Annora Brown

Mary Annora Brown L.L. D. (1899–1987), known as Annora Brown, was a Canadian visual artist whose work encompassed painting and graphic design. She was best known for her depictions of natural landscapes, wildflowers, and First Nations communities in Canada. Much of her work thematically explored Albertan identity, though she remained relatively obscure in discussions of Canadian art.

Life Mary Annora Brown was born near Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Edmund Forster Brown of the North-West Mounted Police and Elizabeth Ethel Cody. Forster Brown had ridden with Sam Steele and Kootenay Brown, while Cody, who was related to Buffalo Bill Cody, had traveled west from Ontario and was a schoolteacher. Two of her instructors were notable Group of Seven members Arthur Lismer and J. E. H. MacDonald. These artists were interested in developing a modernist strand of Canadian art that could contribute to the construction of a Canadian identity, but she was encouraged to develop her own style. Brown died in Deep Cove in 1987.

Publications

During the 1930s Brown began to gather information relating to the history and lore of southern Alberta wildflowers, which would later become her first major publication: Old Man's Garden. It was published in 1954 by J.M. Dent & Sons, the publisher for whom she had previously completed book illustrations for. The book integrates practical knowledge and lore from southern Alberta First Nations communities the Piikani and Kainai nations, with scientific and historical information derived from the accounts of European botanical explorers. In particular, Old Man's Garden describes the spiritual creator of the prairies in Blackfoot culture, named Napi. Brown also completed scratchboard illustrations for the book. It was republished in 1970 by Evergreen Press.

After she retired to Deep Cove, Brown began work on her autobiography, which was published as Sketches from Life, in 1981.

Brown's work, which depicted objects and landscapes that were considered mundane at the time (such as grain elevators and prairie landscapes), was viewed as radical by patrons of the local art market. She was one of the first artists to depict regional subject matter in an attempt to define Albertan identity. She rejected the conservatism of early 20th century Albertan art, instead taking influence from local communities, native plants and the regional landscape. She was later hired, in 1958, by the Glenbow Foundation to create 200 paintings of Alberta wildflowers. In order to find specimens to paint, Brown travelled to various natural areas in the province such as Waterton Lakes National Park and Banff National Park. She completed the commission in 1960. Some of the flowers she painted are now extinct, and the paintings, done in watercolour and casein, are now housed in the Glenbow art collection.

Brown displays modernist tendencies in her use of bold colours, and takes influence from her instructor Lawren Harris in portraying natural spaces using abstract and geometric shapes. Her works have a decorative character, which reflects her experience in design, embroidery, and production of batik textile arts.