FIVE PAINTERS IN OTTAWA: THE GOVERNANCE OF EXHl BIT1 ONARY SPACES KRYS VERRALL A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Programme in Interdisciplinary Studies York University North York, Ontario May 1999 National Library Bibliothèque nationale I*m of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON Kl A ON4 OttawaON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your Ne Voire relérsnce Our lVe Noire reldrenu, The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exciusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. 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The author reserves other publication rights. and neither the thesis nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's written permission. ABSTR ACT It \vas controversial. It nias unprecedented. The 1961 Five Painters from Regina/ Cinq Peintres de Regina exhibition at the Nationai Cmllery of Canada represented a euplioric cultural moment. The artists, Ronald L. Bloore, Ted Godwin. Kenneth Lochhead, Arthur E McKay, Douglas h/iorton and, the exhibition's organizer, Richard Simmins, forty years after the event, believe that it was the first tirne a group of living Canadian painters hrid ever sliown rit tlie nation's premier exhibititig institution! The following study undertakes a critical, interdisciplinary. intei-pretation of tliis event, specifically focusing on co~ivergencesbetween identity, fine art production and the governace of publicly supported cultural domains. In tbis endeavour, it hivstogether three sirands of tliought: i) Foimult's latter work on governalice, including neo-foiicauldian work in the fields of Sociology and Cultural Studies, ii) an understanding of spatiality suggested by tlie seograplier tlieoiist Edward Soja, and tlie cultural tlieorist. Tony Bennett, iii) and fiiially. a B'arthes-like engagement uitli the nxiteriaiity of different kinds of cultural texts. AWOWLEDGMENTS This research pro.jec t, cuiminatiiig in a Masters of Arts thesis for Interdisciplinary Studies, represents a syiithesis of passions. It follows twenty years of work as an artist, cuitural tlieonst, and feininist. 1 wouid particularly like to tharik my supervisors Renate W~ckens,Chair of 111y supervisory coimlittee, Robert Albitton and Tim Whiten, for tlieir creative and intellectual support. While 1 struggled to define the interdisciplinary space tlis study deiiianded. tliey gave me constant ex~comge~nent.Thanks must go also to those otliers wliose conceptual contributions have been indelible: Marlene Kadar. Judith Schwarz, and Lorna Weir. Joyce Zenians patiently answered niy first question "Regina what?' The hypertent, an integral component of tlie thesis. woidd not have been possible w5thoiit tlie involveinent of the Art Gallery of York Uni versitp Finaicial awards from York University's Facdty of Graduate Studies aiid CUPE, pennitted excep- tioiial primary resear-ch and documentation. The pject would, of course. have been iinpossible witliout siipport from the artists - Bloore. Godwin, LocIiliead, McKay, Morton - ruid fichad Siiiiniins, foniier Director of tlie National Galleiys Exhibition Extension Services. Tl~oughoutour niany communications niid visits, they have al1 proven generous and engagin; time travellers. Finally, the fandial grouiid makes everything possible. Aiina and J.P.C. Fraser. Catherine and Arthur Vemll have alniays, aiways been there. And Bill Burns also did so iiiuch. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................ v LIST OF TABLES .............................................. viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................... ix INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 "Regina what?" - an introduction PART I Chapter 1. THE PROBLEM OF "REUTIONS BH'WEEN ............ 14 Visibility and Three Texts The Exhibition Catalogue The Paintings The Hypertext Dye Blue "Relations Between" and Ottawa and 1961 PART II Chapter 2. A PARALLEL VISION OF STATEIINSTITUTIONAL POLITICS ........................................ 77 The Problem of Importance Violence and Welfare: a consideration A Problern of Context in Three Spaces Chapter 3 . FIVE ARTISTS IN REGINA ......................... 115 A Bief Discussion of Subjectivity A Srnall Phrase in Public Places CONCLUSION Closer & Closer .................................... 145 Appendices 1. FORWARD BY CHARLES F. COMFORT .................... 152 2 . LETTERS. MEMORANDA. & AN ARTICLE .................. 153 3 . FROM INTERVIEWS WITH R . L. BLOORE & R . B . SIMMINS .... 162 4. TWO EXHIBITION CHECK LISTS ......................... 167 5 . FATH OF FISCAL RESPONSIEILITY AT THE NGC ........... 174 6 . CREDITS FOR ILLUSTRATIONS ......................... 176 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................... 221 vii TABLES Ta bIe Page 86 1. Total Exhibitions Handled by the NGC 1959-6û ....................... 2. Contemporary Canadian Exhi bitions - Solo Exhibitions ................. 89 3. Conternporary Canadian Exhibitions - Group Exhibitions ................ 91 4. Canadian and Non-Canadian Art Exhibitions ......................... 93 5. NGC Divisions, 1955- 19% ..................................... 110 6. NGC Divisions, 1%1- 1962 ...................................... 111. ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 . Five Painters from RegindCinq Painters from Regina ................. 2. DYE BLUE .detail ........................................... 3.Painting#1 ................................................. 4. The Establishment ............................................ 5.Painting.1960 ............................................... 6. SignNo.5 ................................................. 7. Drawing No. 7 ............................................. 8. Blue Move ................................................ 9. Amber Deep ............................................... 10.RedGrew .................................................. lI.Organic#4 ................................................. 12 . Medieval Landscape ......................................... 13.Eclat ..................................................... 14 . Stampede ................................................. 15 . Minotaur ILLUSTRATIONS CON'T Figures Page 16 . Effulgent Image ............................................. 51 17.Microcosm ................................................. 18 . Darkness .................................................. 19.TheVoid ................................................. 20 . Three Blue ................................................. 21 . Green Night ............................................... 22 . October Collage ............................................. 23 . Brownscape ............................................... 24 . Auction .................................................. 25 . Interior: Installation shot. NGC ................................. 26. Exterior: Ottawa at 40,ûûû ft .................................... 27.TedGodwin ................................................ 28 . Five Painters in Ottawa in a Page ................................ Five Paintcrs frorn ReginaKinq Pcintrcs dc Regina INTRODUCTION "REGINA WHAT?" - AN INTRODUCTION TO AN EVENT,A HISTORY & SOME THEORY Ir )vas !/le/irsf rirrte rhe Nariotrnl Gdlety fiad ever pur on cr .rllow of n living gruirp of puinrem. Yomg ris lue ns we rvere. As bue were . Ali Cod! So r/tcrrT.r Iiow rhat orle came ahtrr. Rottald l31oorr. 1997 But we weren't a group in the sense like Painters Eleven. They actuall y convened meetings and took minutes. Oh--Jesus! Or in MontreaI--al1 they did was chum out manifestos! I mean, if we had a meeting, it was going to be in the basement of the Saskatchewan Hotel - that was the watering hole - where we could sit there and quaff beer, or what have you (Bloore 1997). 1 On August 17, 1%1 Richard Simmins wrote five nearly identical letters: "You wiIl recall" they each began, "that 1 was recently in Regina organizing an exhi bition caIled Five Regina Painters and I do hope you will participate." Simmins, Director of the National Gallery of Canada's (NGC) Exhibition Extension Services Programme (1957- 1%5), addressed each piece of correspondence separately: one to Ronald L. Bloore, Ted Godwin, Kenneth Lochhead,