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=Assignment Two - Wikipedia versus Canadian Encyclopedia=

Wikipedia Summary
The Group of Seven is a group of Canadian artists that formed in 1920 and disbanded in 1933. The group was based in Ontario and focused on painting the Canadian Landscape. The first or main members were Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley. Later members were A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate, and LeMoine Fitzgerald. Tom Thomson was also heavily involved in the group but died before it was officially the Group of Seven. Emily Carr was also associated but they did not allow female members at that time.

The Group of Seven travelled to British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and the Arctic for inspirations. These new places of inspirations influenced the group to become the ‘national school of painters’ which allowed painters outside of Ontario to become members. Although the Group of Seven became renowned, they decided to disband and become a new group called the Canadian Group of Painters. This new name then allowed more members from all over Canada to join, as well as female painters. The works or collections of the Group of Seven are available for view at the Art Gallery of Ontario, National Gallery of Canada, and McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Canadian Encyclopedia Summary
The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 and considered themselves a group of modern artists. The original members met in Toronto between 1911 and 1913 where they became friends and made their living as commercial artists. The only member that had no need to work or sell their art was Harris since he was independently wealthy. Tom Thomson was extremely important to the group. He was the one to awaken their interest in painting the northern Ontario landscape. The reason he was not a member of the group was because of his death in 1917.

The Group of Seven was not originally exclusively landscape painters but after an exhibit in 1920, they become known as a landscape school. The group was very frustrated with the quality of work from most Canadian artists and when a spokesperson for the group presented them as Canada’s National School of Painters, they were ridiculed by most establishments. The only director to stand by them was Eric Brown. Eric Brown was the director of the National Gallery of Canada, he also bought painting from the group before they became official. In the years 1924-25, Brown made sure the Groups paintings were included in Canadian art shows that went to England. Some artists thought this were unfair and favoritism but the paintings were so well received, they accepted the Group of Seven thereafter.

Through the years of painting together inside a studio, as well as in the wild, the painters began to simplify their technique and become similar in styles. They also came to realize that they were unable to call themselves a national school of painters since they all resided in Toronto and therefore allowed other members from around Canada to join. In 1930, Edwin Holgate joined from Montreal, and in 1932 L.L. Fitzgerald joined from Winnipeg. Also in 1926, Franz Johnston resigned from the group and A.J. Casson was welcomed in. The group was very influential to Canadian artists and after they disbanded in 1933, they went on to teach and make room for the next generation to become popular.

Comparing and Contrasting the Articles
When looking at the two articles, there is a lot of the same information between them but there is also different focuses on the subject. This is due to the contributors and the author of the Wikipedia and Canadian Encyclopedia articles.

When comparing the two articles they both include the same dates, like when the group formed in 1920, to when members left and were appointed, and when the group disbanded in 1933. They also both include the art exhibitions and talk greatly of an art gallery director by the name of Eric Brown. Brown was very helpful to the group and how the rest of the art world perceived the painters. “By 1920, they were ready for their first exhibition thanks to the constant support and encouragement of Eric Brown, the director of the National Gallery at that time.” (Wikipedia, “The Group of Seven (artists)”). The second quote is from the Canadian Encyclopedia article about Eric Brown: “Eric Brown, director of the National Gallery of Canada, always stood by them. He began buying their paintings for the gallery's collection several years before the Group was formally established, and in 1924 and 1925 he made sure they were well represented in the Canadian art shows that went to the prestigious Wembley exhibition in England.” (Varley, “Group of Seven”). From this point on the articles start to differ on the information given. As mentioned earlier, the most common thing between the two articles are the important dates of the painters and their art shows.

In contrast of the two articles, "The Group of Seven (artists)" from Wikipedia has a lot more information about the painters, how the group came to be, and how they interacted with each other. “They often met at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto to discuss their opinions and share their art...The informal group was temporarily split up during World War I, during which Jackson[6] and Varley[7] became official war artists. A further blow to the group came in 1917 when Thomson died while canoeing in Algonquin Park.” (Wikipedia, “The Group of Seven (artists)”). The article really focuses on the members of the group, as well as Tom Thomson who was an associate. There is a lot of interest in Thomson’s influence with the group and this article goes on to explain more about his life and influence to the group. Also speaking of associates, the article mentions Emily Carr as being very close with the group. There is not much mention of her throughout the rest of the article and there is actually no mention of her association at all in the Canadian Encyclopedia article.

The Wikipedia article has headings for each part of the article which helps when looking for certain material but some of the information is not specifically needed. The heading “Other Notes” is interesting but only some of the information about their artwork, relates and is essential to the Group of Seven. It is more like fun facts. “In 1995, the National Gallery of Canada compiled a Group of Seven retrospective show, for which they commissioned the Canadian rock band Rheostatics to write a musical score. That score was released on album as Music Inspired by the Group of Seven.” (Wikipedia, “The Group of Seven (artists)”). This article differs from the Canadian Encyclopedia because it is very focused on the members and not as much on the paintings.

