New Canadiana: The Chancellor Richardson Memorial Fund and Art As Social History

by Jan Allen

Through an inventive mingling of historic and contemporary art spanning 1780 to 2005, this original publication exposes evolving narrative accounts and material conditions as these have been perceived and recorded by artists. A far-reaching range of work is discussed under three thematic Settlement and Migration, Nature and the Environment, and Social Life and Ritual. A multi-faceted staging of the Canadian experience is brought to life by such key artists as Carl Beam, Rebecca Belmore, AA Bronson, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Emily Carr, Daniel Fowler, William Notman, Antoine Plamondon, Joyce Wieland and Jin-me Yoon. Inspired by the mandate of the Chancellor Richardson Memorial Fund at Queen's University and showcasing acquisitions the fund has made possible, New Canadiana highlights the value of works of art as historical documents and artifacts. Since 1968, the Queen's University-based Fund has supported the purchase of unique Canadian research material. The idea of the nation is at the core of the cultural sphere it aims to enhance and define.

91 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2010