Exhibitions > Archive

In the MacOdrum Library: Anne Meredith Barry: Force of Nature

April 12 - May 30, 2023

Anne Meredith Barry (1932-2003), "Sky Fan and Star Fish" (1993), lithograph on paper. Gift of Dr. William Gracey, 1998.

Anne Meredith Barry’s work carries an implicit call for us to pay respect and attention to the places we inhabit.

“Here, I live surrounded by an environment which is characterized by constant change… turbulent coastal weather, for dramatically different seasons, and the endless rhythmic migration of icebergs, whales, seabirds and sea creatures. Behind my studio the high cliffs, freshwater ponds and evergreen forests are home to the land-based animals and birds. My neighbors and I inhabit the space between these worlds, aware of and affected by both.” Anne Meredith Barry (Canadian, 1932-2003)

Force of Nature showcases Anne Meredith Barry’s award-winning work, which captures the unique geography of Newfoundland and Labrador in immersive representations. Born in Toronto and trained at OCADU, Barry’s love for Newfoundland began during an artist residency at Outport Arts Foundation in 1971.

The lure of the Newfoundland landscape and the rural way of life made a lasting impression on Barry. She returned often in the years following her residency to teach at Memorial University and St. Michael’s Printshop. After many years of travelling between Toronto and Newfoundland, she moved to the maritime province permanently, purchasing and restoring St. Michael’s Printshop in St. John’s.

Barry was predominantly known for drawing, painting and printmaking. Her striking use of bright colours, attention to movement and dynamism come together to create a signature sense of atmosphere in her work. Her lithographs, woodcuts and silkscreen prints have been compared favourably to the work of master Japanese printmakers. Barry’s creative depictions of the diverse landscapes of Newfoundland inspire contemplation of and respect for its distinctive coastal ecosystems, processes of change and people’s relationships to nature and land.

Encountering Barry’s works in the context of the current climate crisis invites new perspectives. The landscapes she celebrates with vibrant colours may look different now, and in the years to come. According to Canada’s Changing Climate Report (2019), sea levels in Newfoundland and Labrador will rise an estimated 75-100 cm by 2100. Melting glaciers and ice sheets, rising sea levels and warming oceans, among other destabilizing consequences of climate change, threaten the ways of life of communities, animals and coastal and forest ecosystems alike.

Reflecting on the location of Carleton University on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe, in a city shaped by the Kichi Sibi (Ottawa River) and Pasāpikahigani Zībī (Rideau River), we as settlers must think about how our relationships with land and water are impacting the natural world, and the sacred relationships of the Algonquin Nation to their land.

Anne Meredith Barry paid very close attention to the diversity, beauty and bounty of the landscapes she depicted and became involved with and supportive of the local communities in which she worked. Barry’s work carries an implicit call for us to pay respect and attention to the places we inhabit.

A note from the curators:

This exhibition was curated by Danielle Hurley, Michelle Liteplo and Aliisa Qureshi, graduate students enrolled in a winter 2023 Curatorial Studies seminar taught by Dr. Stephen Inglis, a Contract Instructor, in partnership with Carleton University Art Gallery. We respectfully acknowledge our location on the traditional, unceded territories of the Algonquin Nation