Frances-Anne Johnston: Art and Life (Hardcover)
This bilingual publication is the first-ever monograph on artist Frances-Anne Johnston, one of Canada's foremost painters of still lifes, flowers, and interiors. Exploring the extensive artistic career of this under-represented artist, the book also situates her within 20th-century Canadian art history and feminist theoretical contexts. In addition to beautiful colour illustrations of Johnston's work, this volume features critical essays, and an extensive exhibition history. Through primary research, curator Rebecca Basciano interprets Johnston's mastery of technique and subject matter, while demonstrating the artist's unique aesthetic and skill through an exploration of several important artworks. Similarly, art historian and scholar Catharine Mastin, in her ongoing investigation of Canadian "artist couples," exposes the challenges faced by women artists -- including Johnston -- who often juggled their own artistic practices with the demands of child-rearing and supporting their husbands' careers. Finally, as a critical aspect of this reclamation work, Frances-Anne Johnston's own voice is revealed in a republished article that she wrote in 1955 for Mayfair. Together, these insightful essays constitute a feminist recovery project by not only situating Johnston among her male contemporaries, but also by creating new space for the appreciation and validation of a practice that was shaped by domestic realities, including motherhood.
This book is a companion to the exhibition A Family Palette: Frances-Anne Johnston, Franz Johnston, and Franklin Arbuckle, on view at the Ottawa Art Gallery from September 10, 2022 to February 5, 2023, followed by an Ontario tour through 2024. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, and the Ontario Society of Artists.
Cette publication bilingue est la toute premi re monographie portant sur Frances-Anne Johnston, l'une des plus c l bres peintres canadiennes de natures mortes, de fleurs et d'int rieurs. En plus d'explorer la vaste carri re de cette artiste sous-repr sent e, l'ouvrage la place dans le contexte de l'histoire de l'art canadien et des th ories f ministes du 20e si cle. Aux magnifiques reproductions couleur des oeuvres de Johnston s'ajoutent des essais critiques et une histoire d taill e de l'exposition. Les recherches primaires qu'a men es la commissaire Rebecca Basciano lui permettent d'interpr ter la ma trise technique de Johnston et sa connaissance approfondie des sujets qu'elle peint et de d montrer tout la fois, gr ce l'exploration de plusieurs de ses oeuvres importantes, l'habilet et l'esth tique uniques de l'artiste. Pour sa part, la chercheuse et historienne de l'art Catharine Mastin expose, dans son tude suivie de couples d'artistes , les difficult's qu'ont surmont es les femmes artistes, y compris Johnston, qui ont souvent d concilier leur carri re artistique et l' ducation des enfants, tout en soutenant la carri re de leur mari. Enfin, cet ouvrage de r habilitation a aussi pour objectif essentiel de r v ler la voix de Frances-Anne Johnston gr ce la republication d'un article qu'elle avait crit en 1955 pour le magazine Mayfair. Ensemble, ces essais participent d'un projet de r tablissement du f minisme; en effet, ils situent Johnston dans le contexte des artistes masculins de l' poque et cr ent aussi un nouvel espace permettant l'appr ciation et la validation d'une pratique fa onn e par les r alit's domestiques, dont...