It is how we’re suppose to feel about it, not how we see it.”

Even when Macdonald wasn’t painting landscapes this influence is evident throughout his career. More abstract style paintings such as Spring Awakening, 1936 represent a more nonliteral interpretation of nature. In his mid-career, Macdonald began to divert away from traditional ideals of art and began to explore modern concepts such as futurism and surrealism.

In the 1940s, Macdonald met British surrealist artists Dr. Grace W. Pailthorpe and Ruben Mednikoff. They taught Macdonald surrealist painting methods such as automatics, a technique that involves painting in quick-paced series, and dating work down to the very time it was created. During this time, Macdonald was diverting away from his traditional landscape work and started producing surrealist-style paintings.

“Never can you know how indebted I am to you both, the awakening and releasing of my inner consciousness,” wrote Macdonald in a letter to Pailthorpe and Mednikoff.

Vivid, colourful painting such as Fish Family, 1943 display Macdonald’s subconscious expressed on a canvas. This piece and other works from this period are included in the RMG exhibit to showcase the versatility and dimensions Macdonald was capable of as an artist. The exhibit does a superb job at collecting and representing various elements and the periods of Macdonald’s career.

Many art historians credit 1957 – 1960 as Macdonald’s pre-eminent years as a painter. He began exploring oil-based mediums such as Duco and Lucite industrial paints to produce abstract work such as Bearer of Gifts, 1952. You can see the transition as his work began to loosen up in 1958 with Clarion Call into the very fluid and almost whimsical Elemental Fury, 1960.

The RMG dedicated an entire gallery space to showcase the work from his final years as a painter. From 1957, he painted an average of 50 paintings per year until he died suddenly from a heart attack on Dec. 3, 1960. The work of Macdonald has and continues to influence Canadian and international artists. The RMG’s exhibit Evolving Form adequately demonstrates the versatility, aptitude and depth of Macdonald’s career.

Image: Jock Macdonald, Nature’s Pattern, 1954; Collection of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

RMG paints a picture of Canada

Vol ‘n’ Tell is an ongoing series of blog posts written by RMG Volunteers. Raechel Bonomo is an Oshawa native, art enthusiast and second-year Print Journalism student at Durham College.

Rolling Canadian hills dominate the walls of Robert McLaughlin Gallery’s (RMG) main gallery space. In a corner, tiny fish can be seen swimming through space while totem poles hang on the opposite side of the room.

As part of the gallery’s Talk and Tour series, curator Linda Jansma took the public through a look into the career and life of one of Canadian’s prominent painters Jock Macdonald in Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form.

Jansma said the exhibit came together through a long process that began in spring 2011.

“This exhibit traces the artistic transition [Macdonald] underwent,” said Jansma. “His career as an artist journeys in a perpetual state of evolution.”

In 2012, Jansma was in the process of writing a grant to receive funding from the Department of Heritage for the exhibit when she received a strange email.

The sender was Jock’s nephew, Alistair Macdonald.

He asked Jansma about the collection of Macdonald pieces at the RMG for an exhibit he was curating at the Edinburgh Gallery in Scotland. During their correspondence, he notified Jansma about 40 letters written by his uncle stored in the Scottish gallery’s archives.

This was the missing piece to Jansma’s puzzle, she said. That fall, she took a five-day trip to Scotland to view the letters. The content of the letters led her to uncover the lost work of Macdonald.

She explored the various styles and periods of Macdonald and brought back with her paintings, drawings and methods unseen before by Canadian audiences.

One of his greatest contributions is as a founding member of Toronto-based abstract group, Painters 11 formed in 1953.

In the early stages of his career, Canadian Group of Seven member Lawren Harris’s work inspired Macdonald to paint abstract landscapes. This influence is visible in his work In the White Forest, 1932. This piece, among 92 other original works, is currently up in the RMG.

“Jock always painted the fourth dimension of nature,” said Jansma. “It is how we’re suppose to feel about it, not how we see it.”

In the 1940s, Macdonald met British surrealist artists Dr. Grace W. Pailthorpe and Ruben Mednikoff. According to Jansma, they taught Macdonald surrealist painting methods such as automatics. This technique involves painting in quick-paced series, and dating work down to the very time it was created. Macdonald was diverting away from his traditional landscape work and producing surrealist-style paintings such as Fish Family, 1943 included in the RMG exhibit.

