Inter-Connections
Marie Leduc
I heard from a few of my wonderful readers that they enjoyed the Petites Histoires post and connecting with the AWARE website. Here is another post on internet resources that allow you to explore contemporary art from afar.
Canada is a huge country. It stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Arctic Ocean to the American border. Getting from one place to another is time consuming and expensive whether you travel from Calgary, Alberta to Vancouver, British Columbia or from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Iqaluit, Nunavut. The reality is that most people in Canada are unable to see the art that is exhibited in Canada’s largest museums, or enjoy the privilege of travelling to see art elsewhere in the world. The internet then provides a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with one another, to see and learn things that we might otherwise never experience, and to share our stories about art and artists.
A few weeks ago, The Globe & Mail, reported on a project that will enable people from around the world to see and learn about contemporary Inuit art. In 1977, a fire destroyed the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative’s archive of original drawings and prints in Kinngait, Nunavut (see my last post). After the fire, originals and copies were sent south for safekeeping to the McMichael Museum of Canadian Art in Kleinberg, Ontario. The museum has now accumulated an archive of 89,000 prints and drawings, many of them never exhibited. Early attempts to properly document and photograph the works proved challenging and tediously slow. A few years ago, contemporary artist, Ed Burtynsky offered the museum the use of a device he developed, ARKIV 360, that speeds up the documentation process and produces high-quality digital images. The museum has now copied the collection and the images will be made available at Iningat Ilagiit, a website managed by the Co-operative. The website invites viewers to explore the collection and make up personal exhibitions to share with others.
Another website with a wealth of material on Canadian art is hosted by Art Canada Institute/ Institut de l’art canadien. Established in 2013 and based at Massey College at the University of Toronto, the Institute is gradually building an on-line art museum, a library of digital books, and a wealth of educational materials. The site also features articles and exhibitions. I was especially impressed with the Canadian On-Line Art Book Project. The Institute is publishing digital books on Canadian art and artists, all made available for free and downloadable. Each book features a single artist or focuses on a group or period/theme in Canadian art history. The books are authored by historians and curators, all very familiar with the artist’s/group’s oeuvre. The books are written in accessible English and French and beautifully illustrated with quality graphics. They cover a range of historical periods and new titles are being added as they are completed. Contemporary artists covered by the project so far include Kent Monkman, Suzy Lake, Annie Pootoogook, Shuvinai Ashoona, Michael Snow, Jin-Me Yoon, and Gathie Falk.
Both of these internet venues are wonderful examples of the inter-connections created by the internet. The internet brings the Art World into our homes, builds on the cultural discourse about art and artists, and weaves connections between the global peripheries and centres.