Seeing as an artist helps - John Mitchell Photography

Seeing as a artist helps and looking at art is a good place to begin

September 15th, along with another photographer, I attended an exhibit of the work of Lauren Harris, famous member of the Canadian “Group of Seven”. Gallery outings are both educational and inspiring to me as a Storyteller, Artist and Photographer

Our arrival time was perfect. The tour spokesperson was just beginning her presentation on the life of Harris. I learned he was born into a wealthy family in Brantford Ontario, – the Harrises of the Massey-Harris Industrialists. I didn’t know that Lauren Harris had been such a major contributor to the formation of the “Group of Seven.” His favourable financial situation allowed him to take A. Y. Jackson, MacDonald, Varley and other members of the group to Ontario’s north on their painting expeditions.

You can read more about the artist here.

My numerous trips to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Gallery #mcacgallery have made me vaguely familiar with his works. I am intrigued by his strong use of leading lines and repeating shapes. His work seems to have gone through stages where colours and tones went from being muted to brilliant. The spokesperson explained that some of his darker images are from a period when he suffered from severe depression over the death of his brother in the Great War.

Coal Miner's Houses painted in Glace Bay in 1921 when Harris was in deep depression over his brother's death in the war. Although the houses have been distorted notice the repeating shapes, lines and colours and the opening in the heavens allowing the light to warm the houses. — Coal Miner’s Houses painted in Glace Bay in 1921 when Harris was in deep depression over his brother’s death in the war. Although the houses have been distorted notice the repeating shapes, lines and colours and the opening in the heavens allowing the light to warm the houses.

It’s my opinion that a number of the Harris creations with buildings are rigid and rely a lot on repeat of shapes, lines, angles and colours. But as he moves into his creations of Canada’s north there is a flow of curved lines that still depend on repetition of form and colour. This is illustrated in the images below.

*I love the depth created by the lines in this image and the way they lead the viewer.*

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*Look at the repeating lines and colours in this image and how you are led deeper and deeper into the image.*

We had time and we took full advantage of it and explored some of the other great areas of the Art Gallery of Ontario. I am a lover of the Dutch Masters and was tickled pink when I discovered the AGO had an original Rembrandt on display during our visit, but more on those later.

It is very difficult not to feel inspired and ambitious after a few hours exposure to such magnificent works. After a quick lunch and some business downtown we grabbed our cameras and immersed ourselves in expressing what we had seen and learned from the Lauren Harris exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I hope you enjoy some of my views of Toronto 2016.