Art, Education, and a "new world society": Joseph McCulley's Pickering College and Canadian Muralism, 1934-1950

Journal of Canadian Studies, Winter 2007 by Niergarth, Kirk

Much of the mural is devoted to illustrating evolution, both biological and social. From the lower left to the lower right, the border illustrates the evolution of plant life. The historical evolution of human physical activity is depicted in the columns on the far left and right, related to labour and recreation respectively.9 In the centre of the mural, on either side of the solar system, is a cross-section of a hydra, a "simple plant-like animal" (Haydon n.d.). On the left and right of the hydras, Haydon has depicted invertebrate and vertebrate cross-sections of organisms to represent the principle phyla of animal life. On the vertebrate side of the mural, below the hydra and to the left of the central dividing cell, is a cross section of a human embryo. Mirroring the embryo's position on the right-hand side are three children. Haydon claims that these children are playing and represent the "simple, natural human expression of physical energy." Looking closely at these figures, however, it appears that two of the children are fighting while the third attempts to separate them (fig. 3). This too, perhaps, relates to the evolutionary theme: will these fighting children grow up to be like the dancing adult male and female figures below? These figures, Haydon says, "stand for maturity and the supreme expression of physical energy through art" (Haydon n.d.).

If the children and the dancing figures suggest the evolution of individual human beings, growing from "natural" to "supreme" expression, the largest sections of the mural, the mirrored central left and right panels, are statements about the evolution of human society. The groups of figures in these panels are allegories of alternative forms of social organization. On the left is a society dominated by force and oppression (fig. 4). The three figures at the top of this group represent the "closed eyes of piety and the open eyes of business exploitation" with "armed force" hulking in between. The backs of these three figures combine to block the white light of natural energy from reaching the "agricultural and industrial workers" who toil below them. Below these workers are the products of this social organization: three figures Haydon calls "degenerate physical types," with one whose "brain developed at expense of body" counting on his fingers between an obese figure and an ape-like one. The figure sleeping at the bottom of this group is a representation of the ideal man sleeping. Nothing in this social order "summons him to consciousness" (Haydon n.d.).

"The ideal awakens," however, below the alternative social order depicted on the right (fig. 5). This society, Haydon writes, "is inspired by concepts of brotherhood and cooperation." Haydon has not provided us with a detailed commentary on each of the figures in this group, but clearly they are intended to mirror the figures on the left. While the figure of "armed force" has been circled with a ring of darkness, the figure with his arms raised on the right seems to emit light. While these arms are neither quite in the position of an iconic Christ nor Da Vinci's Vitruvian man, Haydon's figure may allude to both. Clearly, this is an idealized figure: a light in contrast to dark, good in contrast to evil. All eyes of the figures on the right are directed upwards towards this figure. The figure paralleling the "closed eyes of piety" reaches out an open hand, a gesture, perhaps, of blessing, in contrast to the inward prayer of his double on the left. Rather than "business exploitation," on the right is a figure with a clenched fist. This gesture is repeated by the worker figure and naked figure below and to the left, moving on a diagonal, and likely referred to the international gesture of labour or Leftist solidarity. This social order, without economic and religious oppression, produces the balanced figures above the awakened "ideal man." These figures, Haydon writes, are "united by a common purpose, if not equals in capability yet equal in intention" (n.d.).