Many art historians credit 1957 – 1960 as Macdonald’s pre-eminent years as a painter. During this time, he painted an average of 50 paintings per year until he died suddenly from a heart attack on Dec. 3, 1960.

Jansma described Macdonald as the “pioneer of post-war abstraction in Canada.” According to her, he had a substantial influence on Canadian painters then and in future generations.

Pete Smith, Postscript, 2014

Bowmanville painter Pete Smith credits Jock Macdonald as one of his biggest influences and the catalyst to his current exhibit Postscript in Gallery A, located in the lower half of the RMG.

Smith told the RMG his exhibit is “an aesthetic research project into the work and life of Jock Macdonald. In this sense, it will function as a postscript: a sprawling, artistic labyrinth of additional information and my idiosyncratic response to the concurrently held exhibition, Jock Macdonald: Evolving Form.”

Evolving Form is the first major retrospect of Macdonald’s work in more than 30 years and can be viewed at the RMG until May 24.

Top Image credit: Jock Macdonald, Rim of the Sky, 1958; oil on canvas; Collection of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

The Value of Community Art

Vol ‘n’ Tell is an ongoing series of blog posts written by RMG Volunteers. Raechel Bonomo is an Oshawa native, art enthusiast and second-year Print Journalism student at Durham College.

As you walk into Gallery A, the new community art space at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, you are greeted by the scent of fresh paint as your eyes wander across the brightly colours where paint is not only on the canvas but spilled off and onto the walls.

A concept carried out by artist Pete Smith and a literal out-of-the-box interpretation of what this new space hopes to bring Oshawa.

In the last two years, community art studios or “art hives” have been emerging across Oshawa. The concept of public-based art is reinforced by city initiatives such as Culture Counts, an arts, culture and heritage plan introduced last year.

On a larger scale, the RMG has recently hopped on the community art studio bandwagon.

Elizabeth Sweeny is the manager of public programs and art reach at the RMG. She says the RMG surveyed more than 100 people in the Durham Region regarding art-based community development and found a high demand for a professional space to display art.

Gallery A is the answer to that call.

Opened early this year, Gallery A is a professional exhibition and studio space in the lower level of RMG intended to offer opportunities for artists in the community to share their work. The space also plans to provide educational opportunities to community members including information sessions and technique classes.

“Durham Region is full of culture and we are certainly building on that. We know that artists need more spaces to exhibit, so absolutely it’s helping to address that void,” says Sweeney.

Among these spaces is The Vault, or the V3 Collective, located in downtown Oshawa.

The Vault is a volunteer run space where artists and community members can make, display, and buy art. The owner of the space, Zal Press, believes in the concept of local art and as an economic catalyst.

“If you look back, economic growth and prosperity is grown by the creative class,” he says. “It’s not only the growth but it’s resilience, the capacity to change with time.”
Press considers Queen Street West in Toronto, where he resides, as a respectable model for Oshawa to follow.

He credits Toronto artists for the popularization and economic drive in the area. They were able to draw attention to areas with local art, creating a buzz loud enough to capture the attention of city. Wherever the artists were, development came.

According to Press, development occurred along Queen Street West wherever artists such as visual, performers and musicians occupied. For example in the 80’s, Spadina and Queen used to be an area populated by artists until it was developed into a shopping hub.

“Follow the artists and you’ll find the money,” says Press.

This economic model and new wave of thinking can be rooted to The Rise Of The Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community And Everyday Life written by Richard Florida. It promotes the vitality of out-of-the-box thinkers to create a sustainable economic environment, specifically in cities.

In Oshawa, art and art studios are being used as a both a tourist attraction and a reason to bring residents downtown.

Steven Frank put this idea into action in 2012 when he created Oshawa Space Invaders (OSI), an art crawl that occupies vacant buildings in the downtown area.

“It helps show the potential in individual spaces that may end up being leased as a direct result of our exposure,” says Frank.

Not only does this idea engage local artists, 200 participants in 2014, to display their work as well as art appreciation from community members, it serves as an economic driver for downtown businesses. The foot traffic during OSI last year brought more than 5,000 visitors downtown.

“By creating an event that brings together the creative community in an innovative way we help people envision the downtown as a place of vitality, worthy of investing in,” says Frank.

In the last year, even more community art hives have developed in Oshawa’s downtown.

