The narrowness of the landscape

Exceptionally tall tree trunks and a thicket of leaves characterize many paintings by Canadian painter Emily Carr (1871-1945). The nature lover, who spent most of her life in western Canada, was a thorough observer of her surroundings, but atmospherically focused on the constricting effect of the forest rather than the freedom of expansive woodland landscapes. Constricting she meant in a positive sense, rather protective, enabling an unbound life. In contrast to her dense forest paintings, there are a few wide landscapes that she produced in the later years of her career: forests wounded by clear-cutting and forced to defy the consequences of this practice. The exhibition Emily Carr: Navigating an Impenetrable Landscape at the Vancouver Art Gallery opens on January 25, 2025 and runs until January 4, 2026.

In addition to her landscapes, Carr is best known for her representations of various indigenous cultures, mainly from western Canada. Her attitude was unusual for her time: she emphasized the accurate depiction of different cultural practices of the individual groups rather than a stereotypical depiction of »the Indians«. Her paintings were not well received by her contemporaries and for many years the artist made a living from pottery and dog breeding. It was only after an art exhibition in 1927 at the National Gallery in Ottawa, where 31 of her paintings as well as some pottery and carpets were shown, that a slow rethink and artistic appreciation of Carr's paintings began. Today, Carr, who was also active as a writer, is considered one of Canada's most important artists.