Art collectors show renewed interest in the Automatiste movement and women artists

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Art collecting in Canada is undergoing a transformative change, influenced by several factors, including the pandemic slow-down, shrinking offices and presentation spaces and increased interest in previously taboo subjects.

“We all undergo an evolution of style throughout our lives, and the things on our walls reflect the moment in time we were in when we picked them up,” says Wil Kucey, director of the Canadian Fine Arts Gallery in Toronto.

“During the pandemic, people had the chance to zero in on their surroundings and consider if their living spaces truly reflected their identities, and what they wanted their narratives to be.”

Kucey suggests that contemporary dialogues around gender, race, and social issues, as well as a sense of Canadian pride, are playing a significant role in shaping the tastes and preferences of today’s art collectors.

“There’s enough room in the art world for all those conversations to intersect and allow us to look at history and explore how those issues were prevalent for artists at the time,” he says.

In the past few years, a stronger interest in Canadian post-war and abstract artists has emerged, says Kucey – particularly in the Automatiste movement, comprised largely of a group of Quebec painters.

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The movement’s founder, Paul-Émile Borduas (1905-1960) and his associates – including Jean-Paul Riopelle (1923-2002), one of Canada’s most internationally successful artists – subscribed to a stream-of-consciousness painting that reflects the chaos and pressure of daily life.

Borduas coped with deep depression and anxiety throughout his push for separation between church and state in Quebec, and invoked moodier expressions of what he was feeling in his work, says Kucey. “Mental health is being discussed in the historical art world now in a way that wasn’t before, as society now allows these conversations to exist.”

There’s also been a notable shift toward appreciating underrepresented female voices in art. Kucey sees this as an opportunity for collectors to acquire high-quality works from women painters that have been historically undervalued, noting recent record-breaking prices for works by artists like Quebec painter and stained-glass artist Marcelle Ferron (1924-2001).

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“More and more, collectors are leaning towards women artists,” says Richard Kantor, gallery director at Mayberry Fine Art, who notes mostly Gen Xers and Millennials are driving the contemporary art market.

“When it comes to dealing with art on the secondary market, especially historical pieces, we’re seeing a lot of people consigning art because they’ve inherited someone else’s tastes,” says Kantor. “It’s like this massive art transfer, with baby boomers passing on the torch and Gen X and Millennials figuring out what to do with it.”

Contemporary design of home and office is affecting what collectors are buying as well. Open concepts and shrinking footage, with less wall space, mean people are seeking smaller-sized pieces, says Rob Cowley, president of art auction house Cowley Abbott Fine Art.

“Overall, corporations are not as active as they once were, in terms of purchasing art,” he says, adding that those who do collect are increasingly drawn to quality and rarity.

Trends notwithstanding, the one constant in the art world remains an appreciation for quality – from the artist and the buyer. “The most successful artists are the ones with exceptional talent and a commitment that’s no walk in the park,” says Kantor.

“Art collectors show a similar level of commitment. Buying exceptional art sometimes means saying no to a vacation or holding off on a kitchen redo,” he adds.” It’s a significant investment that not everyone fully appreciates.”

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.