Eclectic Eve
Who is Eclectic Eve? A woman artist captured in a moment in time; specifically, 1972 when a group of five women publishers decided to bring awareness to the experiences and artworks of women artists Nancy Hazelgrove, Ursula Heller, Rebecca Sisler, Erla Alexander, Anne Meredith Barry, Paula Letki, Sylvia Singer, Florence Vale, Joy Walker, Joyce Weiland, and others working in Toronto at this time. An obscure publication, ‘Eclectic Eve’ only came to my attention as it includes a rare interview of my mother, printmaker Christine Ross and includes one of her etchings ‘Time and Love, Series II, a Ballad of Trees,’ for which she received the C.W. Jeffery’s Award in Etching from the Canadian Society for Graphic Arts (see above).
My mother’s interview is presented below. In it she comments on her choice of medium and subject matter; how printmaking is emerging in Toronto; the role of the artist in society; the challenge of making a living from art, especially without some form of support; discrimination, or a lack of; how life experience’s may inform one’s art; and the need for more public art in the city. She also speaks to the need for better resources and facilities for artists, while giving a shout out to the Open Studio; the contemporary printmaking centre which continues to be a central hub for artists in Toronto today.
To provide context, my mother grew up in Scotland and graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1960. Immediately upon arriving in Toronto in 1960, she held the first of two solo exhibits a The Pollock Gallery and was featured in the local paper: quite an unusual story for that time. By the time this book was published, she had left a career as an illustrator and set up a home studio; this, after marrying in 1962 and having a baby in 1964. She was also active in what was known at the time as The Canadian Society of Graphic Arts and had received national and international recognition for her artworks. Evidently, she knew herself as an artist and was part of the Toronto art scene at the time.
As a woman artist in 2021 and student of contemporary art history, I am curious to hear others’ opinions of my mother’s perspective of being a woman artist. Do you feel society has evolved in its acceptance of women artists and their roles in society?
Excerpt from ‘Eclectic Eve’.
CHRISTINE ROSS
Born in England, 1940. Studied in Glasgow. Associated with Gallery Pascal, Toronto.
I’m still very traditional, doing a combination of intaglio and aquatint on zinc and copper, although the traditional methods are beginning to go out, mainly because of the cost. I did a series of plates of children dealing with their relation to each other and to society. They’re so direct. Adults tend to lose their sense of perspective in our artificial society. Now, I’m working on an adult series of inter-relations called ‘People’.
The artist is there to comment on society and show people what they are and what they’re doing. He’s freer to say more than a lot of people. I’m trying to show people things they may have forgotten or can’t experience anymore. If one person looks at one print and it says something to him, that’s all I ask.
Canada was very lacking in the field of printmaking in the early 60’s but has really developed in the past ten years. People are more prepared to spend money on prints than they were ten years ago. Art could be publicized more, distributed more. There are a lot of sterile public buildings that are crying out for art. Toronto could do with a larger centre where artists could congregate, although the societies and the open studio provide some of that.
I’ve always sold very well, and I did make a living before I was married, but it included illustration work; I don’t think I could make a living just by selling.
I’ve found no discrimination at all, being a woman artist. Men are very fair; they recognize that a woman’s art is different and valuable.
It’s fine to say, “Don’t marry and you’ll have lots of time to work”, but if you don’t go through life experiencing things, then you can’t say anything about anything. Freedom is up to yourself. I have a lot more freedom than I would have if I was in an office from nine to five. Having children was difficult for the first four years, but it was a valuable experience. After those years, my ideas started to come together again.
My interpretation of this interview is here is an independent, strong woman who believes in her capability as an artist and has a clear vision for her artworks; who still reflects her conservative upbringing (i.e., in terms of the roles of women and men); who can recognize the challenges all artists face, in terms of public recognition and access to resources; and who, through her language and discussion of marriage and freedom, may be questioning the pressure society places on woman to chose family over career.
My question to you, especially if you are an established woman artist, is have things changed over the years or are there many things she said which still resonate with you today? Please send me a note through the Contact form with your experiences, thoughts, and ideas!
My special thanks to Justin Boudreau for unearthing this obscure treasure and for Ciara Kilpatrick, grand-daughter of Christine Ross, for providing me with the interview text. Please take a moment to click on their links to see their latest projects in street photography!