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Overview:
Quotes About the Exhibition: "The exhibition, as it exists, may be considered a memorial to Donald Buchanan for it was his remarkable combination of vision, conviction and tenacity that did so much to bring it into being."[1] "by far the best special exhibition of paintings and sculpture within living memory in any country."[2] The International Fine Arts Exhibition centering on the theme "Man and His World" arose out of Canada receiving in 1962 the unanimous authorization from the International Exhibitions Bureau in Paris to hold a Universal and International Exhibition of 1967, known as Expo '67. On December 20, 1962, an act of Canadian Parliament established the Canadian Corporation for the 1967 World Exhibition to organize and to manage Expo '67. Donald Buchanan was appointed the Exhibition's First Director.
Importance of the Theme "Être Homme, c'est sentir, en posant sa pierre, que l'on contribue à bâtir le monde." The organizing committee for Expo '67 adopted in 1963 Saint-Exupéry's theme, "Man and His World," to show man's ability to adapt to his world, to search, to discover, to change his environment and to adapt again to the new environment. According to an April 1965 publication for Expo '67, "the Theme 'Man and his World' was to provide a stirring illustration of 20th Century humanism in a fully integrated presentation of Man's artistic, scientific and philosophical development, the whole permeated by both a feeling of belonging to the community of Man and an awareness of the basic unity of mankind."[3] Expo '67 would also suggest possibilities to shape the world of tomorrow.
The Actual Exhibition Within the theme "Man and His World" was the sub-theme, "Man the Creator." Out of "Man the Creator" came The International Fine Arts Exhibition. It was pronounced an "exhibition... genuinely dedicated to Man and His World - a world of peace, a world of conflict, a world of worship - but always a world which embraces all people of all time."[4] In many respects it was the ultimate exhibition for 1967. It was full of hope for mankind, world culture, and did not reflect any real artistic boundaries or barriers.[5] In getting at the meaning of universal man, Western European artworks, works of art from China, Peru, India, Mexico, Japan, Congo, the Middle East, Siberia, Greece, Siberia over a 5000 year period were all displayed in the Exhibition. The 1965 Expo document outlined that: "The Art Gallery will present an unusual international collection of over one hundred and fifty masterpieces, representative of Man's concepts of his world from primitive cultures, ancient civilizations, the Early Christian era, Romanesque and Gothic periods, the Renaissance and the beginning of the 20th Century chosen as a presentation of:
These were later refined in the Exhibition Catalogue to be:
Altogether 188 works of art (insured at $35 million) from 20 countries were exhibited in a new permanent gallery of 1858 sq. meters (20,000 sq. ft.) specially built according to the highest international standards.
Buchanan's Role as the Exhibition's First Director As "Project Officer, Head, Man the Creator Section,"[7] Donald Buchanan negotiated all the early loans for works of art from December 2, 1963 (his first day on the job) to his death February 26, 1966.[8] Look how eloquently Buchanan translated this theme, "Man and His World" into a request for art loans to directors/curators of public and private museums: "A comprehensive Fine Arts exhibition, embracing all ages and many cultures, entitled "Man and His World," is now being organized for presentation in a permanent gallery of modern design being erected on the site of the 1967 Universal Exhibition in Montreal. The list of names of the eminent members of the International Committee which has drawn up the recommended list of works is enclosed. The National Gallery of Canada has agreed to provide the essential technical and conservation services. To those who study the visual arts, there will be general agreement that the subjects dealt with in the arts of all times and every place have in common certain basic human themes, such as man's faith and ideals, his experience of his environment and his relation to himself and other men. The organizers of this exhibition have felt that a new perspective could be given to the arts of today by stressing the belief that 'man is fundamentally the same throughout the world and through centuries of time," and, in the context of this belief, to place modern works in appropriate juxtaposition with the arts of both the distant past and of more primitive civilizations. This then is an exhibit that will cut across limitations of time and space to explore the fundamental themes. It should bring alive to the perceptive visitor those unexpected, provocative and often significant relationships that frequently exist between creative works of the most diverse origins. At the same time the general public... may come better to understand the human universality which governs man's expression in art in all its manifestations, archaic, primitive, classical and contemporary. ...one can be assured that each work now being requested from a museum or private owner is specifically needed for a particular aesthetic purpose related directly to the theme of the exhibition."[9] Not only does this letter from Donald Buchanan signed Exhibition Co-ordinator, "Man and His World," International Fine Arts Exhibition, show his highly responsible role for the Exhibition but also it reflects his profound understanding of the power and significance of art internationally when, in 1965, he was only 57 years old. The Exhibition becomes the culmination of Donald Buchanan's life, his interests and the universality that he sees art can play.
