Emily Carr and Modern Canadian Art

This essay discusses the body of art of Emily Carr and also the contribution that she made towards the modern Canadian painting. It also highlights the themes and styles used by her in her paintings.

Running head: EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
Emily Carr and Modern Canadian Art
Name of the Student:
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Author’s Note:

1EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
As opined by Jones, the art movement of modernism is considered to be one of the
most important ones which have significantly changed the nature of the world of art in the
present times. Xu, Yanhui and Lianhua are of the viewpoint that the art movements of
Modernism and Post-Impressionism not only symbolized a break from the past styles which
were used by the artists as well as painters but at the same time ushered in a new era. More
importantly, it was seen that rather than using simple concepts these art works took the help
of abstract symbols for the expression or representation of complex ideas (Silverman). The
net result of this was that different painters inspired by the French painters, who first started
the use of these movements as well as concepts, produced paintings and art works which
were drastically different from the earlier ones (Bergesen). Some of the most important artists
or painters in this regard were Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Paul
Gauguin and others (Gillard-Estrada, Anne-Florence and Besnault-Levita). In this context,
the painter Emily Carr is an important since she is considered to be one of the pioneers of the
Modernist and Post-Impressionism painting styles in Canada. Her works not only heralded a
new era in the Canadian art circle but were starkly different from the earlier painting styles
which used by the Canadian painters and this is one of the most important reasons why even
in the 21st century she is considered to be one of Canada’s greatest painters. This essay will
discuss the body of art of Emily Carr and also the contribution that she made towards the
modern Canadian painting.
Emily Carr (1871- 1945), daughter of Emily and Robert Carr, was born in Victoria,
British Columbia and her parents followed the British style of life (Shaw). Furthermore, her
parents took an active interest in different forms of art, particularly paintings and this interest
was passed on to Emily by her parents. However, it was not until the death of her parents that
she started to consider painting as a career and it was at this point of time that she undertook
a course in painting at the prestigious ‘Westminster School of Art’ in London (Tippett). The

2EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
real change in her life came when she visited the ‘Nuu-chah-nulth people’, who are
commonly known by the name of ‘Nootka’ (Jensen). The simple lifestyle of these people and
also the picturesque landscape in which they lived influenced her profoundly and in her own
words it made “a lasting impression on me” (Somerville). This was the major reason why in
the earlier paintings of her the theme of aboriginal landscape and people is a dominant theme.
However, the real change came in 1910 when she met the modernist painter Harry Gibb
(Zerbe). The modernist were nothing like anything she had seen earlier and this moved her
greatly. In this regard, she herself said that “Mr. Gibb's landscapes and still life delighted me
— brilliant, luscious, clean. Against the distortion of his nudes I felt revolt” (Zerbe). This was
this incident that changed the life as well as the art form of Emily in a significant and on
returning back to Canada she practiced this style in the paintings that she painted. It is
pertinent to note that the majority of her paintings and her artworks still form a part of the
“National Gallery of Canada” and various art galleries as well as painting institutions have
been named after her in Canada (Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca).
Emily in her own words describes the aim of her numerous paintings when she says
that “I glory in our wonderful west and I hope to leave behind me some of the relics of its
first primitive greatness. These things should be to us Canadians……gone forever into silent
nothingness and I would gather my collection together before they are forever past”
(Roberts). Xu, Yanhui and Lianhua are of the viewpoint that one of the most important
contributions of Emily towards the Canadian modern art movement and also the reason why
she is being called the ‘Canadian Icon’ in the Canadian art and painting circles is because of
the fact that she introduced the concepts of Modernism and Post-Impressionism in Canada.
However, this was a not drastic rather it was a gradual process since her early paintings
represent the landscape as well as the lives of the Nootka people. Commenting on this aspect
of her artwork and also the charm that the representation of the aboriginals holds for her she

3EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
says “the large rhythms of Western forests, driftwood-tossed beaches and expansive skies”
were the ones which motivated her to paint them (Jensen). In this regard, it needs to be said
that this theme had been explored as well as depicted by numerous other painters in the past
and at the same time they had been able to receive a substantial amount of glory through the
usage of the same. However, the thing which segregates the paintings of Emily from those of
the earlier painters who used similar themes was her own mastery and her unique style of
painting. In this context, experts have stated that her paintings of this era showed “qualities of
painterly skill and vision…enabled her to give form to a Pacific mythos that was so carefully
distilled in her imagination” (Gillard-Estrada, Anne-Florence and Besnault-Levita).
Somerville is of the viewpoint that it is true that her earlier paintings are as important
as her later ones yet the ones which had earned her the unique distinction among the painters
of Canada are her later paintings. Her latter works not her show a subtle mastery of the styles
of Modernism and Post-Impressionism yet at the same time it is seen that they have been
assimilated within the particular Canadian context as well which formed the background of
the majority of her paintings (Museevirtuel.ca). However, at the same time it needs to be said
that she herself denied any such connections and stated that her paintings or artworks did not
use the concepts of abstraction or any other. For example, she herself said that “I was not
ready for abstraction. I clung to earth and her dear shapes, her density, her herbage, her juice.
I wanted her volume and I wanted to hear her throb” (Museevirtuel.ca). In this context, it
needs to be said a thorough analysis of her artworks or paintings reveals otherwise.
Emily transformed several of her earlier paintings in the later part of her life following
the precepts of Modernism and Post-Impressionism that she had learned in France (Shaw).
For example, in the earlier years of life she had painted a carved raven following the theme of
aboriginals which was predominant in the earlier part of her life and changed it to the famous
painting that is currently called by the name of ‘Big Raven’ (Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca).

4EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
More importantly, one of the most important themes which becomes apparent in the latter
paintings composed by her was the theme of representation of the lives of the British
Columbia people and also the manner in which the processes of industrialization and
changing environmental conditions affected the same. Furthermore, Gillard-Estrada, Anne-
Florence and Besnault-Levita have stated that her later art works like ‘The Crazy Stair (The
Crooked Staircase)’, which was sold for $3.39 million and others a bit gloomy as well as dark
because of the anxiety that she felt on the score of the changing society and the lifestyle of
the people. However, it is precisely this factor which has added a special amount of beauty to
her later paintings and thereby made it more appealing for the art-lovers (Shaw).
Xu, Yanhui and Lianhua have articulated the viewpoint that the different kinds of art-
forms or styles lose prominence or appeal over the years because of the changing taste as well
as the preferences of the audiences or the art-lovers. However, this is not the case with the
paintings of Emily Carr since it is seen that even almost 80 years after her death neither her
popularity nor the appeal of her paintings had diminished in any manner (Roberts). As a
matter of fact, unlike the other artists and their art works, the paintings of Emily Carr are
being showcased and exhibited presently at the different art galleries of not only Canada but
of the entire world itself (Somerville). In this regard, mention needs to be made of Curator
John O'Brian’s introduction of her painting ‘Carromania’ into the Mendel Art Gallery
(Museevirtuel.ca). More importantly, it is seen that the different tourists who visit Canada
make it a point to visit the art galleries in which the paintings of Emily are being showcased.
In addition to these, the different painting institutions which have opened in Canada after the
name of Emily also make it a point to highlight the paintings of Emily and cascade the
importance that they hold for the modern painters of not only Canada but also of the entire
world itself (Jensen).

5EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
The increasing number of students as well as painters who are taking up the art work
or paintings of Emily for research and also for educational purposes clearly indicates the
prominence that the paintings of Emily holds for the modern painters of Canada and also of
the contribution that she had made towards the painting landscape of Canada (Tippett). In this
regard, it needs to be said that the paintings as well as the contributions made by Emily are
important for various reasons. Firstly, she is often reputed as the painter who introduced the
concepts of Modernism and Post-Impressionism to the nation of Canada (Zerbe). This is
important from the perspective that although the nation of Canada is popular for its past
culture as well as art works yet at the same time it is seen that these works were completed
following the traditional methods or styles. More importantly, the contribution made by
Emily towards the Canadian painting landscape is also important from the perspective that
she showed the painters of Canada the manner in which the painting styles of Modernism and
Post-Impressionism can be used by them to represent or portray emotions as well as feelings
in a subtle manner (Jensen). This is perhaps one of the major reasons why her paintings and
art works have often been called by the contemporary painters of Canada as “representative
of traditions in which all of us who work there are in some way or other involved” (Shaw).
The net result of this was the fact that subsequent painters or the ones who came after her not
only got influenced by her unique style of painting but at the same time tried to paint in the
same style of painting which was being pursued by her. This is perhaps one of the major
reasons why different paintings which pay homage to her for the contribution that she had
made towards the Canadian art movement like Bau-xi Gallery Hornby Suite (Homage to
Emily Carr), Emily, You're Almost Off My Back and others have gained prominence in the
present times (Roberts).
To conclude, the taste as well as the preferences of the people change from time to
time and this is perhaps one of the major reasons for the fact that a particular art style or

6EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
movement which was popular in one generation losses its prominence in another. One of the
most important examples of this is the emergence of the art styles of Modernism and Post-
Impressionism which was a complete break from the earlier styles of art that were being
followed by the artists as well as the painters. It is pertinent to note that one of the most
important features of these styles was the fact that the artists or the painters taking the help of
these styles used symbols or abstractions for the expression of their emotions or feelings.
These aspects of the art styles of Modernism and Post-Impressionism becomes apparent from
the above analysis of the paintings of Emily Carr and also the contribution that she had made
towards the Canadian art movement.

7EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
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8EMILY CARR AND MODERN CANADIAN ART
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