TORONTO—The arrival of the Lawren Harris art exhibit in Toronto marks a full-circle moment for Steve Martin.
The acclaimed American actor, comedian, and musician has been a longtime enthusiast of the legendary Group of Seven leader’s work. Martin first saw his paintings in Toronto after writing a letter to billionaire businessman and Harris collector Ken Thomson.
Prior to his death, Thomson had amassed one of the most sizable private art collections in Canada. In 2002, he donated 2,000 works to the Art Gallery of Ontario. But when Martin reached out, the Harris paintings weren’t yet hanging at the AGO, which at the time was under construction.
“I said: ‘So, I understand you’re the biggest collector of Lawren Harris.’ And he invited me up to see his pictures in kind of an ordinary storeroom,'‘ Martin recalled in an interview at the downtown gallery Tuesday. ”It was really, really a nice experience.’’
After exhibiting in Los Angeles and Boston, “The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris’' opened at the AGO on July 1. Martin curated the exhibition in collaboration with the AGO’s Andrew Hunter and Cynthia Burlingham from L.A.’s Hammer Museum.
“Lawren Harris was virtually unknown in America—and now he’s not. And the art lovers of America saw some of his finest work,'' said Martin, 70.
“It was a real success in America, and I love that the show ended up here in the AGO. In a sense, Toronto is where this whole idea started for me and when I first saw Lawren Harris paintings and was so taken with them.'’
