The Limners : art in Victoria, 1920-1989
Date
1989
Authors
Whittaker, Julia Frederika
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Abstract
The development of modern art during the twentieth century in Victoria, British Columbia, can be traced through a study of the city's most important artists' group, the Limners. Formed in 1971 in Herbert Siebner's living room, the Limners are still functioning today. From the beginning they were a group of friends, many of whom had known each other for decades. They joined together in order to support each other and arrange for exhibitions of their work. Charter members were Siebner, Maxwell Bates, Myfanwy Pavelic, Nita Forrest, and Richard Ciccimarra. Robin Skelton soon joined as their spokesman. Within a short time Elza Mayhew, Robert De Castro, and Karl Spreitz were also added.
Although initially sharing a common interest in depicting the human figure, the Limners later evolved a looser artistic agenda that concerned what Skelton called a "depth exploration of the human creature." They often portrayed images of loneliness and human relationships, and their work relates to the human need for worship and ritual. Although several of the charter Limners have died, new members have joined the group in the late seventies and eighties, and their enthusiasm and organization will ensure the longevity of this society of artists. It is the artistic development of the nine core members, however, which concerns this study.
Parts One and Two offer a survey of the history of art in Victoria from the mid-nineteenth century to the present and deal with the conservative Island Arts and Crafts Society and its demise, the movement to create a public art gallery, and the state of art education in the city. Important figures, like Mark Kearley, Colin Graham, and Jan Zach, who brought a modern art aesthetic to Victoria, are examined.
Part Three focuses on the artistic development of the charter members of the Limner Society of artists from 1920 to the present. It includes an examination of how these artists, many of whom were immigrants, affected the local scene, whether they were influenced by indigenous Northwest Coast art, and whether they influenced each other's art. The Limners played an important role in an emerging art scene. Never before the focus of a scholarly study, these artists, and art in Victoria in general, are now attracting a great deal of attention and are finally receiving the kind of recognition they deserve.