Toronto's Art Scene Transformed from Vacant Terrain into Cultural Powerhouse during the 1960s
Revised Article:
In the wild '60s, Toronto transformed from a bland, conservative city into a pulsating hub of artistic daring. This metamorphosis was fueled by a lively network of artists, galleries, and critics, with Harry Malcolmson being one of its key players. His latest book, "Vibe: How the '60s Reshaped Canadian Art," published by University of Toronto Press, delves into the decade through the lens of his own experiences as a critic for various publications like the Toronto Telegram, Saturday Night, and our site.
Malcolmson uses memories, research, and his contemporary columns to illustrate how a generation of artists, curators, gallery owners, and fellow scribes combined forces, turning Toronto into an epicenter of artistic innovation and ambition.
In an exclusive chat, Malcolmson shared some insights about his experience of the scene, its influence, and the lasting impact of the '60s.
How did the book come together?
The book emerged from acknowledging that the '60s were unique. I stumbled upon a phrase that I use in the book: "a lack of criticism is a conspiracy of silence against artists." I felt a moral obligation to the time and its artists.
What do you think sparked the scene's formation?
A myriad of factors played a role. It was a period teeming with patriotism, showcased in Toronto through the construction of the new City Hall and, of course, Expo '67. This was due to the prosperity of the era, with the lingering fear of another Depression fading away.
The nation as a whole started to view its future positively. The question then was: how should the society express this optimism? As I suggest in the book, they chose art as the vehicle to articulate and demonstrate their modernity. Toronto broke free from the yoke of old-fashioned values, order, puritanism, and religious institutions.
You enrolled at the University of Toronto in the mid-'50s. Can you shed some light on your initial encounters with the city's art scene?
Arriving from St. Catharines, the city was an overwhelming yet exhilarating experience. I occasionally popped into the Laing Gallery on Yonge Street.
Back then, Toronto was heavily Anglo-Saxon. The development of the arts was spearheaded by individuals who hailed from England. They established the Stratford Festival, the Ballet, the Opera, and other cultural institutions.
These enthusiasts didn't take any interest in American art trends, like the emergence of abstract expressionism. In fact, there was a fair amount of hostility towards American culture.
A significant shift came with the influx of immigrants in the '50s and '60s, injecting a diverse ambiance into the scene. Jewish immigrants, in particular, brought a level of sophistication.
This was highlighted by Sam Zacks, a prominent art collector. After donating his collection of 147 20th-century paintings and sculptures to the AGO, including work by Picasso, Rodin, and Matisse, Zacks' collection exerted a powerful influence on other collectors.
As a law student, you were approached by the Toronto Telegram to become its art critic. With no formal art or art history training, why do you think they asked you?
I think I was simply in the thick of the explosion. Between 1950 and 1960, there were only two galleries: Laing and Roberts. But by the mid-'60s, eight galleries had opened.
I found myself smack dab in the middle of it all, frequently visiting galleries and chatting about art with others.
When the Telegram was searching for a writer, I believe the arts editor asked around. I think he was grimacing, as there weren't many people willing to write about this avant-garde art.
The Telegram, a bit of a poor cousin compared to other newspapers, launched an assault of arts coverage along with the burgeoning galleries. The Star, usually read by the public and boasting the largest budget, dispatched me to Venice and Vancouver. The Globe & Mail was quite Anglo-Saxon and focused on national news and business. Saturday Night and "This Week Has Seven Days" on television also attempted to keep pace with the evolving culture, serving as carriers of Canadian pride.
Could you feel the pride and excitement surrounding the changes happening?
Indeed, I felt the thrill and passion. It was self-sustaining, self-spreading. People were emotionally attached to it. It distinguished them from their elders, and there was a sort of "hip" attitude about it. The Beatles couldn't be ignored, either. They were like aliens, with their quirky fashion, relaxed attitudes, and immense impact on popular culture.
Politically, too, there was a spirit of optimism, with figures like Tommy Douglas and the adoption of Medicare.
You touch upon cracks emerging in the scene towards the end of the '60s, mainly due to issues revolving around Canadian identity.
