Elizabeth Wyn-Wood Biography

As an innovative artist, Elizabeth Wyn Wood (1903 - 7 966)challenged the accepted notions of sculpture of her time and spent her life exploring the possibilities and nuances of her craft.

Co-founder and president of the Sculptor’s Society of Canada, teacher and organizer, she strongly advocated on behalf of all artists, particularly ror the protection or copyright.

Born in OriIlia, Ontario and a graduate of the Ontario College or Art, Wood reached beyond the traditional choice of statuary materials and created works in tin,pewter, copper and aluminum. She was celebrated for her war memorials, fountains, medals and sensitive portraits.

During her early twenties, Wood began to express her love of the Canadian landscape in sculpture, as the Group of Seven was doing on canvas. Her modernist interpretation of landscape became her signature sty le: in the National Gallery or Canada one can see her Passing Rain carved in Orsera marble, and Dead Tree, in aluminum. The Art Gallery of Ontario displays her critically acc laimed Reef and Rainbow sculpture, which has illustrated many books documenting Canadian art.

Early in 1927, Wood completed Northern Island, the first of a series of Island sculptures, which established her

unique artistic identity. No other sculptor, before or since her time, has rendered waves, rain squa lls, clouds, rain­ bows, windblown foliage and glac ier-scoured granite reefs in polished metal, on bases of black glass or marble.

In this centennial year of Elizabeth Wyn Wood’s birth, her fami ly has agreed to adapt Northern Island (1927)

so that smaller replicas are now the awards of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. This award celebrates the creativity of Canadian songwriters over the last three centuries.

 

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