This week, Jill and Mandy become time-travelers and review Seeing Through Modernism: Edmonton 1970-1985 at the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Jill: The first thing I noticed about this show was the exuberant use of thin gold frames imported directly from the ’70s! Was your first impression of the show more intellectual?

Mandy: My first impression? Hmmm.... probably the scale. The paintings are giant. I got the sense that if there were smaller paintings in the room, they would be consumed by the others—ruthlessly. Also, that the modernist artists in this era were really excited about the development of acrylic paint—acrylics being a relatively new invention, dating back to the ’40s and ’50s—and the formal possibilities it opened up.

Jill: I was surprised, actually, by my reaction to the show: I really enjoyed it. Not fully knowing its intentions, I was worried it would just be about the Edmonton modernist painters and their new, slightly tired works. Instead, the show was about the history of art in Edmonton. The comparison between the Edmonton Art Gallery’s ferocious spate of collecting modernist art in the ’70s and ’80s and the formation of SNAP and Latitude 53 as counterpoints to the movement was very well-displayed. I am glad the curators decided to illustrate this point, because I think that Edmonton has a reputation for being mainly about modernist painting and nothing else. (Okay, maybe gross architecture.) The city’s alternative art scene has and always will be a crucial element of its identity.

Mandy: Do you think that the weight of modernism, with this intense history and influence in Edmonton, is a positive force, or something to be reckoned with? It’s a pretty huge shadow to develop under.

Jill: I think it’s positive for a city to have any sort of real history in the arts. Edmonton modernism put this city on the map (as much as Edmonton is “on the map” in terms of art and culture), but it is definitely a daunting movement to someone like me who is involved with more “alternative” art practices such as printmaking. That said, the printmaking department at the University of Alberta, as well as SNAP, have made Edmonton an international printmaking centre. I think we’re doing well against the modernist painters! As a painter, what are your thoughts?

Mandy: I may be a painter, but I’m not from the ’70s. Actually, this show reminded me of when I first moved to Edmonton to go to the U of A. I would visit the Edmonton Art Gallery, so excited that there even was an actual art gallery for me to go to! The works in this show have been hugely influential to my own education and development. I’ve seen most of them many times over the years, and for me they’ve kind of become synonymous with Edmonton itself. It’s encouraging to see that it’s possible for this community to exhibit that level of support towards its culture. Now, though, we need it to evolve and be shared with the contemporary scene. I think that the alternative and artist-run venues, some of which you mentioned, have been really leaders in that role. 

Jill: You are so from the ’70s. The actual paintings, for me, were okay. I think whether somebody “likes” these works is irrelevant, because of the way the show was set up. All of the works, modernist or not, tell a story and the history of a city that was just beginning to find its artistic voice. It was exciting walking through it. I was lucky enough to be in the gallery with a man who chatted with me about the show and art in general. He audits classes at the University of Alberta and says he’s disappointed that they don’t offer a class specifically on Alberta art. I can’t help but agree with him. I think that more emphasis should be placed on our history as an artistic culture. Recognizing our own history and educating Edmontonians about it are really important to our present and future—not to sound too cheesy.

Mandy: Alright, then: we agree that this is an important show, observing context and intent. But I bet you’ll still be making black-and-white prints for a long time to come.

Jill: Screw you! (Just kidding.)

Seeing Through Modernism
is on display at the Art Gallery
of Alberta until May 4.