Monday, September 15, 2014

Monday Inspiration: Mary Wrinch

Mary Wrinch, Green and Gold, 1932 (source)

Mary Wrinch, Sunrise (source)
Mary Wrinch, (1877-1969), was born in England- then moved to Ontario where she studied under Laura Muntz, Robert Holmes, and G.A Reid (her future husband). She also went to England to study the painting of miniatures, before coming back to Canada. Mary Wrinch painted at first- then moved on to Printmaking, using Linoleum and wood block to make prints, often based on nature- especially around Muskoka lake- the same area that the group of seven painted.

I think her works are stunning, stylistically modernist, but arts and crafts too. They're really wonderful,though they do feel a little frozen. Overall I like that- it seems as though they're not about capturing the life cycle or reality of nature, but about capturing a moment in nature. I think Printmaking as a medium has a sort of formal, stark feel to it, that gives it's subjects a feeling of being paused. Some would criticize the work for feeling lifeless- but I like that, and I think she takes advantage of it- to capture the fleeting quality of these moments.

Mary Wrinch is that rare thing- a well documented Canadian female artist- so if you like the works- just google her name and you'll find lots more info online.

1 comment:

  1. Have to disagree with you here. I don't find these frozen at all, especially that second one, which sings of the new day.
    Have you read The Owl Pen by Kenneth McNeill Wells? If not, you should add it to your reading list, and its sequels.
    It tells the adventures of the author and his wife when they move to a derelict cottage a bit south of Muskoka. The books
    are illustrated by wife Lucille Oille, with lovely woodcuts. Oille studies with Emanuel Hahn at the Ontario College of Art, and
    at the Royal College of Art in London. Another amazing woodcut illustrator is American Mary Azarian. Love her book A Farmer's
    Alphabet. I used to read it to the kids when they were learning their A,B,Cs.

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