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George Cassidy

     TAG holds an important collection of George Cassidy’s work. Each of these paintings evokes a unique sense of atmosphere. One can feel the cold, hear the water, and smell the air. As a boy, George Cassidy had a strong interest in drawing, particularity in illustration. His first formal training was at the Ontario College of Education. There he did part-time commercial illustrations for Canadian Packers in the sales field. He came north to Cobalt in 1932 to teach high school, where he fell in love with Northern Ontario. It drew him to pursue landscape painting and printing. The subject of much of his work is the Temiskaming landscape, painted in tempera and opaque watercolour. A great inspiration for his art was the opportunity to accompany A.Y. Jackson and friend, Dr. Banting of insulin fame on a painting excursion in 1934.

   

     Cassidy was a high school teacher, an author, illustrator and chart maker. He served with the Algonquin Regiment during WWII. One of his two books, Warpath, is about the history of this regiment. The other, Arrow North, tells the history of the Temiskaming region. Much of his work is in private collections across Canada.

Greorge Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

Greorge Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Works in Progress and Drawings

George Cassidy, Untitled

George Cassidy, Untitled

George Cassidy, Untitled (winter Landscape, stormy sky)

George Cassidy, Untitled (winter Landscape, stormy sky)

George Cassidy, Untitled (stream and fir trees)

George Cassidy, Untitled (stream and fir trees)

George Cassidy, Untitled (Tree-Sand)

George Cassidy, Untitled (Tree-Sand)

George Cassidy, Untitled (Snoey Winter Scene with Cedar)

George Cassidy, Untitled (Snoey Winter Scene with Cedar)

George Cassidy, Peggy's Cove

George Cassidy, Peggy's Cove

George Cassidy, Untitled (Prospect Avenue, Cobalt)

George Cassidy, Untitled (Prospect Avenue, Cobalt)

George Cassidy, Untitled ( Snow Banks foreground, buildings in distance)

George Cassidy, Untitled ( Snow Banks foreground, buildings in distance)

George Cassidy, Cedar Grove, Old Fort, Quebec

George Cassidy, Cedar Grove, Old Fort, Quebec

George Cassidy, Landscape

George Cassidy, Landscape

George Cassidy, Path to Red Lake

George Cassidy, Path to Red Lake

     La GAT possède une importante collection d’œuvres de George Cassidy. Chacune de ses pièces évoque une atmosphère qui lui est unique. On croit sentir le froid, entendre l’eau qui coule et respirer l’air ambiant. Dès son jeune âge, George Cassidy s’est beaucoup intéressé au dessin, surtout à l’illustration. En fait, sa première formation professionnelle dans ce domaine aura lieu pendant ses études à l’Ontario College of Education alors qu’il sera dessinateur de publicité à temps partiel pour le compte de Canadian Packers. Lorsqu’il déménage dans le nord en 1932 pour enseigner à l’école secondaire de Cobalt, il tombe littéralement amoureux du nord de l’Ontario. Cette passion pour le nord l’inclinera à peindre et à dessiner des paysages. Le sujet d’une grande partie de son œuvre est le paysage témiskamien peint en détrempe ou à la gouache. L’une de ses plus grandes inspirations aura été d’accompagner A.Y. Jackson et son ami le Dr Banting, célèbre pour ses découvertes sur l’insuline, dans une excursion de peinture en 1934.

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     Cassidy a été directeur d’école secondaire, auteur, illustrateur et cartographe. Il a servi sous les armes pendant la Deuxième Guerre mondiale dans le régiment Algonquin. L’un des deux livres qu’il a publié, Warpath, fait l’histoire de ce régiment. L’autre, Arrow North, raconte l’histoire de la région du Témiskamingue. Plusieurs de ses œuvres font partie de collections privées à travers le Canada.

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