Almost outnumbered: the role of Alberta in the life and work of Marion Nicoll

104 Pages·2010·4.18 MB·English

Almost Outnumbered:
The role of Alberta in the life and work of Marion Nicoli
Natasha Pashak
A Thesis
In
The Department
of
Art History
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Master of Arts (Art History) at
Concordia University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
April 2010
© Natasha Pashak, 2010
??? Libraryand Archives Bibliothèqueet
Canada Archives Canada
Published Heritage Direction du
Branch Patrimoine de l'édition
395Wellington Street 395, rueWellington
OttawaONK1A0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4
Canada Canada
Yourfile Votreréférence
ISBN: 978-0-494-67239-6
Ourfile Notreréférence
ISBN: 978-0-494-67239-6
NOTICE: AVIS:
The author has granted a non- L'auteura accordé une licence non exclusive
exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque etArchives
Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver,
publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public
communicate tothe public by partélécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter,
telecommunication or on the Internet, distribueretvendre des thèses partout dans le
loan, distribute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur
worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou
commercial purposes, in microform, autresformats.
paper, electronic and/or any other
formats.
The author retains copyright L'auteurconserve la propriété du droit d'auteur
ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. Ni
thesis. Neitherthe thesis nor la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci
substantial extractsfrom it may be ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement
printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation.
withoutthe author's permission.
In compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne sur la
PrivacyAct some supporting forms protection de la vie privée, quelques
may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont été enlevés de
thesis. cettethèse.
While theseforms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans
in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu
removal does not represent any loss manquant.
of contentfrom the thesis.
14-1
Canada
Abstract
Almost Outnumbered:
The Role of Alberta in the Work and Life of Marion Nicoli
Natasha Pashak
Thisthesis examines Marion Nicoll's contribution tothe culturallife ofCalgary and
Alberta and, inturn Canada, while situatingNicoll's paintingpractice within thebroader
context ofNorthAmerica inthe 1950s and 1960s. Itexpands upon previous scholarship
byincluding MarionNicoll's role asteacherand communityactivist in addition to
consideringhercraftworks, prints andpaintings andbyexamininghermanyinfluences
withparticularattentionpaidto the role ofplace. This thesisproposesthat an
understandingofAlberta is integralto an understanding ofMarionNicoll's work.
The text is structured in 4parts. The introduction provides the theoreticalframework
forthethesisthrough a discussion ofregionalism and modernism inNorthAmerica.
Chapter 1provides abiographical overviewofMarion Nicoll'slife andincludespertinent
information abouthergrandparents andparents as well as significant events inAlberta
historyin orderto provide contexttothe artist'slife and achievements. Chapter2
examinesNicoll's influences, withparticularattention paidtotheArts& Crafts
Movement andthe Indian Space Painters. Thethird chapterincludes an examination of
3 winter-themed worksto indicatehowanunderstanding ofAlberta is integralto an
understandingofMarion Nicoll's work.
111
Acknowledgements
This thesis would not existwithoutthegenerous help and support ofcountlesspeople.
I owe a debt ofgratitudeto all. Thankyou to the archivists andlibrarians, tothe
collectors and galleryowners, andto the former students ofMarionNicoliforgraciously
welcomingme into your collections, files, andhomes andforsharingyourmemories.
Barbara Johnston andthe staffattheAlberta FoundationfortheArts archive, Patricia
Moleskyandthe staffatthe GlenbowArchives, Paul Kuhn ofPaul Kuhn Gallery, Rod
Green ofMaster's Gallery and PeterOhler, Will Barnet, Katie Ohe,Vera Gartley, Betty
andArthurWard,Allan Kolinsky, BettyAnn Graves, Steve Kiss, Jean and George
Mihalcheon,AlexJanvier, Les Graff, Ron Moppett, Don Kottmann, NancyTownshend,
Tom McFaIl, andAndyOko.
Thankyou Candice Tarnowski andJoeWilderson.
Thankyoutothefacultyand staffofthe DepartmentofArt History, Anna Waclawek,
Loren Lerner, Martha Langford, Sherry Farrell Racette, andJohanne Sloan;
Lastly, thankyoutomyfamily, particularlymyfather Barry Pashakand mymother
Jackie Flanagan, myaunt Linda Flanagan, mysisterCathy Pashak, Shawn Petsche and
myuncle Greg Flanagan, toyou mydeepest thanks.
