Northern exposure

Even the best-informed American art lovers will likely stumble when pressed to say more than a few sentences about Canadian art. Most scholars, dealers, and connoisseurs know something about the Group of Seven, an assortment of Ontario-based landscapists from the 1910s through the 1940s inspired by Tom Thomson (1877–1917), the best-known name in Canadian art. It’s safe to say the art of Canada’s indigenous peoples is a mystery. Considering our well-developed knowledge of Mexican art, it’s odd we know next to nothing about the art of our other neighbor. Canada, after all, is our biggest trading partner. Most of its 35 million people share our language, our dominant Anglo culture, and our basic economic structure. It’s next door! Simply because Canadians don’t shout about their art doesn’t mean we should know so little about how good their art can be.