Because she knows I’m always seeking to improve my art history education, Anna borrowed this for me from the Halifax library and it is a winner. Featuring the work of hundreds of women from all over the world during the last five centuries or so, it was a great introduction to so many fabulous artists I’d never heard of before. I was a teensy bit disappointed by the relatively low proportion of Canadians, but I’ll call it Highly Recommended nonetheless.
This is a tough one. As much as I love the three primary concerns of this book (writers, art and Canadian landscapes), I really don’t love Hartman’s style of portraiture. Aside from his sitters all looking ugly and misshapen, I don’t care for the way their heads and upper bodies are floating above their chosen landscapes, with no connection between the two. It’s a strange choice since each writer contributed a piece about their relationship with the terrain. Why not show them actually in it?
