Lake Superior 1928

Lawren Harris made "Lake Superior" using what looks like oil paint, and it’s not just a picture, it’s an experience. Check out how the paint is laid down in these simple, clean strokes, almost like he’s building a world out of color. There’s something so immediate and thoughtful in the way the colours are applied, it feels like you are watching him make decision after decision, feeling the painting emerge. Notice how the darks and lights create a kind of spotlight effect on the water. He's using the paint to sculpt the emotional temperature as much as the scenery. This simplicity makes me think of Agnes Martin, but with a rugged Canadian soul. Like her work, Harris invites you to slow down, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, and to see how art can be a place of contemplation, not just a thing to look at.