Buchanan's Contributions Please click on: Requested Loan(s) to see what just a cursory look into the archives for The International Fine Arts Exhibition[10] at Expo '67 revealed about Donald Buchanan's impressive contributions to the Exhibition. In addition, by May 14, 1965, Buchanan negotiated the lending of Velasquez's The Water Carrier of Seville c. 1620 from Wellington House in London and Titian's Il Bravo c. 1515-20 from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna which were included in the show. By July 1965 he was promised twelve artworks from the Louvre.[11] Moreover, in reply to Madame Jacqueline Marette of ICOM (International Council of Museums) on September 7, 1965, Buchanan enclosed a document[12] listing the "over one hundred... works... [he has negotiated and] already been promised... Museums which have already agreed to co-operate are:
He then stated that requests for an additional fifty works from some fifteen other museums were being made. This is the amazing record of Donald Buchanan! He was tenacious in obtaining the loans/works of art he and the International Executive Committee on Fine Arts wanted, and even asked others for help when refused. As part of his job, Buchanan acted as Secretary to this Committee, also known as the Advisory Committee for the Fine Arts and International Working Committee. Members of the Committee included
Buchanan met with them at quarterly meetings in Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Vienna, Montreal and St. Petersburg. He regularly corresponded with them, receiving, for instance, a letter dated September 9, 1965 from Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Director of the Museum Collections, listing "suggestions in various categories for submission to your committee."[13] One, Jean Dubuffet's Business Prospers 1961 under Urban Man, was accepted for the show. Buchanan was asked to "investigate on the behalf of Advisory committee of Fine Arts the suitability of the item [work of art] in relation to the Theme," according to his contract with Expo '67. His search for Apollo is but one example of the thoroughness of his investigation. "The Committee felt strongly that we must continue our search for an Apollo as it has always been the intention to have in the final room (Man in Search of God) the figure of Apollo from some suitable source. The Committee has accordingly asked me to find out if you [Sir Francis, Director of the British Museum] can help us here. Would your 'Strongford Apollo' be available or, if not, is there another possible work you can suggest?"[14] Buchanan's input to the show is tangible. He suggested the contemporary Japanese artist Shiryu Morita for the exhibition[15] who was included in the show. Buchanan would have made suggestions for artworks from the Middle East (partially due to his travels and photography in that area from 1960 - 1963). These are the artworks from the Middle East in the exhibition: under Man:
under Man the Visionary:
under Man and the Infinite:
On October 29, 1967, the closing day of the exhibition, the total attendance registered for The International Fine Arts Exhibition was 1,529,392. The average daily attendance since April 28 was approximately 8500.[16] Visitors included heads of state and church, museums directors, scholars, professors, writers, artists, art history students, architects and the general public. Jean Boggs, the New Director of the NGC, and Kathleen Fenwick, the Exhibition's Second Director, oversaw the production of the Catalogue. Underlying the success of The International Fine Arts Exhibition at Expo '67 was Donald W. Buchanan (1908 - 1966), its First Director. "The exhibition, as it exists, may be considered a memorial to Donald Buchanan for it was his remarkable combination of vision, conviction and tenacity that did so much to bring it into being."