IV
Dedication
This thesis is dedicatedto all ofthose earlyAlberta artistswhose creativity, talent,
tenacity, bravery, self-reliance, and civic-mindednesshas notbeenforgotten.
?
Table of Contents
ListofFigures P-vii
Introduction P- 1
Chapter ? ABiography P- 18
Chapter 2 Influences on the Development oftheArtist p. 40
Chapter3 The Significance ofPlace in the Interpretation of
MarionNicoll's work p. 61
Conclusion The LegacyofMarionNicoli p. 77
References P- 88
vi
List of Figures
Figure ? Marion Nicoli, February (clayprint, 1970),
private collection, photobythe author
Figure 2 MarionNicoli,February (oil on canvas, 1968),
collectionunknown, GlenbowArchives, PA-2435-17
Figure 3 Steven Bulman, There is a Saying (photograph, 2008)
© Steven Bulman, 2008
Figure 4 Marion Nicoli,January (oil on canvas, 1968),
collection ofthe Alberta FoundationfortheArts,
photograph courtesyoftheAFA
Figure5 MarionNicoli, Snow Fence (pin-pendant ofetchedbronze
with silverappliqué andpinktourmaline cabochon, 1963),
private collection, photograph courtesyofMaster's Gallery
© John Dean 2010
Figure 6 Marion Mackay, age 7, GlenbowArchives, PA-2435 P
Figure 7 Florence Mackay (née Gingras), GlenbowArchives, PA-2435 P
Figure 8 Robert Mackay, GlenbowArchives, PA-2435 P
Figure 9 Harry Palmer,Marion andJimNicoli (photograph, 1983)
courtesy ofHarry Palmer
VIl
Introduction
Marion Nicoli (1909-1985) is consideredthefirstAlberta artisttopursueAbstract
painting (Ainslie & Laviolette, 2007). She defined herworkas "classicalabstraction,"by
which she meantherworkwas derivedfrom a specific source ratherthan a non-objective
one (Tousley, 1986; Jackson, 1986a). In 1977, Nicoliwas thefirstwoman fromAlbertato
be electedto the Royal CanadianAcademy. Herworkisheld in manyprivate andpublic
collections, includingtheNational GalleryofCanada. She receivedtwo Canada Council
grantsin the 1950s and 1960s. Nicoli choseto pursue her careerintheplace ofherbirth,
Calgary. She beganteachingatthe Provincial Institute ofTechnology&Art (PITA,then
SAIT, nowACAD) in the 1930s as a studentteacherand she continuedtoteachthere,
withthe exception ofvariousleaves ofabsence, untilher retirement in the 1960s. She
developedthe craft curriculum andhelped establishthe ceramicsprogram. Marion
Nicoli isfondlyremembered as ateacherand mentor. Formanyyears, she wastheonly
woman onfaculty. When askedhowshefelt about this, Nicoli replied, "Almost
outnumbered" (Nicoli, 1973, Wright interviewwithMNtranscript, p.15)· This statement
implies awilful determinationtotranscend systemicbarriers, an attitudeNicoli appears
tohave impartedthis qualityto her students. She alsotaught art atthe BakerMemorial
Sanatorium, where she encountered Bill Panko, laterdescribedbyJ. Russell Harper
(1988) as creator ofthe "mostnative andpurest western Canadian art ofhistwentieth-
centurygeneration" (p.320). MarionNicoliwas one ofthe first students atwhat
eventuallyevolved intothe BanffCentrefortheArts, whereshelater returned asfaculty
to teach summer sessions alongsideA.C. Leighton, J.E.H. MacDonald,André Biéler, and
others. Former student Stan Perrott described her as "the rockuponwhich everybody
stood when theywere starting outto make art. Shehasbeenthe spearhead ofwhateveris
good inAlberta" (quoted inTousley, 1985). She andherhusband, Jim Nicoli, workedin
1
the communityatlarge, lobbying to establishboth alibraryand a communitycentre in
theirneighbourhood. Theywere amongthefirst to donate a large bodyofartworks tothe
Alberta FoundationfortheArts Collection, andtheymade a sizablebequesttothe Cityof
Calgarytoensure an artlegacyforits citizens.
