Curatorial notes
Lawren Harris made this painting, LSH 83, with oil on canvas and it's a trip, right? The way he lays down these creamy, soft colours—it's like watching shapes emerge from a dream. There's a real sense of play and experimentation here. Check out how Harris handles paint! It's neither too thick nor too thin, but just right, gliding across the surface to create these forms that are both present and dissolving. Take the top left corner, for instance. That looping line, like a curly fry, defines the edge of a cloud or mountain, but it also exists as a standalone gesture. It's so casual, yet so deliberate. You can feel Harris thinking, almost improvising, as he works. Harris reminds me a bit of Arthur Dove, another painter who was trying to capture the feeling of nature, not just its appearance. Both artists embraced abstraction to find something deeper. And like all good art, it’s a conversation that keeps going.