My Daily Art
Wanda Koop. Native Fires from See Everything/See Nothing, 1996. acrylic on canvas, 300 x 401 x 6 cm. Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift of the artist. 2010-113.
In Native Fires (1996) in the WAG collection, the Winnipeg artist, Wanda Koop shows us the river at night. Like the French painter, Camille Corot, her landscapes could be called souvenirs. A dark, almost brooding forest divides a gleaming shoreline from three looming buildings, which reference religion, government, and commerce.
The shore’s illumination is fueled by two fires, recalling the campfires of the First Nations communities, which go back hundreds of years before the present riverwalk was created along the Assiniboine River. Yesterday I walked on this frozen river (probably for the last time this spring) and thought about its imminent thaw, something that at times is hard to grasp. But it happens – every year.
While the WAG is temporarily closed, your collection is still here for you. Stay connected with the art through daily posts from our Director & CEO, Dr. Stephen Borys.
This is a series of daily posts that will continue until the Gallery reopens. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or visit our stories section.
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