Sincerely Yours exhibition opens at National Gallery of Canada
In 1989, Canadian artist Chris Cran took a photo of himself—which was used for a faux Vanity Fair cover in a film project—and, playing the role of arts celebrity narcissist, signed it “Sincerely yours” in a mock salute to the celebrity culture of the age.
More than two decades later, Cran has lent those words to the title of a new Enbridge-sponsored exhibition of his work at the National Gallery of Canada.
Given Cran’s penchant for challenging perceptions, his choice of words now seems a sly foreshadowing of his accomplishments.
Sincerely Yours launches today and runs through Sept. 5, and features more than 100 of Cran’s witty and inventive works from 1984 to the present, making it the most comprehensive exhibition on Cran ever produced. Displayed side by side, his major works reveal the variety of his oeuvres. Paintings, ink drawings, optical illusions, and digital media are inspired by art movements, graphic art, popular culture, and photography—anything that inspires him to “play.”
“The art-making process for me is all about play,” says Cran, 66, one of Canada’s most notable contemporary artists. “Play moves things along into all sorts of territories . . . I make art based on these explorations.”
Some of Cran’s individual pieces have appeared in the National Gallery in the past, but Sincerely Yours is the Calgary-based artist’s first solo show at the Gallery.
“Chris Cran has made an enormous contribution to the contemporary art scene, in Alberta in particular, both as an influential painter and as a generous mentor to countless young artists,” says National Gallery director and CEO Marc Mayer.
“Over four decades of prolific practice, Chris has consistently surprised and challenged us with works that are both cerebral and humorous,” adds Mayer. “The National Gallery is proud of its collaboration with partner institutions in Alberta to help introduce its visitors to this remarkable artist.”
Enbridge provided a $50,000 sponsorship to help bring Cran’s exhibition to the National Gallery. This show is the third Enbridge has sponsored in recent years at the Ottawa gallery—in 2014 and 2015, we were proud to provide a total of $100,000 to fund two hugely successful exhibitions of the works of Jack Bush and Alex Colville.
“It’s been said that creativity takes courage. The arts add vibrancy and vitality to our daily lives, and in their own ways, Chris Cran, Alex Colville and Jack Bush have left a profound impact on our perceptions of the world around us,” says D’Arcy Levesque, Enbridge’s Vice President of Enterprise Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility. “Enbridge is honoured to support the National Gallery of Canada’s promotion of these talented artists.”
Cran says he’s thrilled to be featured in this solo exhibition.
And while the words “Sincerely yours” are often used to say farewell, he notes with reassurance and a laugh: “This is not the end of my career.”
(TOP PHOTO: Chris Cran, Mirror (2014). Acrylic on board, 182.9 x 243.8 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles. Photo by David Miller and Petra Malá Miller. Chris Cran, Sincerely Yours is organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Alberta as part of the NGC@AGA exhibition series, with the generous collaboration of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.)
