People may understand Canada’s changing political climate and societal norms via the contemporary arts of war. Along with the way that artwork and items are presented in connection to one another in museums and galleries, what is included in officially recognized war design programs is significant. In conjunction with changes in society in general, representations of women and Indigenous peoples have undergone substantial changes throughout time, as have the methods in which artists have approached issues like propaganda, religion, violence, identity, and protest. The importance of martial arts to the formation of Canadian national identity is an integral part of Canadian culture, but this phenomenon is not studied by the modern community.
Power dynamics that support the maintenance of societal authority systems are ingrained in the creation of aesthetic imagery. Many of the nations that took part in the international conflicts that have taken place since 1900 have created and funded official war art programs (Scott). To varying degrees, these initiatives serve as places of recollection for incidents the authorities want to be remembered while also supporting and documenting authorized government military activity. Combined, official military art projects provide an essential but insufficient permanent representation of the nation’s military successes. In addition to being heavily masculinized at the time, the world war in the first half of the 20th century also saw severe Indigenous oppression and the emergence of French Canadian nationalism.
Official war painters from Canada got to pay as well as help with supplies, lodging, transportation, and performance space during the majority of the 20th century. The topics, sizes, and media of each artwork were chosen by the authorities, who also vetted their work. The resultant paintings were instantly included in the official war art collection, and several artists built their careers as a consequence of their involvement. Regardless of collection regulations, all official war art projects have in some way limited artistic output because the creators could not function without the support of military institutions, either physical or emotional. When surrounded by loyal military troops, even those who are anti-war are reluctant to produce anti-war or protesting art.
Exhibitions with a military theme often honour victories during hostilities and serve as a reminder to the people of the immense efforts made by their families, communities, and nation to the war or peacekeeper endeavour at home or abroad. Exhibitions of military art may promote patriotic feelings while also serving as instructional, memorial, and propagandist tools through emotionally powerful graphic representation. They may even generate revenue by selling prints, billboards, and brochures. Governmental organizations, such as the Canadian War Museum, the National Gallery of Canada, Library and Archives Canada, and the Department of National Defence, are often responsible for facilitating them.
The bulk of these shows was planned by the institutional arrangements in Ottawa using government collections and programming. Consequently, official art predominates in Canadians’ understanding of war art in the fields of painting, printing, sculpture, and filmmaking. At the same time, other artistic responses to the dispute have been exhibited in public spaces like the National Gallery of Canada. They are more often affiliated with contemporary art trends than with war art. Given that official military art has never had a long-term permanent collection place, it may surprise some people that it nevertheless has a solid reputation and level of acceptance.
A commemoration of the First World War was desired on every potential battlefield, as well as in Canada’s communities, schools, parks, universities, and department stores, to name a few of the more notable examples. The dead never returned, and that was the only explanation. Before the First World War ended, the British government decided that troops should be interred where they died rather than being returned (Whittley). As a consequence, Canadians’ recollections of the twentieth-century conflict are heavily influenced by the famous but non-Canadian constructed Commonwealth War Graves cemetery located in fighting locations all over the world.
There was no feeling of Canadian identity in the country’s combat art prior to the First World War. Official war art aims to promote the image of a nation that has participated effectively in international military activities and wars. Unofficial martial arts, on the other hand, can serve a variety of purposes, including protest and advocacy. Both have an equal impact on views both now and in the future. Many members of the general public have viewed the creation and presentation of war art throughout history as acts of wars of aggression. On the other hand, people are proud of the accomplishments it stands for as a nation.
Women are marginally represented in the Canadian War Museum art collection, which is most of the government’s provenance. The art of battle has been slanted away from female topics since fighting is usually seen as a patriarchal activity. Any military museum visitors visit or Remembrance Day service individuals will make it clear that war is about soldiers engaged in fighting. Additionally, encouraging recruitment, honouring veterans, and celebrating past successes are all predominantly male actions in the context of waging war. The male subject, who typically had more accessible access to this material, is therefore given preference in conflict’s contemporary arts, as is the real actor.
Works Cited
Scott, Tanya. “Bringing the “Great War” to Life: Supply Line Discovery Box.” Detours: Social Science Education Research Journal 2.1 (2021): 97-98.
Whittley, Trevor. “A Tragic WW1 Romance Remembered.” North Irish Roots 29.2 (2018): 41-46.