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Product Description
Quill & Quire
As a rejoinder to those critics who find Canadian culture boring (or non-existent), Jonathan Vance’s ambitious, insightful new book provides proof that this country has a rich and often under-appreciated cultural heritage. Defining “culture” as a “synonym for the arts,” Vance provides a chronological record of Canadian artistic activity, including material that is both descriptive and analytical. The issues he raises clearly illuminate the reasons behind the frequent “boom-and-bust” shifts and the often-precarious nature of Canadian artistic practice. For instance, Vance contends that the need for the elite to control the cultural agenda, as a way both to uplift the working populace and to express Canadian nationalism, butts up against the populist craving for art as pure entertainment. At the same time, the wary distrust between the amateur practitioner or folk-art craftsperson and the professional artist, as well as the classic battle between traditional and experimental artistic tastes, help define the cultural landscape. Added to the mix, Vance argues, is long-time government disinterest, juxtaposed with unapologetic interference when the governing party of the day requires artistic organizations for propaganda and other political purposes. Finally, the issue of cultural protectionism against the threat of foreign-dominated product frequently collides with the forces of private interests and the market economy. For the most part, Vance succeeds at creating a friendly yet astute take on what could be a deadly dull subject. The best moments involve the biographies of various individuals. Less interesting are the summaries of minutiae such as government statistics and labyrinthine legal procedures, where the author jettisons the role of storyteller and dons the mantle of the dry historian. Vance concludes the book on a cautionary note, by comparing the attempted absorption of aboriginal art by European imperialists to the potential destruction of Canadian culture by the American behemoth. Given the recent cutbacks to arts funding by the federal Conservative government, combined with the vulnerability fostered by the current economic downturn, Vance’s warning, though not new, is very timely.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Book Description
From Dorset sculpture to the Barenaked Ladies, award-winning historian Jonathan F. Vance reveals a storyteller's ear for narrative. In a country this diverse, 'culture' has different meanings. Vance tells a story from the wind-swept Arctic where a stranded Innu woman, fighting to survive, took the time to decorate her clothing with rich designs. A British explorer was amazed at her efforts, but Vance reminds us of the inseparable connection between life and art in Inuit culture (the Innu word for 'breathe' also means 'to make poetry,' and both derive from the word for 'the soul'). No surprise that Aboriginal culture began to change irrevocably with the arrival of more Europeans (who brought their own ideas about culture). But that is another tale in Vance's fascinating History. Vance considers a range of key topics. Where, for example, is the divide between 'culture' and mass entertainment? He also considers how the hot-button issues of Canadian culture - government funding for the arts, the cultural brain drain, the drive to preserve distinctly Canadian forms of expression, concerns over copyright protection, the economic impact of cultural industries - can be traced back to previous centuries. And he shines new light on other key areas, such as the unique culture of Quebec and the CBC. stronga href="http://www.oupcanada.com/History_of_Canadian_Culture/" Click here to visit emA History of Canadian Culture/em's mini-site/a/strong
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Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A History of The Arts,
By
This review is from: A History of Canadian Culture (Hardcover)
I was a little confused when I first started reading this book as I was expecting more of a cultural studies analysis of Canadian Culture. Instead, the book is a historical narrative of the arts in Canada, from pre-contact Aboriginal art to the present day.I appreciated Vance's attempt at comprehensiveness, to create a long continuous narrative of the arts in Canada. However, in doing so, there are parts of the book that appear glossed over and over-simplified -- a consequence of trying to cover everything. For example, the sections on cultural nationalism resulting from state patronage, art as propaganda, are not fully explored in my opinion. Since most of the major cultural theories and movements are only superficially discussed, I don't think this book will interest anyone studying cultural studies. Therefore, the book functions more as a survey and overview text of the arts in Canada.
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