The Livingroom Community Art Studio began as an idea in the head of Mary Kronhert in 2007 while she was studying to be an art therapist in Toronto. Derived from an article from Concordia professor and owner of La Ruche D’Art in Montreal, Janis Timm Bottos, Krohnert was introduced to the concept of a free, community space where members of the public could walk in and make art.

“Art spaces like this tend to revitalize neighbourhoods and make the areas around them more colourful,” says Krohnert.

A $38,000 Ontario Trillium Grant was used to pay for rent, materials and one part-time staff member, made the Livingroom studio possible. Krohnert also relies on community donations to keep the studio afloat, a call well received by the public that has filled the studio with paint, fabric and even some musical instruments. The walls of the studio are lined with buttons, paper, pipe cleaners, the epitome of any crafter’s heaven.

Despite only being open for a couple of months, the studio has been well received by the community. According to Krohnert, studio attendance has been high with new and returning walking through the door every day.

“There’s nowhere else like it,” says Krohnert. “This is something Oshawa needs.”

Together the creative class is helping to evolve Oshawa to create a more viable, economically strong city – one art hive at a time.

Image- Postscript, Pete Smith, 2015.

The RMG Gift Guide 2014

Vol ‘n’ Tell is an ongoing series of blog posts written by RMG Volunteers. Raechel Bonomo is an Oshawa native, art enthusiast and second-year Print Journalism student at Durham College.

Looking for a great gift this holiday season? Visit the RMG Shop!

To: The host

In many cultures, the pineapple is used as a sign of welcome and hospitality. Why not give this cute (and affordable!) statement piece to your favourite host this holiday season?

$13.00 each

To: The homebody

There are few things better than snuggling up after a long, cold winter day than with a blanket and a cup of tea. For the homebody, interior-design maven, or lover of all things cozy, this 100% wool blanket is the way to go. A bit of a splurge, but totally worth it.

$150.00 each

To: The miss on your list

These handmade, one-of-a-kind necklaces are perfect for the style enthusiast this holiday. They are on-trend, versatile and unique to make any fashionista fill with glee.

$24.00 each

Looking for a gift that is tote-ally amazing? Look no further. These totes are perfect for that fun loving female on your on list.

$22.00 each

To: Mom-to-be or the holiday baby

Perfect for above the new baby’s crib, this plush unicorn head is a fun and offbeat addition to any nursery. Who needs trains anyways?

$45.00 each (other variations include a moose or elephant, not pictured)

To: The tyke in your life

You’re about to become the world’s best aunt/uncle with this Gift in a Tin! Great for travelling, these play-sets fit in a tin suitable for the toddler on-the-go.

$20.00 each (also available: a battery operated train set, not pictured)

To: The comedian

These cards are perfect for the humorous co-worker, in-law or friend. Gift-card not required.

Price varies

To: The man’s man

Don’t know what to get the BBQ master, king of summer, man cave dweller on your list? This handcrafted beer opener is it. At a great price point, this gift is bound to get the party starter.

Images courtesy of Raechel Bonomo.

Go Figure

Vol ‘n’ Tell is an ongoing series of blog posts written by RMG Volunteers. Raechel Bonomo is an Oshawa native, art enthusiast and second-year Print Journalism student at Durham College.

The new permanent installation at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, entitled Go Figure, features work from the gallery’s extensive collection. As the title suggests, the collection demonstrations various aspects of human nature and how this concept is perceived by artists.

The collection features works by Canadians artists, both contemporary and historic, and one borrowed piece by American artist Kevin Wolff. According to Linda Jansma, curator of Go Figure, Wolff’s piece was included because the piece introduced a subject with a disability.

I had the opportunity to further discuss the exhibit and it’s predominance with Linda.

How long has this exhibit been in the making?

I thought of the theme last year when we were installing the 2014 Permanent collection exhibition Objects May Be Closer Than They Appear – so it’s been in the works for a year.

What is the meaning behind the Go Figure exhibit and how it is important to the RMG?

When I was thinking about the theme, I liked the throw away feel of the term “go figure”. Taken literally of course, it’s a way into our collection through examining the figure both in an historic and contemporary context and revealing the depth of a collection of over 4500 works. When people think of the RMG’s collection, Painters 11 often comes to mind. But, as this exhibition shows, the collection goes beyond mid-century abstraction.

Is there a certain piece in the collection in which the exhibit was built upon?

I have spent years going by Joan Krawczyk ‘s painting Dirty Linen in the vault – and wanting a good reason to bring it out. When the theme came to me, that was the first work I thought of including.

