Who Was Emily Carr?

Often in history, female contributions to societal development go without mention. There is a great amount of history, unknown to most of us, regarding female figures. Within our own community are living female role models, and the legacies of many previous. A woman who has impacted the lives of every individual in our school is Emily Carr. It is important that we learn about her life and the legacy she has left behind.

Emily Carr was a painter who lived during the late 1800s and early 1900s. She was born of English origin, but her family immigrated to Canada when she was young, settling in Victoria, B.C. Despite their English heritage, her father desired a Canadian education and lifestyle for his children, and sent them to public schools instead of private. This early introduction of independence was a large factor in Carr’s pursuit of art rather than homesteading. Both of her parents passed away when she was young, leaving her under the care of her elder sister, Edith. The two had a poor relationship, and soon, Carr left for school. In her 20’s, she studied at the California School of Design, which was the beginning of her formal education in art. However, she was unable to remain focused on school due to dwindling family resources and personal sickness. Her health had always been a major obstacle in her pursuit of becoming a painter. Her sickness eventually led to her diagnosis of hysteria and her admission to a mental asylum. There, she created one of her lesser known works titled “Pause: a Sketchbook”, which depicted her time in the asylum. She traveled to Paris and London briefly before returning to British Columbia in 1904. Discouraged by her lack of international success and fame, Carr opened an art school for children and taught there for nearly three years.

Her stagnation in terms of art came to an end after she toured Alaska with her sister in 1907. Carr was mesmerized by the rugged landscape of Western Canada, especially the First Nations communities that resided there. Her recollections of the place involve vivid descriptions of totem poles, churches and mountainous landscapes. She would often pull from these sightings for inspiration in her work. In 1910, Carr went to Paris once again where she did formal schooling for twelve months. It is said that she developed a concrete style for paintings during this time, using bold strokes and colourful shapes that defined her art as post-impressionism (a style that is similar to Vincent Van Gogh’s). However, it was not until she returned to Canada and went on her longest exploration of British Columbia that she completed some of her most famous paintings; “The Indian Church” (1929), “Shoreline” (1936), and “Blue Sky'' (1936) .

Carr’s paintings are a homage to Indigenous culture and the landscape of British Columbia, despite Carr not being Indigenous herself. She considered nature a spiritual force, and her paintings instilled a sense of pride in many Canadians. There is no doubting her skill as an artist and the importance of her contributions to the development of art in Canada. She became a painter during a time where women were expected to homestead rather than pursue careers. The absence of a husband and children throughout her life was also considered unusual, but did not deter her from becoming a Canadian icon. However, Emily Carr lived during a time where Indigenous cultures were considered dying to European culture. Therefore, all her paintings are depicted from a colonialist viewpoint and we should be mindful of this fact when sharing her history. As all figures of history, Emily Carr’s life and work has drawn both admiration and controversy, a reflection of the evolution of how we view history, colonization and Indigenous culture.