Month: March 2023

Today marks the third anniversary of John Brown’s death. Constructing the archive has been a source of bittersweet joy to me. It has been a way for me to discharge the debts that I accrued over a lifetime of connection to Jack. He opened up artistic and intellectual worlds that I would never have had access to otherwise. More importantly, it serves as a public repository of his work and a still growing resource for its critical reception and interpretation. My duties at the university have occupied most of my time since the summer, preventing me from further developing the archive. While most of the photo-cataloguing of Jack’s body of work is complete (unless I uncover a thus far hidden source of new documentation) there is still work to do building out the photo record of Jack’s studio practice, adding as yet un-catalogued reviews and critical notices, and completing my planned five part series of critical essays on his career. I plan to return to these projects in earnest this spring and summer, so please visit regularly to stay abreast of updates. I am heartened that people are finding their way to the archive and being reminded of Jack’s monumental contribution to 20th and 21st century Canadian painting.