Edna Taçon: Verve & Decorum, Opening Celebration Saturday February 28

Posted by on .

In the information era, the concept of the multi-hyphenate creative is commonplace. For a variety of reasons, many young artists often shift laterally between mediums and career focuses. In the early 20th century, this was a far more radical notion – one of the many reasons why the life and work of Canadian artist Edna Taçon (1905–1980) is remarkable. Concert violinist, non-objective painter, collage artist, shop window designer and muralist, Taçon was a trailblazer of abstract art in Canada. 

Opening Saturday February 28, the focused solo exhibition Edna Taçon: Verve and Decorum shines a light on the late artist’s colourful legacy. AGO visitors are invited to attend the opening celebration, which begins at 2 pm (details, HERE) – galleries 140/141 (where we most recently hosted the beautiful Naoko Matsubara show)  

Exhibition pamphlet for Edna Taçon: Objective for Non-Objective Painting, Eaton’s Fine Art Gallery, 1944. Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, AGO.

Curated by Renée van der Avoird, the AGO’s Associate Curator of Canadian Art, the exhibition features more than 25 oil paintings, watercolours, and paper collages from the 1940s. Often considered too bold and forward-thinking for the Canadian artistic palette of the time, Taçon’s body of work is defined by abstract shapes, flowing lines, and effervescent colour. She was a student of the non-objective art movement, taking her creative cues from musicality and inner consciousness rather than external environments. Additionally, the exhibition includes sketches, correspondence and photographs from Taçon’s personal archive that help contextualize the works on view and provide visitors with further insight into her life. 

Edna Taçon, Untitled, 1941. Colored, flocked, and printed paper collage, mounted to Paperboard, 29.8 × 19.7 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Launching alongside the exhibition is a 128-page catalogue titled Edna Taçon, co-published by the AGO and Goose Lane Editions. Featuring texts and interviews by van der Avoird and the artist’s grandson, sculptor Carl Taçon, the catalogue is available at Shop AGO. 

Take a closer look at the three major sections of Edna Taçon: Verve and Decorum, by clicking THIS LINK to continue to the full story in this week’s Foyer (AGO online magazine).

P.S. if you’re volunteering this Friday night – Friday February 27 – our Public Programs and Learning team is hosting collage workshops inspired by Tacon in Walker Court – free, drop-in, from 6:00 – 9:00pm.