As both the United States' neighbor to the north and a former colony of Great Britain, Canada is a nation whose history and culture aren't very well known to the larger world. Yet Canadian art is still as worthy as its American counterpart.

Canada's contemporary history began after World War II, which saw an economic boom and a widespread feeling of unity. The country as a whole was moving toward greater independence from Britain (while still recognizing the Queen as head of state). Prior to World War II, Canadian art was dominated with landscape painting, particularly from the skilled works of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Following the war and several constitutional referendums, government programs were set up to support new art schools across the country. This led to experiments with abstract art and pursuing non-European styles like local Inuit sculptures.

Unfortunately, compared to major art movements like Impressionism or Cubism, there's no single defining characteristic to modern Canadian art. The only consistency between any group of painters or sculptors is their exploration of new ideas, moving away from traditional landscape paintings into more abstract art, aboriginal crafts, and creative sculptures.

In looking at individual artists, we can consider the work of a married couple, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. Cardiff has made a career with mixing audio samples and architecture, whereas Miller works more with electronic art. In 2001, they represented Canada at the 49th Venice Biennale, a major international art exhibition in Italy. Their prize-winning entry was a massive installation known as The Paradise Institute. Using a 16-seat movie theater, the audience was invited to witness a staged crime that occurred both in the film on the screen and in the theater itself.

According to the National Gallery of Canada, Paradise Institute is a mix of genres that brings the audience deeper into the artwork, letting them explore the same drama from different perspectives. It's a testament to Cardiff and Miller's skill with staging and electronics, but it also works as a sign of contemporary Canada's diversity. Without the central British perspective to fall back on, the country is left to define itself in many new ways.

To some of more examples of modern fine art in Canada, you can visit the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto.

Image by Alex Indigo on Flickr