2014 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: The Magic of Realism By Suzanne Robicheau The widening sociological and cultural gap between central Canada and the east coast has certainly been accelerated by immigration (there not here), but the differences were always rooted in tradition versus “progress.” The differences have manifested in a number of ways—the self-deprecating notion, on the one hand, that you can’t possibly be an expert if you’re from here; and on the other hand, our superior posturing as “friendlier” and “nicer”; non-superficial people who actually have a sense of humour and an appreciation of the truly important things in life. Those irritations may also have played out in the art world. While the pretentious “Toronto elite” embraced and reveled in such nouveau art forms as impressionism, surrealism and cubism (unappreciated by the unwashed)—good old realism, the art of faithfully depicting on canvas subjects that actually exist, has sustained here. Amateur seascapes and landscapes are everywhere, of course, from tourist traps to craft shops to motel foyers, and folk art has prevailed here as nowhere else. To some extent, those art forms define us. But on the seriously talented professional front, the fact the realism has remained so strong here has also served to define us. So this fascinating article examines not just the art form, but the much broader reality of our endearing differences and our attachment to that which is real. It was a fair bit of work to research then track down then interview each of the subjects profiled in this piece. Most, if not all, the names would be familiar to the reader—but this article puts them all in one place speaking almost with one voice to a single subject. At the end of the day, this article is about much more than art. |
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