UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Biographical Portraits: Exploring Identity, Gender, and Teaching in Narrative Representations of Canadian Artists By Patricia Jagger A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE DIVISION OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2008 © Patricia Jagger 2008 UMI Number: MR38059 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform MR38059 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway PO Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Abstract In this thesis I engage in a critical and interdisciplinary examination of the intersections between film and life writing when exploring issues of representation, gender, and identity. At the centre of this is the pivotal question—where are all the women artists? I trace how my professional experience in the Canadian film industry and my studies in education led me to discover five Canadian documentary films, each offering insight into the experiences of male and female artists in Canada, predominantly around the time of the Group of Seven (1920-1933). Through these films I was introduced to Doris McCarthy (1910-present), an artist-teacher who appears in two of the five films and whose collection of life writings are central to this thesis. At the foundation of this study is the intent to show that these modes of communication offer educative possibilities for imagining the multiple histories that exist in our world. in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Completing my Master of Arts has been a personally rich endeavour, one that I could not have completed without the ongoing and unfailing support of an amazing group of individuals. Throughout this journey it is those whose faith has never wavered and who have never questioned why I am on this path that have offered the greatest inspiration. To the following I extend the greatest thanks: Lisa Panayotidis for always respecting my decisions, having the patience to wait for me to catch up, then knowing when to push, pull, and prod me to challenge myself. Michael Brandman for his unconditional support and unshakable belief in me. Jane Saunders for a safe haven and her generous spirit, which remains unrivaled in my life. Michele Moss for helping me to remember, even in the most difficult moments, to breathe, dance, laugh, and rejoice. Jemison Jackson for reminding me to slow down and enjoy the journey while being my voice of reason and calm. Hans Smits and George Melnyk for taking the time to be on my committee and offering their insights into my work. A special thank you to my parents, Bob and Marion Jagger for their patience and support over the years and helping to foster my love for life-long learning. Finally, my dog Jake who has been my constant companion, for always loving and trusting me know matter where I take him! IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval Page ii Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents v CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Making Connections: Education, Film, and Life Writing 1 "Where Are All the Great Woman Artists?" 8 Rethinking History: Creating New Spaces 11 Weaving the Web: Introducing the Work 13 CHAPTER TWO: Exploring Theory: Seeking Understanding of Hermeneutics, Feminist Film Theory and Narrative 19 Exploring Visual Culture in Educational Contexts 20 The F Words: Feminism and Film 24 The Interpretive Spaces In-Between 30 Memory, Imagination, and Narrative 36 Autobiography and Gender: Forging Spaces 39 Unpacking Autobiography: Narrative Styles of Life Writing 42 CHAPTER THREE: The Artist on Film: Canadian Teaching Narratives and Gender as Portrayed through the Lens 45 Locating Canada on Film: Production Policies 47 Feminist Film Practices at the NFB 50 Filmic Representations of the Male Artist 53 The Female Artist on Film 57 CHAPTER FOUR Recovering Memory: The Life Writing of Doris McCarthy 71 "A Fool in Paradise" and "The Good Wine" 76 One Last Story: The Latest Auto/biography 88 Doris McCarthy: Artist/Educator/Woman 91 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION Acknowledging the Gray: The Stories In-Between 94 REFERENCES 105 v 1 Introduction: Making Connections: Education, Film, and Life Writing Whenever I heard, read, or wrote narratives, meaning took shape. I could understand why people did what they did, that what happened to people made them the way they were. I learned that narratives were places where people had the freedom and responsibility to tell the truth, however difficult. And I have subsequently seen how the power of good narrative lends itself to the contextual, complex, and chaotic matrixes of educational research. (Fowler, 2003, p. 162) *** In his CBC Massey Lecture series, The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative (2003), Thomas King tells us "the truth about stories is that's all we are" (p. 153). Stories have always been the easiest way for me to make meaning and sense of the world we live in, whether it is through losing myself in a novel or escaping to the anonymous, darkness of a movie theatre. Accordingly, I begin my thesis with a story as a way of inviting and engaging others into the inquiry that follows. In September 2001, after five years of working full time in the film industry as a script supervisor, I returned to school and entered the Master of Teaching Program at the University of Calgary. This was a momentous occasion for me. Personal and professional circumstances had caused me to become unsure if I wanted to continue working in film. The business of making movies is highly competitive, especially in a 2 small film community like that in Calgary; to achieve any level of success requires diligence and sacrifice. Over the preceding five years I had persevered through the financial challenges of volunteer training for a year to learn my craft, followed by four more years of struggling to prove my abilities. Consisting completely of contract work, those years confronted me with some complex realizations regarding working in a competitive freelance business. To embark on a life working in film was to accept a life of feast or famine, extremely long workdays, and the subsequent impact these factors can have on all aspects of one's life. Starting out as a volunteer script trainee on a variety of film productions in 1995,1 was eager to learn the skills required for the job. I was incredibly passionate about movies, both with regard to making them as well as the belief that they were a powerful medium of communication in our world. I loved just being on set, watching with fascination as the grips, electrics, and camera departments all worked together to light and compose every shot. To many it must seem like watching paint dry (I know this to be true as over the years I have invited many family and friends to set only to watch their eager anticipation of meeting movie stars and seeing magic happen turn quickly to boredom and disappointment!) but for me, this was the only life I could imagine living. For almost a year, I volunteered on a number of both film and television productions and with three different seasoned script supervisors. Every day I would show up at call time and stay until camera wrap, soaking in the atmosphere of organized chaos that is always present in the process of making movies. Then finally, following a series of practical tests, and an unfortunate accident—the script supervisor on one show was hit on the head by a piece of 3 equipment and had to go to the Emergency Room forcing me to step up to take her place—I was deemed ready and given my first opportunity to undertake the position of script supervisor on the feature film The Edge (1997). With a great sense of importance and accomplishment I accepted the job believing I had found the one thing I was meant to do in this world. Cut to five years later: The time I had spent working in the film industry taught me some very difficult lessons regarding the nature of survival in a freelance business guided by its own logic. What I had come to realize is that the position of script supervisor is a technical position therefore limiting in its potential for contributing to the creative and imaginative process of filmmaking. I had also come face to face with the fact that I felt restricted in how and/or if my voice was heard in the world of film, at least on the sets I worked on. Perhaps most surprisingly, I had discovered that the film industry is a business ruled by hierarchies and patriarchies; while technology has advanced greatly in the last 100 years capitalist ideologies continue to enact unspoken codes of conduct, which shape how films are made, by whom, and to what ends. The professional and personal experiences I encountered during the first five years of my career left me struggling for a sense of self and a need to discover a new way to express myself in the world. Although unable to name it at the time, I now recognize that I was engaged in a battle to reclaim the very things that had originally inspired me to pursue a career in film.