The 5 Fallacies about Art

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art., fallacies, MBAC, NGC, Ottawa

Here we have Marc Mayer, Director of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa presenting his arguments to debunk fallacies about art. I find it very helpful in my conversations with the public at the Art Gallery.

 

Mercredis Culturels / Wednesday Morning Lectures 2015-2016

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art., Canada., cultures, English, French, Lectures, MBAC, NGC, Ottawa

For the last few years I have been organizing for the National Gallery of Canada a series of French language lectures given on Wednesdays. The topics have been varied but are focused on the Arts, Culture and artists.

This year after the English language coordinator retired, I was asked to think up a program of lectures in French and in English to be given on Wednesday Mornings at 10:30 at the National Gallery of Canada on Sussex Drive. In total 24 lectures given by experts and curators focusing this year on our Museum and its treasures. The lectures are given one Wednesday in French and then in English the next week, the topic is not necessarily repeated, so we alternate.

Not easy to find speakers and create a program which will be of interest to our varied public.

This year the program has been revamped and publish in a Robin’s Egg blue and is also viewable on the website of the NGC. http://www.gallery.ca

I did not have much time to think of a program and worked flat out to produce it in 2 weeks. I am very proud of this achievement and happy to have been able to find the lecturers who volunteered to speak.

Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (Arr. for Piano by E.D’Albert)

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Bach, Bronzino, car, Kandinsky, Louise Bourgeois, MBAC, NGC, Ottawa, piano, Salviati, Spider

I had a good day today, the three classes I thought on paintings from the National Gallery of Canada went very well. The Kids and teachers were interested and asked good questions. I spoke on the Italian Renaissance painters Salviati and Bronzino, two of my favourite Renaissance painter. Then jumped to the Impressionists with Monet and Gauguin and then to Kandinsky where I introduce the concept of how science and astronomy, geometry etc can play a role in the composition of paintings. I tried Magritte but it is very difficult for an audience of 8 to 12 year old, too many challenges to established social class concept which dictates that Art must be safe. I only have 55 minutes and I need to keep it moving. I also told them the story of Maman by Canadian Artist Louise Bourgeois, the giant spider is just outside the National Gallery and the kids always like to hear about it, they all know it.

Maman is a tribute to the mother of Louise Bourgeois who was a weaver by trade and the eight eggs she carries are the brothers and sisters of Bourgeois. The idea that this spider can be associated to her mother and her work is a challenge for those kids who come from middle-class background, it also challenges and may contradict what their parents told them about Art. Never a bad thing to contradict Mom and Dad, after all they are just 10-11 years old and in just a few years they will enter those rebellious years.

I had Angela Hewitt playing this piano piece by J.S.Bach on my way back to the reception for Volunteers Week at the National Gallery of Canada. This piece is usually done on organ but I find it so much more relaxing on piano and it does not take away any of the beauty of the composition. I do listen almost exclusively to classical music and I am often out of the loop on popular music. Have a listen it is quite nice.

I also found this recording with Maestro Leopold Stokowski one of the great conductors of the XXth Century. His arrangements are always dramatic and fulsome.

Photos of the National Gallery

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art., Canada., Christina Pflug, Clyfford Still, Max Klinger, MBAC, NGC, Ottawa, painting

The National Gallery of Canada created in 1880 by the Governor General of Canada, H.E. the Marquis of Lorne. It is our Canadian National Museum of Art which holds several exhibitions of works every year by international artists and also features new works presented at the Biennale. We also have our permanent collection, only a fraction of it is shown at any given time. The new National Gallery building opened in May 1988 on Sussex Drive, previously the museum was located on Elgin Street in the now demolished Lorne building. It had been located in various government buildings in Ottawa in the years prior, usually one of two rooms were set aside for collections to be shown to the public. The NGC is among the top 10 Art museums of the world, it has the largest Canadian and Inuit Art Collection in the World. It also boast European, Contemporary and Modern collections of every period covering 1000 years of art history.

The new building is a design of Canadian Architect Moshe Safdi, it is meant to be a spectacular national museum with striking architecture with surrounding sculpture garden on Nepean Point high above the Ottawa River. It was opened in 1988 by the Governor General of Canada, H.E. Madame Jeanne Sauvé. In the last year the galleries have been re-painted with bold colours, gone is the off white which was prominent everywhere and tended to give a washed out effect to any work of art being shown. The latest gallery to be repainted is the Renaissance Gallery on the second floor, the teal colour of the walls makes the painting jump from the wall and each one attracts the eye of the viewer. The NGC has 35,000 works of Art and 1,200 are on display at any given time.

Here are some photos of the NGC.

Second floor European Art, 1900 period

Garden Courtyard, the flowers are changed four times a year to reflect the Seasons.

Friedrich Nietzsche by Max Klinger

From the second floor above the Great Hall looking down the passage towards the administration area and the galleries on the North side.

Christina Pflug, Kitchen door with Esther (1965), I presented this painting today to the public. It has many dark psychological meaning to it and most people do not like to look at it.

Clyfford Still, 1949G

The Renaissance Galleries are re-opening on Saturday, I love the new wall colour, it makes the art stand out. There in the background is the Venus by Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Waiting to be re-hanged today.

Passageway from the Entrance flooded with Southern light.