[17] Donald Buchanan embraced Saint-Exupéry's theme: he helped build a better world. 1. ^ -, "The International Fine Arts Exhibition at Expo '67, Montreal," Expo - General, Catalogue, Introductory Texts, Man and His World: International Fine Arts Exhibitions, Exhibition files, box 1, NGC fonds, NGC Archives. 2. ^ unknown press source as quoted by Kathleen M. Fenwick, "The International Fine Arts Exhibition at Expo '67, Montreal," Expo - General, Man and His World: International Fine Arts Exhibitions, Exhibition files, box 1, NGC fonds, NGC Archives. 3. ^ The Theme Man and His World, (April 1965), 5, Q2-44526, RG 71, vol. 13, Library and Archives Canada. 4. ^ -, "The International Fine Arts Exhibition at Expo '67, Montreal," Expo - General, Catalogue, Introductory Texts, Man and His World: International Fine Arts Exhibitions, Exhibition files, box 1, NGC fonds, NGC Archives. 5. ^ for example, in the Man the Visionary section, both a Kwakiutl Mask c. 19th century and an Ensor appeared. 6. ^ "The Theme Man and his World," April 30, 1965, Q2-44526, RG 71, vol. 13, Library and Archives Canada. 7. ^ NGC Acting Director William Dale secured Buchanan from Europe for the position (see Ord, 221) in the Installations Department. His later contract reads: "Consultant agrees to act as the Canadian Corporation for the 1967 World Exhibtion agent...." 8. ^ Contract # 703.44/10 delineates part-time work with the Canadian Corporation for the 1967 World Exhibition from Feb. 1, 1965 to Jan. 31, 1965. Then Buchanan was to receive a contract as a consultant effective Feb. 1, 1965. 9. ^ Donald W. Buchanan as Exhibition Co-ordinator, "Man and His World," International Fine Arts Exhibition, in a letter dated July 7, 1965 to Mr. Roberto Matta of Paris, Refusal of loan of works of art 1965 - 1967, Exhibition files - box 1, Man and His World, National Gallery of Canada fonds, National Gallery of Canada Archives. 10. ^ in the National Gallery of Canada Archives. 11. ^ Donald W. Buchanan as Exhibition Co-ordinator, "Man and His World," International Fine Arts Exhibition, in a letter dated July 7, 1965 to Mr. Roberto Matta of Paris, Refusal of loan of works of art 1965 - 1967, Exhibition files - box 1, Man and His World, National Gallery of Canada fonds, National Gallery of Canada Archives. 12. ^ D. W. Buchanan in a letter dated September 7, 1965 to Mme. Jacqueline Marette, ICOM, Musée du Louvre, Paris, Exhibition files, France, General, box 2, Man and His World, National Gallery of Canada fonds, National Gallery of Canada Archives. 13. ^ Alfred Barr in a letter dated September 9, 1965 to Donald W. Buchanan, USA - General, Exhibition files - box 3, Man and His World, National Gallery of Canada fonds, National Gallery of Canada Archives. 14. ^ Donald W. Buchanan in a letter dated June 7, 1965 to Sir Frank Francis, Director, British Museum, England - General File 1965 - 1967, Exhibition Files - box 1, Man and His World, National Gallery of Canada fonds, National Gallery of Canada Archives. 15. ^ Donald W. Buchanan in a letter dated May 14, 1965 to Alfred Barr, USA - General, Exhibition files - box 3, Man and His World, National Gallery of Canada fonds, National Gallery of Canada Archives. 16. ^ Kathleen Fenwick, Concluding Report, Expo - General, Man and His World: International Fine Arts Exhibitions, Exhibition files, box 1, NGC fonds, NGC Archives. 17. ^ -, "The International Fine Arts Exhibition at Expo '67, Montreal," Expo - General, Catalogue, Introductory Texts, Man and His World: International Fine Arts Exhibitions, Exhibition files, box 1, NGC fonds, NGC Archives. |
