Frances-Anne Johnston: Art And Life

This publication is the first-ever monograph on artist Frances-Anne Johnston, one of Canada's foremost painters of still lifes, flowers, and interiors. Exploring the extensive artistic career of this under-represented artist, the book also situates her within 20th-century Canadian art history and feminist theoretical contexts. In addition to beautiful colour illustrations of Johnston's work, this volume features critical essays, and an extensive exhibition history. Through primary research, curator Rebecca Basciano interprets Johnston's mastery of technique and subject matter, while demonstrating the artist's unique aesthetic and skill through an exploration of several important artworks. Similarly, art historian and scholar Catharine Mastin, in her ongoing investigation of Canadian "artist couples," exposes the challenges faced by women artists -- including Johnston -- who often juggled their own artistic practices with the demands of child-rearing and supporting their husbands' careers. Finally, as a critical aspect of this reclamation work, Frances-Anne Johnston's own voice is revealed in a republished article that she wrote in 1955 for Mayfair. Together, these insightful essays constitute a feminist recovery project by not only situating Johnston among her male contemporaries, but also by creating new space for the appreciation and validation of a practice that was shaped by domestic realities, including motherhood. This book is a companion to the exhibition A Family Palette: Frances-Anne Johnston, Franz Johnston, and Franklin Arbuckle, on view at the Ottawa Art Gallery from September 10, 2022 to February 5, 2023, followed by an Ontario tour through 2024. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, and the Ontario Society of Artists.

• | Author: Rebecca Basciano
• | Publisher: Figure 1 Publishing
• | Publication Date: Mar 14, 2023
• | Number of Pages: 120 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Hardcover
• | ISBN-10: 1894906624
• | ISBN-13: 9781894906623