This thesiswill examineMarionNicoll's contributionto the culturallife ofCalgary
andAlbertawhile situating Nicoll'spainting practicewithinthebroadercontext ofNorth
America inthe 1950s and 1960s. Itwill expand uponprevious scholarship byincluding
Marion Nicoll's role asteacher and communityactivist in additionto consideringher
craftworks, prints andpaintings and byexamininghermanyinfluences with particular
attention paidtothe role ofplace. This thesisproposesthat an understanding ofAlberta
is integralto anunderstandingofMarionNicoll's work.
Givenheraccomplishments, it is surprisinghowlittlehasbeen published about the
workand life ofMarionNicoli. Although most surveytexts about Canadian artmention
her(Harper, 1988; Reid, 1988; Murray, 1999; Newlands, 2000; Nasgaard, 2007;
Prakash, 2008), fewdiscussthe breadth and depth ofherinvolvement inthe arts, or
acknowledgethe recognition she received as an artist. Though it is known she is an
importantfigure, MarionNicoll's contribution to Canadian arthistoryhas notbeen
adequatelyaccounted.
Inpublications concernedwiththehistoryofart inAlberta, Marion Nicoli is always
mentioned, but often in a cursoryway. The earliertexts such asPainting inAlberta:An
HistoricalSurvey (Wilkin, 1980),ArtistsofAlberta (Baker, 1980), andSpaces and
Places:AnIntroduction to theFormative YearsofPainting inAlberta (Ironside, 1986)
and, more recently, ThePainted Valley:Artüts alongAlberta'sBowRiver, 1845-2000
(Armstrong&Nelles, 2007) do not provide rigorous analysis ofanyartist'swork, but
theydolistthe importantfigures andeventsinAlberta's arthistory, includingsome of
Nicoll's contribution. In otherrecentlypublishedtexts, notablyAHistory ofArtin
2
Alberta: ?905-1970 (Townshend, 2005),AnAlbertaArt Chronicle:Adventures in
RecentandContemporaryArt(Laviolette, 2005), andAlbertaArtandArtists:An
overview (Ainslie & Laviolette, 2007), Nicoll'slegacy andworkare morethoroughly
investigated. Townshend (2005) devotes an entire chapterto Nicoli, "MarionNicoli: Art
ofMetaphor." Despite these more recent efforts, manyaspects ofNicoll'swork, career,
andlife remainunexplored.
There arethree exhibition catalogues devoted solelyto Marion Nicoli.Thefirst,
MarionNicoli:ARetrospective, 1959-1971 (EdmontonArtGallery, 1975), contains black
andwhite reproductions ofsome ofthe paintings included inthe exhibition and an
interviewconductedby curators (andformer students ofNicoli) Ron Moppet and John
Hall, togetherknown as DuckVentures. The second,MarionNicoli,RCA (Joyner, 1979),
was published byMaster's GalleryofCalgaryin a verylimited edition andincludes an
introduction byJanet Mitchell, abriefbiography, andlimited analysis ofsome works,
withdescriptions ofNicoll's majorinfluences. The third catalogue,MarionNicoli:Art
andInfluences (Jackson, 1986), is themost comprehensive andthe most important.
Publishedbythe GlenbowMuseumto complement atouring retrospective exhibition, it
includesboth colour andblackand white reproductions ofpaintings inthe exhibition, a
biography, a discussion ofNicoll's majorinfluences, some mention ofher role as a
teacher, and descriptive analyses ofselectedpaintings representingdifferentphases of
herpaintingpractice. It does not, however, include anysubstantive information about
hercraft-works, curriculum, orthefull range ofinfluences thatNicoliherselfcited.
Inthesetexts there is general consensusthatNicoll's mature workisthe synthesis of
three importantinfluences: A.C. Leighton, the British-born artist andhighlyinfluential
head ofthe Provincial Institute ofTechnology &Art (PITA); JockMacDonald, awell-
respected artist and educator; andWill Barnet, a renownedNewYork-based artist.All
three texts reportthatNicoli credited Leightonforhavingimbuedherwith a strong
3