I almost missed the Lawren Harris exhibit, which just closed at the Hammer Museum. Fortunately my client and favorite gal pal Sharon Lawrence reminded me about the show. What a gift. I wish I would have had my photo taken in front of one of them to give you a sense of their scale. The larger pieces, like Mountain Forms above, are about 60 x 60 and remarkably stunning, especially when viewed from a distance.

There’s no doubt that Lawren’s use of color is both superb and stunning. However, it’s his remarkable stylized line work that screams Art Deco and truly draws me in. The dates on these pieces range from 1922 – 30, the height of the deco era. That said, the establishment refers to him as a pioneering modernist and a leading figure in defining Canadian art in the twentieth century. While Harris is a household name in his native Canada, he’s practically unknown in the United States.

My research shows that actor, art connoisseur and collector  Steve Martin was instrumental in bring this show to the Hammer,  as well as guest curating it. Ann Philbin, the Hammer’s director, had visited Martin’s home and was intrigued by his collection of Lawren Harris landscape paintings. Ms. Philbin delved further into the works of Lawren Harris and then invited Martin to curate the exhibit. Martin wisely chose not to include any works from his personal collection to avoid any conflicts interest. As you may know, every time a painting his hung in a museum exhibit, it adds to the provenance of the piece. That provenance will follow the painting to market any time it’s taken to auction, or sold to a new collector. Thus it would be in bad form to curate a show, add works from your collection, and then sell it at a later date touting its provenance that you helped create. Martin’s love of the work was his motivation for helping bring it to the Hammer, helping to open the doors to a new American audience. I for one am thrilled to have been exposed to this remarkable painting.

The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris will be on view at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) July 2 – September 11, 2016.

Learn more about the upcoming exhibit here.