BDI — ice cream and art
WAG exhibition showcases the city’s modernist architecture
Stacey Abramson

Most people wouldn’t put Winnipeg International Airport or the Bridge Drive In in a show about local architecture from the last half-century.

But that’s exactly what Dr. Serena Keshavjee and Prof. Herbert Enns have done in Manitoba Modernist Architecture 1945-1975, now on at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Spanning three periods (1945-1955, 1956-1965 and 1966-1975), the exhibition stylishly encapsulates the clean, forward-thinking modernist movement’s effect on Manitoba architecture. The pieces and images reflect the history of Winnipeg’s modernist period, as well as the significance of many architects. Green, Blankstein, Russell and Associates, Waisman Ross, and Etienne Gaboury are just a few of the many firms that stand out.

Gallery patrons may have attended classes in one of the featured structures (the Russell Building at the U of M) or maybe had their pants pressed in another (Perth’s Cleaners on Main Street). Presented like this, these edifices will appear to viewers in brand new way.

Rooms, businesses, dens and classrooms are brought to life through the extensive exhibition, helping dispel the idea of modernism being cold, lifeless and dull. The specificity the architects had for living spaces is stunning — everything from the arrangement of furniture to the placement of wall art to the spatial elements were considered in each of the buildings presented.

The black-and-white photographs collected from various archives, offices and, in some cases, people’s basements charmingly document the period. The severe nature of the medium compliments the angular and beautifully harsh aspects of the buildings and gives a new outlook on the spaces.

Images of everyday places are viewed in an entirely different light when placed beside other examples of modernist architecture. It’s this presentation that will make many viewers appreciate the clean beauty of modernism in the city.

A smart compliment to the exhibition is the inclusion of some of the modernist furniture, clothing and artwork that was being designed at the same time as the buildings featured. Anne Kahane’s 1962 Futuristic sculpture shines brightly, recalling the age when moving forward was everything. The sweet, bright dresses and swatches from Marimekko denote the effect that modernism was having in fashion in the ’60s.

In keeping with the modernist theme of attention to detail, each panel of glass covering the many cases throughout the exhibit is taken from the original Russell Building and has been polished up to its original splendour.

The extensive research that the exhibition showcases is wonderful for Manitoba because a comprehensive collection of this work did not exist until now. The curators have dug into a period that has sometimes been overlooked and have created a wonderful look back in time.