Canadian Art

The Development of Artistic Trends Across Eras: Canadian Art, c. 1800–Present

Canadian art has evolved alongside the country’s growth, shaped by its geography, Indigenous cultures, colonial history, and shifting national identity. From early settler depictions to contemporary experimentation, Canadian art has reflected and challenged the nation’s changing cultural landscape.
In the 19th century, artists like Cornelius Krieghoff created romanticized scenes of rural life and Indigenous peoples, reflecting a colonial viewpoint. Following Confederation in 1867, the Group of Seven emerged in the 1920s, using bold landscapes to express a distinctly Canadian identity.
By the mid-20th century, artists like Emily Carr blended modernist styles with Indigenous influences, while Les Automatistes in Quebec and Painters Eleven in Toronto embraced abstraction and surrealism, marking a shift away from realism.
In recent decades, Canadian art has become more diverse and globally engaged. Indigenous artists such as Norval Morrisseau and Kent Monkman have re-centered Indigenous narratives, while contemporary figures like Jeff Wall and Shary Boyle explore identity, politics, and culture through photography, installation, and performance.

Key Features of Canadian Art:

• Focus on landscape and national symbolism, especially in early and modern periods
• Central role of Indigenous art, both traditional and contemporary
• Embrace of abstraction, conceptualism, and multimedia in the 20th century
• Exploration of themes such as identity, memory, land, and reconciliation
• Diverse regional influences across provinces and territories

Notable Canadian Artists and Movements Include:

• Cornelius Krieghoff - 19th-century scenes of rural and Indigenous life
• Group of Seven - Nationalist landscape painters of the early 20th century
• Emily Carr - West Coast painter influenced by Indigenous culture and modernism
• Paul-Émile Borduas - Leader of Les Automatistes
• Norval Morrisseau - Founder of the Woodland School of Indigenous art
• Jeff Wall - Pioneer of conceptual photography and staged imagery
• Kent Monkman - Contemporary artist known for subversive historical reinterpretations

Popularity:	Canadian art, once focused on defining a national identity, now thrives through its engagement with global issues, Indigenous resurgence, and a multiplicity of perspectives. It continues to grow in visibility and cultural importance both within Canada and internationally.
Period:	c. 1800 - Present
Cultural Era:	Emerging from colonial beginnings, Canadian art has been shaped by the country’s political, cultural, and social evolution, reflecting a complex history of settlement, resistance, innovation, and reconciliation.

Art and Artists of note in the Canadian Art Movement

Emily Carr (1871–1945)

Emily Carr

Emily Carr was a groundbreaking Canadian modernist known for her powerful depictions of the British Columbia landscape and Indigenous cultural sites. Born in Victoria, she trained in San Francisco, London, and Paris, absorbing Post-Impressionist and Fauvist influences that later shaped her expressive, spiritual style. Carr’s early work focused on documenting Indigenous totem poles and village scenes, but she later turned to painting forests and natural forms with bold colours and sweeping rhythms.
Her 1931 painting Big Raven exemplifies this transition. The work portrays a solitary totem pole against a stark landscape, symbolizing both cultural loss and spiritual endurance. With simplified forms and a somber tone, it reflects Carr’s deep respect for Indigenous heritage and her growing focus on the emotional and symbolic power of nature.
Though often working in isolation, Carr was later embraced by the Group of Seven, and her work remains central to Canadian art history for its fusion of modernist vision, environmental awareness, and cultural sensitivity.

Emily Carr,
Big Raven, 1931

Jeff Wall (b. 1946)

Jeff Wall

Jeff Wall is a renowned Canadian photographer known for his large-scale, staged photographs that blur the line between documentary and fiction. Born in Vancouver, Wall studied art history and began producing conceptual photo-based works in the late 1970s. Drawing influence from cinema, painting, and critical theory, his meticulously constructed images often reference art historical compositions while exploring contemporary urban life, social tensions, and the unseen drama of everyday moments.
One of his most iconic works, Mimic (1982), captures a fleeting encounter between three figures walking down a street, staged to reveal subtle racial and social dynamics. The photograph resembles a candid street scene but was carefully orchestrated by Wall to reflect deeper issues of prejudice and gesture in daily life.
Wall’s innovative approach to photography, combining technical precision with conceptual depth, has made him a defining figure in contemporary art. His work has been exhibited internationally and has helped establish Vancouver as a centre for photo-conceptualism.

Jeff Wall,
Mimic, 1982

BedoresGallery.com

The Development of Artistic Trends Across Eras: Canadian Art, c. 1800–Present

Key Features of Canadian Art:

Notable Canadian Artists and Movements Include:

Popularity:

Period:

Cultural Era:

Art and Artists of note in the Canadian Art Movement

Emily Carr (1871–1945)

Jeff Wall (b. 1946)