Anne Kahane

Anne Kahane (March 1, 1924 — present) is an artist born in Vienna, Austria. Kahane immigrated to Canada with her family in 1925, settling in Montreal at the age of 5. Best known for her figures carved in wood, Kahane first began making prints as a graphic artist. Upon enrolling in night classes at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montreal (1940), she furthered her studies in traditional sculpture, commercial art, industrial design, and architecture. It was at Cooper Union Art School in New York City (1945-1947) where Kahane studied the art of woodcarving, the technique that would later shape her career.[1]

Early life

In Montreal, Kahane attended high school at Strathcona Academy where no art curricula was taught. The absence of these studies influenced her to seek extra-curricular activities related to art.[2]

Kahane and her family had difficulty making ends meet. She lived with her mother, used the home of her friends as "studio space", and obtained planks of wood for her art from the local lumberyard.[3]

Art Education

Kahane attended night classes during her last year at Strathcona Academy. She then studied traditional sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montreal. In the fall of 1942 Kahane began training as a commercial artist at Valentine's School of Commercial Art. She was part of a 2-year intensive program while also working at a commercial engraver's studio.[3]

Anne attended the Emily Carr exhibition at the Dominion Gallery in Montreal which influenced her decision to expand beyond commercial art. When World War II ended in August 1945, Kahane was able to utilize the money she saved up and move to New York City. Attending school in New York shifted her interest from graphic art to wood sculpture.

Career

Emerging Recognition

Kahane's maquette for The Unknown Political Prisoner Monument was the only Canadian entry to take a prize at an international sculpture competition organized by the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, England (1953). In the same year, Kahane had her first solo exhibition at the Galérie Agnès Lefort.[4] While no financial prize was received from the competition, the reward carried with it prestige that warranted the artist an invitation to join the Society of Canadian Sculptors in 1952. At the 1956 Concours Artistique de la province au Quebec, Kahane won the grand prize for her work "Ball Game". As an associate member of the Royal Canadian Academy, Kahane exhibited with them between 1964 and 1976, and with the Art Association of Montreal from 1957 to 1965.[5]

Mature Artist

Kahane has numerous public and private commissions, notably her Winnipeg Sculpture and piece for the Place des Arts. Kahane was also the associate member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (exhibited with them between 1964 and 1976) and with the Art Association of Montreal (1957 to 1965).[5]

Beyond her artistic pursuits, Kahane began teaching fine arts at Concordia University from 1965 to 1980. Later, as a resident sculptor, she taught at McMaster University (1980-1982), where she explored flat structural techniques using flexible materials to depart from traditional three-dimensional structures. Kahane's work has been internationally celebrated, representing Canada at the Canadian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (1953), the Brussels World's Fair (1968), and at Expo 67 in Montreal.[6]

Media

In addition to her work in sculpting using wood, brass, and aluminum, Kahane's artistic repertoire also includes drawing and printmaking.[5] The artist still lives and works in Montreal, Quebec.

Selected Exhibits

  • "Sculpture by Anne Kahane", Galerie Agnès Lefort, Montreal, 1953
  • "International Sculpture Competition 'The Unknown Political Prisoner'", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1952.
  • "XXIX Biennale D'Arte", Canadian Pavilion Venice, Italy, 1958[7]
  • "41st Pittsburgh International Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture". Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1958-1959
  • "A Trio of Canadian Sculptors", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1964-1966
  • "Royal Canadian Academy 84th Exhibition", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1964 and 1976
  • "300 Years of Canadian Art", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1967
  • 3-D into the 70s: Aspects of Sculpture", Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto,1970
  • "Spectrum Canada", held in conjunction with the Montreal Olympics, 1979
  • "Artists Drawn to Wood", McMaster Museum of Art, 2011 [8]

Works

• "Mother and Child" (1959) for Montreal's Rockland Plaza. Experimented with sculpting with brass.

• "Captain F.J. Stevenson" for the Winnipeg International Airport (1963-1964)

• "Chant de la Terre" for Place des Arts in Montreal (1963)

• "Man on His Head" for Expo '67 in Montreal

• "La Mer" for the Canadian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan (1972-1973)

. "The Forest" for Environment Canada Forestry Service, Great Lakes Forest Research Centre (GLFRC), Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (1975) for the official opening of the GLFRC, 25 April-1 May 1976.

References

  1. ↑ Tippett, Maria (2017-11-11). Sculpture in Canada: A History. Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Limited. ISBN 9781771620949.
  2. ↑ Sylvia, Antoniou,; Sylvia, Antoniou, (1992). "The sculpture of Anne Kahane". spectrum.library.concordia.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
  3. 1 2 Lambton, Gunda (1994). "Anne Kahane:Humour and the Human Condition". Stealing the Show: Seven Women Artists in Canadian Public Art. pp. 34–49. ISBN 0773511881.
  4. ↑ Carney, Lora Senechal (2017). Canadian Painters in a Modern World, 1925-1955: Writings and Reconsiderations. McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 9780773551145.
  5. 1 2 3 "Kahane, Anne". Canadian Women Artists History Initiative.
  6. ↑ Heller, Jules; Heller, Nancy G. (2013-12-19). North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge. ISBN 9781135638894.
  7. ↑ "National Gallery of Canada resumes state-of-the-art restoration of the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Biennale". Retrieved 2018-03-26.
  8. ↑ "Artists Drawn to Wood". Retrieved 2018-03-26.
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