Joan Krawczyk (b. 1951); Dirty Linen; 1984; acrylic on canvas; Purchase, 1986

Do you have a personal favourite piece?

Depends which day it is! I fluctuate between works that are new to the collection like the Itee Pootoogook works on paper that are absolutely breathtaking, to the beautiful, delicate studies of nude figures by William Blair Bruce that have been in the collection for years.

William Blair Bruce (Canadian, 1859 – 1906); Untitled (female nudes); pen and ink on paper; Purchased with the assistance of the Government of Canada through the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, 1986

The collection features both contemporary and traditional styles of art, how did you marry the two to create cohesiveness in the exhibit?

The RMG has a very rich and deep collection and it’s important, within any given theme, to present both historic and contemporary work. Art works across the ages and by showing a single theme from multiple vantages, we can see societal, artistic and aesthetic changes more easily. We spend a good deal of time working with placement both before the actual installation week and during it to come up with an exhibition that works both intellectually and aesthetically – and yes, that can be challenging!

Why are the two wooden statues by Ivan Eyre facing inward to each other rather than outward to the audience?

Those sculptures seem to have more of a relationship to each other rather than to the visitor; we wanted to give them their private moment within the larger exhibition!

The exhibit is predominately composed of two types of figures, posed (such as Portrait of Lillian Krans 1870 by Wyatt Waton) and candid (scenes like Three Hunters Canoeing During Foggy Day by Itee Pootoogook). How do you think this contributes, if so, to the theme of the exhibit?

The figure has been used in art for thousands of years – and in very different ways. The posed portrait comes from a certain time within a certain socioeconomic context, while someone like Itee Pootoogook is less interested in the individual than the milieu that he or she is in. Interestingly, both tell particular stories in their own way.

Go Figure is currently on display in the Permanent Collection Gallery until August, 2015..

Raechel Bonomo
Volunteer Blog Writer
Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery

Vol ‘n’ Tell

Vol ‘n’ Tell is an ongoing series of blog posts written by RMG Volunteers. Raechel Bonomo is an Oshawa native, art enthusiast and second-year Print Journalism student at Durham College.

Painters Eleven (P11) began in the fall of 1953 in Oshawa, launching them as Ontario’s first abstract painting group. P11 includes members such as Alexandra Luke, Jock Macdonald and Jack Bush – Luke being the catalyst of the group’s formation. The group held their first exhibit under the name “Painters Eleven” in February 1954 at Roberts Gallery in Toronto, Ontario.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery has had a long-term relationship with Painters Eleven, which explains why the gallery is the owner of the largest collection of the group’s work. The history of the group is woven into the history of the RMG, creating the symbiotic relationship that is prevalent in work displayed from the gallery’s archives. Oshawa native Alexandra Luke, an advocate for abstract art, brought this style of painting to the city through the South Ontario Art Gallery Circuit. The RMG’s foundation as a gallery began with a focus on collecting, preserving and displaying the group’s work. It is because of Luke’s munificent, extensive donation of the group’s work that allows the RMG to continue its original mandate and introduce new pieces to the public.

In a time where the landscape style of the Group of Seven dominated the Canadian art world, the work from P11 would soon become the new foundation for modern art in Canada. The new installation at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery features work from the collection from every member of the P11 and demonstrates their then breakthrough abstract style, evident in works such as Melville’s Island (1961) from group member Ray Mead.

Ray Mead, Melville’s Island, 1961; oil on canvas; Donated by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, 1988; gift of M. F. Feheley

With each new installation, there is a cohesiveness that is present within the collection despite the differences in technique and imagery from the artists. For example, the imagery of Alexandra Luke’s piece Encounter (1959) contrasts the more heavy appearance of Cloud (1962) by William Ronald.

William Ronald, Cloud, 1962; oil on canvas; Donated by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, 1988, gift of Dr. and Mrs. S. P. Starkman

Alexandra Luke, Encounter, 1959; oil on masonite; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. E. R. S. McLaughlin, 1971

Despite abstract being a lesser of my personal favourites, the work of the P11 evolve the style to encompass traditionalist approaches of painting in their work – creating an appeal to both the classical and modern art enthusiasts.

A new exhibition is installed every eight months and features, fittingly, eleven original paintings from the group that is worth a visit to the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

Raechel Bonomo

Volunteer Blog Writer

Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery