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WiNTER 2009 PGi SKETCH The magazine of the Ontario College of Art & Design FRom Architects To Best BoyS: oCAd’S First Master’S STudents ABovE EmANuEL HAHN Canada gOOsE, 1932 silver-PLatEd Cast bronzE COuRtEsy Of thE EstatE Of ELizabEth wyn Wood and EmanuEL hahn BELoW, left mAuRiCio AFFoNSo BEAvER TALES: the Canadians of Confederation, tRiLLium ScaRf, 2008 Wool CANAdiAN Art ANd dESiGN first looked for ways to define them- CollectiOn Of thE aRtist selves (with one stab at definition BELoW, RiGHT Antlered animals. Beavers. being the creation of their own RoB SouTHCoTT Canada geese. Evergreens. emblem atic imagery inspired by unitEd wE stand, 2007 Maple leaves. Trilliums. indi genous flora and fauna). Then, in birch, PLy, bRass haRdwaRE the early 20th century, they looked for 2.44 X 1.52 X22 m Chosen for their ability to inspire ways to define their art. Nowhere is ABovE ABovE and endure, these six examples of this later effort more apparent than in Art GALLERy oF Ontario (L-R) CALEB GoodmAN, SARAH Beck, dEBoRAH WANG indigenous Canadian flora and fauna the nationalist aesthetic established PhOtO by CRaig wEbb PhOtOs by LinO RagnO COuRtEsy Of thE aRt gaLLERy provided the organizing framework by the Group of Seven, represented ALumNi PG17 Of OntaRiO 2008 for the exhibition “Beaver Tales: in this exhibition by, among other Canadian Art and Design,” which members, former OCAD vice- ran until December 6, 2008, at the principal Arthur Lismer. An oil sketch NoTES University of Toronto Art Centre. by Lismer, A September Gale, Guest co-curators Rachel Gotlieb Georgian Bay (done for the famous well as curators, project managers, According to EMDes Director point of view.” our first three graduate programs.” and Martha Kelleher brought together painting of the same name), is quite Barkhouse’s heartbreaking Persevere, The Canadian cabin style is a registrars and conservators. Robert Saxon, the program is Goodman, who holds a Owen is helping to develop what more than a hundred objects for this possibly one of the Group’s most in which a bronze beaver sleeps great example. From alumnus (’03) As part of the MFA in CCP unique in providing advertising bachelor’s degree in business will amount to 10 graduate-degree unique multi-disciplinary showcase iconic images. deeply on a cushion silkscreened with Rob Southcott’s impossible-to- program, OCAD students have education because it allows administration from Bishop’s programs by 2011. OCAD will launch of the fine and decorative arts. Each In her catalogue essay, Gotlieb an 18th-century map of Canadian miss antlered chairs, pictured right the unique opportunity to curate working students to keep their University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, at least two new programs in 2009, emblem had a dedicated room — also engages us in an examination fur-trade routes. Contrast this with (they were in the moose room), to a diversity of projects at the AGO, jobs. And while most master’s has worked for the last eight years subject to approval by the Ontario there was a moose room, a room for of Canadian identity through nature, alumna (’04) Anneke van Bommel’s alumnus (’04) Tristan Zimmermann’s including exhibitions, symposia, programs admit students right out as a group account director at Council on Graduate Studies: a Canada geese, and so on — and in albeit a more playful one. She tells Beer Buddies brooch, an irreverent plastidermy collection (no animals online ventures, performances of an undergraduate degree, EMDes Taxi, an advertising agency with an Master of Arts in Contemporary Art each case, visitors were made aware us that politics, commerce and souvenir pin that juxtaposes a were killed for these trophies), the and other interventions into the students must have at least four impressive client roster that includes History and a Master of Design in of how loaded with meaning these culture were still the driving force beaver motif with beer to poke fun referencing of indigenous materials gallery spaces. years’ experience working in the field. Canadian Tire, Coca-Cola, Molson Strategic Foresight. symbols are, how utterly Canadian. behind the artistic expression of at Canadian identity. The brooch is and imagery is fun — and funny. Of Partnerships are also an integral The EMDes program has also Canada, Telus and WestJet. As a Part of that has to do with the way Canadian symbols in the latter half of among many pieces in the exhibition course it’s natural to wonder at the part of the Executive Master of attracted marketing directors, creative team manager, Goodman develops -- these symbols have endured. There’s the 20th century, as