When I move to or visit a new city I like to check out the local community gallery. It is often a place to get inspired and for me to feel connected to the community. This week I did just that, checking out (and becoming a member of) the Vancouver Art Gallery. I was especially excited because there was a Lawren Harris exhibit highlighting his career.
Lawren Harris is an iconic Canadian artist, a member of the Group of Seven who is famed for his landscapes of Northern Canada. These images are striking and pretty recognizable to most Canadians and arguably shaped how we view our country.
The problem with being iconic is that people have a set perception of who you are and what you are about. This exhibit proved to be a great example of this.
Spanning over 50 years, visitors are treated to the evolution of his style - from the very realistic images from in his early career through to complex abstract art in his later years. I was reminded that you have to excel at the fundamentals before you can truly go forth and break all the rules.
While I wandered through the exhibit I indulged in another passion of mine - listening in to the conversations of the people around me. Universally people were filled with awe as they looked over the well known images. The comments changed as they turned the corner to confront the more abstract images. One woman declared loudly - THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED and proceeded to fly through the rest of the exhibit.
It was clear that this woman was not pleased with how Lawren Harris' work had evolved. Apparently she just wanted to see the Group of 7 Lawren Harris that everyone was familiar with.
It was about this time I had a revelation. Some people don't want us to change and evolve. They want to hold on to the version of us that they are comfortable with - the version of us that they see as the pinnacle. In their own, well meaning way they try to hold us back from changing and trying new things because they are comfortable and used to us being a certain way.
Imagine how limited Lawren Harris would have felt if he stopped evolving in the 30's. We would have missed out on 40 more years of stunning, thought provoking images.
It is the same for all of us. It is important that all of us continue to evolve and change. Keep changing, keep seeking. Don't let others hold you back or keep you from finding your inner abstract artist.
Lawren Harris is an iconic Canadian artist, a member of the Group of Seven who is famed for his landscapes of Northern Canada. These images are striking and pretty recognizable to most Canadians and arguably shaped how we view our country.
The problem with being iconic is that people have a set perception of who you are and what you are about. This exhibit proved to be a great example of this.
While I wandered through the exhibit I indulged in another passion of mine - listening in to the conversations of the people around me. Universally people were filled with awe as they looked over the well known images. The comments changed as they turned the corner to confront the more abstract images. One woman declared loudly - THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED and proceeded to fly through the rest of the exhibit.
It was clear that this woman was not pleased with how Lawren Harris' work had evolved. Apparently she just wanted to see the Group of 7 Lawren Harris that everyone was familiar with.
It was about this time I had a revelation. Some people don't want us to change and evolve. They want to hold on to the version of us that they are comfortable with - the version of us that they see as the pinnacle. In their own, well meaning way they try to hold us back from changing and trying new things because they are comfortable and used to us being a certain way.
Imagine how limited Lawren Harris would have felt if he stopped evolving in the 30's. We would have missed out on 40 more years of stunning, thought provoking images.
It is the same for all of us. It is important that all of us continue to evolve and change. Keep changing, keep seeking. Don't let others hold you back or keep you from finding your inner abstract artist.
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