John Hartman: Many Lives Mark This Place

20 Jan-1 Apr 2023

Overview

John Hartman: Many Lives Mark This Place

Canadian Writers in the Landscapes that Inspire Them

A remarkable mosaic of the literary and physical space of Canada.
– Ian M. Thom

Long interested in people’s connection to their environment, John Hartman embarked on a project to capture the intimate relationship Canadian authors have with their personal places of inspiration. Hartman allowed his own reading interests to direct the choice of subjects who in turn selected the backdrops to their portraits.

These portraits celebrate the richness of Canada’s literary fabric and speak to the power of the imagination in experiencing (physically, emotionally, and philosophically) the diverse landscape which links Canada together.

The works on display at the Canada Gallery have been selected by Mary Reid, Director/Curator of the Woodstock Art Gallery, where a larger version of the exhibition has been shown in various venues across Canada from 2020 to present.

Many Lives Mark This Place is accompanied by a publication that features short essays from the authors, written in response to their respective portrait. The full series of portraits and short film on the John Hartman can be viewed at manylives.art.