Ice House

" Ice House" by Lawrence Harris is a popular painting depicting a landscape. Harris’s sparse iconic landscapes of the north shore of Lake Superior, of the Rocky Mountains, and of the Eastern Arctic remain haunting and clear statements of an individual striving to go beyond the surface to a more profound reality. The goal of the exhibition is to present, in a focused way, a distinctive painter who should be considered a leading artist of his time beyond Canada. Harris was not a provincial echo but an innovator on par with the likes of Marsden Hartley, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O’Keeffe. He was an informed modern artist who made a lasting contribution during a critical moment when art in North America was emerging from regionalism and nationalism. Introducing such a fully formed artist to a new audience is a singular challenge and an engaging puzzle.