On Nov. 15, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery hosted the official unveiling of the national touring exhibition Tom Thomson: North Star on its only stop in Atlantic Canada.
Showcasing over 130 works that portrayed the traditional Canadian landscape, Thomson’s work makes way for an innovative approach that will attract attention from New Brunswickers.
Thomson was the most influential Canadian artist of the early 20th century. His improvisational style and relentless experimentation with the medium made him a renowned figure in Canadian art. Despite his mysterious death in 1917, his legacy inspired artists who followed in the future.
Sarah Milroy, executive director and chief curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, gave a tour of the exhibition and shared the importance of bringing his exhibition to life in the 21st century.
“What we wanted to do with this show is to shift the focus that the mystery of Tom Thomson is really how someone with no training at all became arguably the most definitive modern painter in Canada and one of the great improvisers in the medium that the world has ever seen,” said Milroy.
Milroy shared that the exhibition invites viewers to observe the progression of Thomson’s work, revealing the mysteries behind his creative decisions and final strokes.
The curatorial team, including Milroy and her colleague Ian Sharpen, decided to focus on Thomson’s experimental and vibrant sketches, particularly the small oil sketches on canvas.
“There’s a room of fall, there’s a room of winter, there’s a room of sunsets, there’s a wall of nocturnes. We organized it that way to encourage people to look at themes and variations and try things [in] different ways.”
Milroy described Thomson’s artistic experimentation on canvas as if there is no premeditation interfering with his experience between his hand, brain and eye when you gaze at one of his paintings.
“It’s like when you hear Miles Davis or you hear Coltrane. It’s a spontaneous event that occurs in reaction to a sequence of notes,” she said.
Making the Beaverbrook Art Gallery the exhibition’s only stop on the East Coast, Milroy highlights the gallery’s history of acknowledging Canadian art.
“It just seemed like a natural fit,” she said.
Milroy also shared the relevance of Thomson’s work in the contemporary era, particularly in the context of global warming and environmental changes. She reflected on the importance of appreciating the natural beauty around us and the need to disengage from technological distractions to experience the environment.
“Maybe a strategy we should all absorb right now, turn the TV off, get in the canoe. Look at the sky. It’s always been there. Hopefully, it will always be there,” said Milroy.
Bernard Doucet, future executive director of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, also shared his thoughts on the importance of this exhibition being displayed at the gallery.
He hopes that New Brunswickers will come en masse to see this historical exhibition.
“Touring exhibitions of Canadian art by Canadian institutions is something that we should be very proud to participate in,” he said. “I hope we start leading more of those exhibitions from now on and participate in that national narrative, where it connects us all.”
