why david b. milne?

As I stepped into the Art Gallery of Ontario, I saw many different kind of arts on different mediums. Pencil work, sculptures, abstracts, and of course, canvases.

Many different artists were placed in rooms and some of the more well-known artists had their own.

The painter, David B. Milne had two rooms.

Why? Why him? Why not a member of “The Group of Seven” like Tom Thomson, A.Y. Jackson or Lawren Harris. Even though David B. Milne would be inspired by Canadian landscapes like the “The Group of Seven,” what made him stand out? Why does he have so much real estate in a gallery. Well, first of all, he was on his own lane. Nobody painted like him. Nobody understood colors like him.

When you read his diaries and his painting process, you get to read how his mind worked. He product was the process and not the canvas itself. If the process was done properly, the canvas would speak for itself. When it came to his own work, he was his own enemy. He would paint canvases quickly and not spend too much on the details. However, he would focus on how the colors would compress and speak its mind. If it didn’t, David would cross a big red x like it was a failed prototype.

He would continue this process of figuring what a landscape scene is about until the sensualities came out of the canvas.

David B. Milne quote, “The painter doesn't try to reproduce the scene before him... he simplifies and eliminates until he knows exactly what stirred him, sets this down in color and line as simply and as powerfully as possible and so translates his impression into an aesthetic emotion.”

To me, he is an artist’s artist. This painter was committed to his color vocabulary even though he couldn’t afford to. His dedication is awe inspiring and motivating.

This is why I decided that David B. Milne would be a great fit for the placeholder collection.