The showdown was centered around David Mirvish, Jack Bush, and Clement Greenberg. (Mirvish Gallery, I explain in the book, was increasingly seen as a US cultural outpost due to the large amount of American art it exhibited.)
Greenberg, the esteemed American art critic of the postwar era, was thought to have influenced both Mirvish and Jack Bush, who some accused of blindly following Greenberg's theories.
This raised questions about the distinctiveness of Canadian art. My motivation was to establish a continuity between Canadian art's past and present, demonstrating its unique and enduring character. For instance, one continuous thread has been the emphasis on land, from Indigenous culture, the Group of Seven, and beyond.
By the end of the '60s, you were deep into law. What was your relationship with the city's arts scene in the following years?
Ann and I continued visiting galleries and fostering our interest in them, but I wasn't as actively participating anymore. I focused on work for the Ontario Securities Commission, and we also began collecting art more seriously.
Later, we delved into photography. We visited Jane Corkin's gallery to check out the photographs she had on display, and we couldn't believe how phenomenal the historic 20th-century photographs were. We sold all our paintings and invested in photographs instead. It transformed our lives.
We went on to assemble a collection spanning every significant era in photography's history. (In 2014, we donated our collection to the AGO.)
Looking back, what's your take on the scene? Did it live up to its promises?
A lot of the art and artists didn't stand the test of time. However, notable artists did emerge from the '60s, such as Alex Colville and Michael Snow. I was also a supporter of Les Levine, Ian Baxter, and Jack Bush.
Yet, I believe the two most significant accomplishments were the transformation of the Art Gallery of Toronto and the National Gallery into mature, independent institutions. That, I believe, is the greatest achievement of the '60s.
This conversation has been shortened for brevity and clarity.
Enrichment Data:- Cultural Shifts: The 1960s witnessed a global explosion of avant-garde art practices, with movements like conceptual art, feminist art, and Fluxus encouraging grassroots collaboration and local collectives.- Institutional Developments: Many cities benefited from new funding for public arts initiatives and the emergence of artist-run centers, allowing emerging artists to showcase their work.- Social and Political Movements: The feminist art movement emphasized marginalized voices and antipathy towards established institutions, potentially inspiring local artists to address issues such as multiculturalism or urban development.
- Harry Malcolmson's book, "Vibe: How the '60s Reshaped Canadian Art," offers a captivating exploration of the decade through the lens of his personal experiences as a critic.
- In The '60s, Toronto was transformed into an epicenter of artistic innovation and ambition, with a lively network of artists, galleries, and critics playing pivotal roles.
- Malcolmson asserts that the lack of criticism during the '60s was a conspiracy of silence against artists, thereby propelling him to write his book out of a moral obligation to the time and its artists.
- The formation of the art scene in Toronto was influenced by various factors, including patriotism shown during the construction of the new City Hall and Expo '67, the nation's positive outlook on the future, and the influx of immigrants.
- Malcolmson enrolled at the University of Toronto in the mid-'50s, where he initially encountered the city's budding arts scene, particularly the Laing Gallery.
- The development of the arts scene in Toronto was spearheaded by individuals from England, who established cultural institutions such as the Stratford Festival, the Ballet, and the Opera.
- The influx of Jewish immigrants in the '50s and '60s brought a level of sophistication to Toronto's art scene, as highlighted by Sam Zacks, a prominent art collector who donated his collection of 20th-century paintings and sculptures to the AGO.
- As a law student, Malcolmson was approached to become the Toronto Telegram's art critic, despite having no formal art or art history training, due to his immersion in the city's growing art scene.
- The media landscape of the time, including newspapers such as the Toronto Telegram, The Star, and the Globe & Mail, as well as publications like Saturday Night and "This Week Has Seven Days," played a role in covering and promoting the evolving culture.
- Malcolmson believes that the transformation of the Art Gallery of Toronto and the National Gallery into mature, independent institutions is the greatest achievement of the '60s, alongside the emergence of notable artists like Alex Colville and Michael Snow.