they had been that demonstrate the way indigenous difference between a real spirit of Design in Advertising, which has directors, writers, researchers, communication strategies, generates Leanna McLennan is a Maritime-born writer no question this was an archives- since Confederation. But there is a flora and fauna commemorate a nationalism and an identity of kitsch, leading industry professionals as designers, and agency owners creative briefs and determines general and academic. Her work has been published inspired exhibit. Kelleher’s expertise difference, and that’s the distance sense of place, making ideal subject but for the purposes of this exhibition in The Antigonish Review, Broken Pencil, professors and guest lecturers. For from across Canada as well as the account strategy. He’d like to run lies in 19th- and 20th-century pieces, we’ve been trying to establish, matter for souvenirs. it doesn’t matter. Fiddlehead, Taddle Creek and Third Floor instance, Andy Macaulay, President of United States and Lebanon his own agency one day, he says, Lounge: An Anthology from the Banff Centre which require extensive archival culturally speaking, between Nature is chic these days — or Antlered animals, beavers, Zig, a Toronto-based creative agency, because it fosters close working and sees the EMDes program as an for the Arts Writing Studio, 2004. research, while Gotlieb’s field has ourselves and our colonial heritage. so claims a New York Times article Canada geese, evergreens, maple delivered an illuminating lecture about relationships among people in important step in achieving that goal. been Canadian design since 1940. “When we have chosen a national that Gotlieb uses to show us that by leaves, trilliums — how loaded the case histories of Zig clients. different disciplines. “This mirrors the The enthusiasm Goodman “The works in this exhibition played look, we will have found a national no means is this just “a Canadian they are with meaning. The opportunity to meet top trend in progressive agencies,” says brings to his studies at OCAD, a significant role in how the nation identity,” wrote Ken Lefolli in his book thing.” Our connection to the -- professionals is part of what drew Saxon. “The goal is to produce the not to mention his already imagined itself so many years ago,” The Canadian Look: A Century of land and natural environment is Also featured in the exhibition were alumni account director Caleb Goodman next generation of industry leaders impressive professional profile, explains Kelleher. Adds Gotlieb, “It Sights and Styles, published in 1965. increasing in popularity as issues of Mauricio Affonso (’07), Katherine Morley (’07), Harold Town (’44), Thea Yuzy (’05), to the program. “You have the by bringing together top professionals makes him a great role model for was extremely important that Martha Flora and fauna, according to Gotlieb, sustainability become widespread Elizabeth Wyn Wood (’25) and Don Watt opportunity to really get inside to work in teams. Through cross- undergraduate students. [Kelleher] and I show emerging artists still express that identity, even though concerns, and artists and designers (’57), as well as former OCAD faculty the minds of these people and to pollination, they become more multi- Michael Owen, Vice-President, and designers with the established the way we think about our flora and are no different. Gotlieb also shows member Emanuel Hahn and former ask them questions,” Goodman dimensional thinkers. Research & Graduate Studies, ones. We were able to illustrate fauna has changed. us that the back-to-nature aesthetic principal J.E.H. MacDonald. points out. “This gives us a great Goodman agrees. “Working so agrees. “Our graduate students the powerful influence of Canadian Gotlieb uses as an example the is something that has emerged “partly perspective because we hear different closely with people from different will definitely be mentors for our identity on artists and makers from beaver, which used to be admired for as a reaction to cookie-cutter design points of view that we can compare disciplines generates a really rich undergraduate students. Overall, the 19th century right through to the its wisdom and perseverance and is and globalization — industrial design and contrast to develop our own dialogue. It’s thought-provoking and the quality of students is one of the 21st century.” now seen as a symbol of creativity. is increasingly infused with craft ways of thinking.” it forces you to think from a different most exciting aspects of launching Canadians of the late 19th century, Take OCAD alumna (’91) Mary Anne and one-off techniques.” .

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