CANADIAN SCULPTURE
A myth has developed around Canadian sculpture that claimed, even as recently as 1980, that there was no sculptural tradition in Canada prior to the 1950s except for French-Canadian religious carvings. (Burnett & Schiff, 1980). The myth had its beginnings when writers on Canadian art portrayed sculpture in Canada as suffering from "public apathy" (William Colgate, 1943) and a "Cinderella of the arts" syndrome. (O. M. Hammond, 1930). This myth has only very recently been challenged by art historical research on the subject.
Why this myth, and the marginal treatment of Canadian sculpture, persisted is a complex issue. Like all myths, there is some basis of truth in the notion that apathy and neglect surrounded sculpture in the first half of the 20th century. It wasn't easy being a sculptor in Canada. Given the expense, the lack of foundries, patrons and a disinterested public, many have wondered at the fact that there were any sculptors at all. But still sculpture was made, monuments erected, and exhibitions initiated (although obviously not with as much frequency or perhaps as much financial success as painting). As Robert Shipley states in To Mark Our Place: A History of Canadian War Memorials, the fact that hundreds of public sculpture in the form of monuments were built in the first half of the twentieth century certainly challenges the assumption that no tradition of sculpture existed in Canada.
However, notions of mediocrity and neglect were not the only reasons for the perpetuation of the myth. Perhaps the main difficulty in establishing a history and tradition of sculpture in Canada has been in the lack of information and the fragmented and dispersed nature of primary and secondary material on the subject that has made it almost inaccessible to all but the most persistent and dedicated researcher. Most sculptors have not been well documented, nor have their works been subject to a thorough critical analysis. Regional developments have also tended to remain isolated, often ignored or unknown in cultural circles outside their geographical/political area. Although Canadian sculpture has been exhibited (and well-received) in Europe and America, the lack of published material on our sculptors, has meant that this aspect of Canadian art history continues to remain unknown both at home and abroad. No wonder the myth surrounding Canadian sculpture lingers.
Yet, from the bronze portraits of historical figures central to the founding of Canada to the flourishing of steel sculpture on the Prairies in the 1970s, there is a strong history of sculpture in Canada. It is one that not only reflects the richness of our artistic heritage but also the uniqueness of our Canadian identity. While the initial search for information has been and continues to be both time-consuming and all encompassing, the discovery of works by some long forgotten sculptor give ample reward to the challenging task of documenting Canadian sculpture.
Joyce Millar
November 1998
Montréal
Burnett, David and
Marilyn Schiff. Contemporary Canadian Art. Edmonton, Alberta: Hurtig Publishers
Ltd., 1983.
Colgate,
William. Canadian Art: its origin and development. Toronto: McGrawHill
Ryerson Limited, 1943.
Hammond O. M. Painting and Sculpture in Canada. Toronto: The Ryerson Press,
1930.
Shipley, Robert. To Mark Our Place: A History of Canadian War Memorials.
Toronto: NC Press Ltd., 1987.
Sculpture canadienne
Un mythe s’est créé autour de la sculpture canadienne voulant, jusqu’à aussi récemment que 1980, qu’il n’y pas eu de tradition sculpturale au Canada avant les années 1950, sauf pour ce qui est des sculptures religieuses canadienne-françaises (Burnett & Schiff, 1980). Dernièrement, ce mythe a été remis en question par de récentes recherches en histoire de l’art. La raison pour laquelle ce mythe, et le statut marginal de la sculpture canadienne, a persisté est une question complexe. Comme tout mythe, il y a une part de vérité à l’idée qu’une apathie et une négligence entouraient la sculpture dans la première moitié du vingtième siècle. N’empêche que des sculptures furent produites, des monuments érigés, et des expositions planifiées. Comme le souligne Robert Shipley dans To Mark Our Place: A History of Canadian War Memorials, le seul fait que des centaines de sculptures publiques sous forme de monuments furent produites dans la première moitié du vingtième siècle, met en doute le raisonnement qu’aucune tradition sculpturale n’existait au Canada.La majorité des sculpteur(e)s n’ont pas été bien documenté(e)s, et leurs oeuvres n’ont pas fait l’objet d’analyses critiques. Bien que la sculpture canadienne fût exposée (et bien reçue) en Europe et en Amérique, le manque de publications sur nos sculpteur(e)s fait que cet aspect de l’histoire de l’art canadienne reste inconnu ici de même qu’à l’étranger. Pourtant l’histoire de la sculpture au Canada est solide. C’est une histoire qui non seulement reflète la richesse de notre héritage artistique, mais aussi le caractère unique de notre identité canadienne.
Joyce Millar
Novembre 1998
Montréal
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