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Art General

The Theatre of the Self

The Life and Art of William Ronald

by (author) Robert J. Belton

Publisher
University of Calgary Press
Initial publish date
Apr 1999
Category
General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781895176605
    Publish Date
    Apr 1999
    List Price
    $34.95

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Description

From the Introduction: "Common knowledge has it that Ronald is primarily a historical figure whose contribution to Canadian art lies in the formation of the free-thinking Painters Eleven in the 1950s. This is correct enough, but concomitant with it is the tacit assumption that his choice to downplay painting temporarily for a career in broadcasting implies that his later years were substantially a matter of showmanship and/or charlatanism.... [Ronald is] one of the more genuinely fascinating characters in Canadian culture, one to whom we are indebted for much more than a spirit of internationalism running counter to what was thought of in the 1950s as the choke-hold of the Group of Seven."

About the author

Robert Belton has taught the history of art and art theory at McMaster University, the University of Western Ontario, and Queen's University. He is Associate Professor of Art History at Okanagan University College in Kelowna, B.C. Dr. Belton has published two other books with the University of Calgary Press: The Beribboned Bomb: The Image of Woman in Male Surrealist Art and Sights of Resistance: Approaches to Canadian Visual Culture.

Robert J. Belton's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Robert Belton's sympathetic, absorbing biography deals intelligently with both the troubled, abrasive personality and the impressive painting of William Ronald. The Theatre of the Self substantially enlarges our knowledge of Canadian art history and the artists who lived it." -- Robert Fulford, author, journalist, broadcaster and editor