“ODDBALLS AND ECCENTRICS” (“LES HIRSUTES ET LES EXCENTRIQUES”): VISUAL ARTS AND ARTISTS IN THE POPULAR PRESS IN POST-WAR CANADA by Debra Anne Antoncic A thesis submitted to the Department of Art In conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Queen‟s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada (May 2011) Copyright © Debra Anne Antoncic, 2011 Abstract This dissertation examines the representation of visual arts and artists in two popular Canadian magazines. It is based on case studies of the Montréal-based Le petit journal, a French-language magazine, and the Toronto-based English-language publication Star Weekly, from 1945 to 1968. Both were weekly magazines with large readerships and included content for the entire family. Neither was devoted to visual arts but both carried photographs and articles that engaged with broad issues in the field of visual arts. As such, they represent a cross-section of ideas and perspectives that is very different from those of daily newspapers or of publications explicitly devoted to the arts. In addition, both implicitly claimed a national perspective by including articles and information about different regions of Canada. In this way, although in reality the two publications constitute a central Canadian perspective, inflected in each case by the particularities of their provincial locations, they claimed a national vision. In contrast to existing research concerning art journals and art critics in Canada, my investigation involves the ownership and editorial direction of these two popular magazines. By analyzing the content of the magazines across more than two decades, I am able to identify shifts in outlook as they occurred and consider them in the context of the period. I have found that, although there were substantial differences between the two publications, the way that they participated in the construction of ideas was strikingly similar. In effect, both magazines projected specific notions of the value of artists and visual arts and used this coverage to shape attitudes—to work, gender, immigration, nationalism and a host of other topics. I argue that the presentation of ideas was rooted in both liberalism and anti-communism, and was informed by inherent self-interest on the part of the owners of the magazines. In addition, I argue that this perspective was largely hidden within a language of disinterested public service. Finally, I posit ii that representations in the popular press shaped opinions and attitudes to visual arts and artists in ways that continue to resonate today, more than forty years later. iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Lynda Jessup for her unwavering support over the past four and a half years. Her patience, encouragement and thoughtful suggestions have been invaluable to me and, hopefully, I have emerged from this process a better scholar and writer. Her frequent emails and our telephone conversations helped mitigate the often daunting process of writing, and rewriting, this dissertation. Without her, I doubt it would have been finished. I should also acknowledge the financial support I received from Queen‟s University in the form of a McLaughlin Fellowship and Queen‟s Graduate Awards, in addition to two Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS). This funding has allowed me to focus on my research and writing, and I remain grateful for the opportunity these programs made possible. It is my hope that this dissertation proves to be a suitable expression of my appreciation. The staff at the Toronto Reference Library, particularly those working in both the Toronto Star Newspaper Room and the Baldwin Room, also deserve my thanks. These reference librarians were always helpful and courteous, and their assistance and timely response to requests for archival material is greatly appreciated. I thank Cyndie Campbell, Head of Archives, Documentation and Visual Resources at the National Gallery of Canada for her assistance, and I am also indebted to the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales de Québec for the digitization of newspapers and magazines and ready access to this collection via internet. Special thanks also go to Lloyd (Lyn) Hobden for a pleasant afternoon of coffee and enlightening conversation about the Maillet family. A gracious and generous host, Lyn‟s knowledge of the Maillet family history, and his personal connection to the family, made him an invaluable resource for my research. His reminiscences about his late wife Andrée Maillet and iv his colorful accounts of his experience in Paris before, during, and after World War II were a delightful diversion from the slog of reading old magazines on microfilm and computer screen. I would also like to thank the many friends and colleagues who gave their support and encouraged me to continue with this dissertation. Over the past four and a half years, my fellow PhD colleagues Carla Taunton, Andrea Terry and Taryn Sirove have been great friends and an inspiration to me to keep at it. Additional thanks also go to my friend Kristin Patterson who pushed me to start on this incredible journey, although it was never as easy as she claimed. I thank Nick for his suggestions about the direction of my thesis questions and friends Tobi Bruce, Angela Chaput, Dawn Pray and my sister Kate Karn for their unwavering confidence that I could, and would, finish. Finally, I must thank my family, especially my girls. To Claire for patiently listening to my whining and complaining and encouraging me to keep going, to Elly for additional support, occasional editing and the use of a futon, and to Evelyn for her keen eye and computer and French-language skills, I remain in your debt. I am forever grateful that I had this opportunity, and your love and support make everything worthwhile. v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Why do these questions matter? .................................................................................................. 7 Liberalism and Anti-communism within a Middlebrow Sensibility ............................................ 9 Organization ............................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2 Literature Review .......................................................................................................... 22 Canadian Art History: A Narrative of Nation-Building ............................................................ 23 The Cold War in Canada: A Narrative of Control .................................................................... 37 Mass Media in Canada: A Narrative of National Defense ....................................................... 41 Chapter 3 The Star Weekly 1945-1956 .......................................................................................... 49 Liberalism and Anti-communism: A Delicate Balance ............................................................. 51 An Era of Classlessness ............................................................................................................. 65 The Artist in Society .................................................................................................................. 69 A Mentalité in Flux .................................................................................................................... 83 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 87 Chapter 4 The Star Weekly 1957-1968 .......................................................................................... 90 Selling Canada to Canadians ..................................................................................................... 93 Visual Art and Economic Development in Canada ................................................................. 106 Art Patronage in Canada .......................................................................................................... 117 Visual Arts, Gender and Ethnic Diversity in Canada .............................................................. 129 The Artist in Canada ................................................................................................................ 147 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 161 Chapter 5 Le petit journal 1945-1956 .......................................................................................... 163 Liberalism and Anti-communism ............................................................................................ 166 Visual Arts and Intellectual Debate ......................................................................................... 178 French-English