PAST EXHIBITION
THE WORKING EYE
An arrangement from the collections of Roald Nasgaard / Lori Walters and Christopher Varley
Following the summer 2015 exhibition Passions of the Eye, selections from Hamilton and region private collections, The Working Eye focuses on collectors with a professional history in the gallery and museum sector.
Although the current collecting focus for Roald Nasgaard and Lori Walters is contemporary Canadian art, the selection “reaches back” to formative acquisitions and Nasgaard’s research on the Danish artist Jens Ferdinand Willumsen (1863-1958). Nasgaard wrote, “this was never about ‘collecting,’ just to have some souvenirs of research projects.” The working eye, however, continued with European drawings and prints of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, including Félix Vallotton (Swiss-French, 1865-1925), Jan Verkade (Dutch, 1868-1946), František Kupka (Czech, 1871-1957), and French artists Émile Bernard (1868-1941), Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898) and Georges Lacombe (1868-1916).
Christopher Varley wrote that his collecting has reflected changing interests and the development of taste over forty years, and for a period of time a strong interest in nineteenth century drawings by French and English artists. Over the past decade, his primary interest has become vintage photography and a preference for images of “modern life.” The selected drawings include those by French artists Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (b. Switzerland 1859-1923), and English artists William Etty (1787-1849) and John Linnell (1792-1882). The photography selections include work by French photographers Eugène Atget (1857-1927), Maxime Du Camp (1822-1894), and Russian Alexis Mazourine (1846-1911).
Dr. Roald Nasgaard was chief curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario from 1978 to 1993, and for a decade following, Chair of the Art Department at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He is the author of numerous scholarly books and catalogues on Canadian and International art. In 2013, Nasgaard was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Dr. Lori Walters is the Harry F. Williams Professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University, specializing in the manuscript context of medieval literature from the twelfth through the sixteenth centuries.
Christopher Varley held curatorial positions at The Gallery/Stratford, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Edmonton Art Gallery (where he organized the centennial exhibition for Group of Seven founding member F.H. Varley), before entering the private sector as an art dealer and consultant.
Images: Eugène Atget, Rue Galande, 1899, albumen print. Collection of Christopher Varley
(right) Jan Verkade Head of Breton Woman. 1891/2, watercolour. Collection of Roald Nasgaard/Lori Walters
Curated by: McMaster Museum of Art
April 16, 2016 – August 13, 2016
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
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We Remain Certain
Arenhátyen tsi ní:tsi teyottenyonhátye’ kwató:ken tsi nī:tsi yonkwa’nikonhrayén:ta’s
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SUBMISSIONS & ASSISTANCE
SUBMISSIONS:
The McMaster Museum of Art is presently not accepting artists’ submissions for exhibitions at this time of leadership change at the museum. Our Interim Director will be undertaking a review of the museum’s forward exhibition schedule, as well as our policies and procedures, in the coming months. Our present focus is the ongoing maintenance of our permanent collection and storage needs for future collection activities.
The museum remains committed to our collecting priority in the continued support of early career, mid-career and established Indigenous artists, artists of the Black diaspora and racialized artists through purchases and commissions. Donations will be welcomed and reviewed at a future date which will be posted on our website.
ASSISTANCE:
The McMaster Museum of Art is a third party recommender for Ontario Arts Council (OAC) Exhibition Assistance Grants.
Please note that there has been a delay in the OAC opening the 2024-2025 program. This webpage will be updated with our deadlines as soon as possible.
Priorities:
Artists who demonstrate an interest and consideration of art as a medium for social change and action.
Please follow the guidelines established by the Ontario Arts Council, apply directly through their website, and submit the following with your applications:
Brief artist statement
Confirmation letter from the gallery/museum/venue
Budget
CV
Digital images of work
