Many Lives Mark This Place

John Hartman Paints Canadian Writers in the Landscapes that Inspire Them
April 14 – September 9, 2023

In 2014, Ontario-based painter and printmaker John Hartman (b. 1950) embarked on a project to capture the intimate relationship between more than thirty leading Canadian authors and the places that inspire them. Hartman’s diverse roster of subjects included writers Esi Edugyan, Ruth Ozeki, M.G. Vassanji, Thomas King, Lisa Moore, Neil Bissoondath, Susan Swan and David Macfarlane. The result was a body of large-format portrait paintings that celebrate the richness of Canada’s literary fabric.

Many Lives Mark this Place will feature a selection of large-scale paintings from Hartman’s portraits series. Through powerfully uniting the parallel fields of literature and visual art, Hartman underscores our collective desire to take inspiration and celebrate Canada from coast to coast. The portraits speak to the power of the imagination in experiencing – physically, emotionally and philosophically – the diverse landscapes of our country and the stories that they hold.

The exhibition is organized and circulated by the Woodstock Art Gallery. 

Publication:

An accompanying exhibition catalogue will be available and features colour plate reproductions paired with written responses by each of Hartman’s subjects.