The Canadian Encyclopedia article "Group of Seven", is very concerned with letting people know about the paintings and the techniques used by the painters. “They shifted emphasis away from similitude - the imitation of natural effects - towards the expression of their feelings for their subjects. As they often painted together, both in the bush and in the studio, their paintings developed along somewhat similar lines.” (Varley, “Group of Seven”). It is good to know about the techniques but this article needs to have a bit more of a background on the group members. This article is also a bit shorter in length but it does show more of the paintings from the group than the Wikipedia article. It also does not have any headings which make finding certain information a little more difficult. The contents of the Canadian Encyclopedia article is helpful if someone is looking for more information about the techniques of the painters but if someone wants to know more about the painters themselves and their relationship with each other, the article from Wikipedia is better for them.

References, Contributors, and Further Reading Reviews
For the Wikipedia article there are thirteen references used that range from current to the 1970’s, the same range goes for the further or suggested readings, which include seven readings. Also interestingly the Wikipedia article uses the Canadian Encyclopedia article by Christopher Varley as a reference. These two articles also share a book called, The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson by David Silcox. The references used are thorough and useful to write this article. The references all have to do with the Group of Seven but also look into the techniques and time frame the painters were influenced by. “Mitchell, Thomas W.J.. Landscape and Power. University of Chicago Press, 2002. Retrieved 19 Oct. 2011., Brandon, Laura. (2008). Art and War, p. 46. at Google Books: (Wikipedia, “The Group of Seven (artists)”). The suggested readings are also helpful but they do focus more on the individual painters instead of the group as a whole.

The external links that are given are websites for art galleries that show the collections of the Group of Seven. There are not as many as the Canadian Encyclopedia but the three that are given, do show more paintings than the article. Also, looking at the contributors list, there are many, but the standouts are Freshacconci with 65 edits and Adam Bishop, who has 20. From Freshacconci’s profile page, they have been editing articles since October 2006. They are also a doctoral student and published “a number” of articles on art, sound, and media art. The other contributor, Adam Bishop became an Administrator in August 2003 and he has a PhD in medieval studies.

The Canadian Encyclopedia article by Christopher Varley does not show the references that were used. The article shows the author, suggested readings, and links to other websites. The only references that can be seen are from the paintings that are with the article. The author does show the details of the paintings like who painted it, the year, and where or what collection it came from. Unfortunately, it would have been better if there was a list of references that the author used while writing the article on the page. For the suggested readings, Varely included four books. One of the books was from 2006, while the other three were from the 1970’s. The range is not as wide as those from the Wikipedia article, but Varley’s choices were more focused on the Group of Seven and the artwork.

The external links or websites were well thought out; each link has a short description about the website that informs the user of why the site is good for extra knowledge. Also the external links follow the Wikipedia article in that the sites are art galleries that show the work of the Group of Seven. “Art Gallery of Ontario The official website of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Click on "Collections" and "Exhibitions" to view online images of galleries and works of art housed at one of Canada's major art museums.” (Varley, “Group of Seven”). As for the contributors, Christopher Varley is the sole author of the article; and on some research, Varley is an art dealer who specializes in Canadian modernism, so he knows the techniques of Canadian artists very well. When looking at the references from both articles, it is difficult to decide if the material from the 1970’s is really that current and helpful. They were written in 1970’s and the Group of Seven were disbanded for around forty years. So the older material really should not be dismissed because it is still very useful and can be combined with material from the new generations.

Article Assessments
The articles from Wikipedia and the Canadian Encyclopedia are both well written and the information is well thought out and conveyed. The Wikipedia article “The Group of Seven (artists)” has a lot of extra information about the separate members of the group; it is more concerned with the history instead of how the group worked together and its evolution. The article also mentions what happens to the group members after they disbanded. The amount of information given is not as necessary, “Two artists commonly associated with the group are Tom Thomson (1877–1917) and Emily Carr (1871–1945). Although he died before its official formation, Thomson had a significant influence on the group. In his essay "The Story of the Group of Seven", Lawren Harris wrote that Thomson was "a part of the movement before we pinned a label on it"; Thomson's paintings "The West Wind" and "The Jack Pine" are two of the group's most iconic pieces.[1] Emily Carr was also closely associated with the Group of Seven, though was never an official member.” (Wikipedia, “The Group of Seven (artists)”). This quote does not need to be as long as it is. The sentences in bold could be cut out of the article, and the user reading it will still be able to understand who and what the Group of Seven was. The other thing that was unnecessary was the mention of Emily Carr. She does not need to be included in the article because there is no mention of her when it talks about the Group of Seven’s members and associates.

The Wikipedia article for the most part seems legitimate but there are some places where there are [citations needed], also while checking on the contributors, the article did have some problems with vandalism, this year:

•	“(cur | prev) 17:55, 30 October 2012‎ KoshVorlon (talk | contribs)‎. . (15,485 bytes) (-58)‎. . (rm nonsense {Lupin's Anti-Vandal Tool ]) (undo)

•	(cur | prev) 17:54, 30 October 2012‎ 142.33.162.34 (talk)‎. . (15,543 bytes) (+2)‎. . (undo)

•	(cur | prev) 17:53, 30 October 2012‎ 142.33.162.34 (talk)‎. . (15,541 bytes) (+56)‎. . (undo)

•	(cur | prev) 17:50, 30 October 2012‎ KoshVorlon (talk | contribs)‎. . (15,485 bytes) (-73)‎. . (rm nonsense {Lupin's Anti-Vandal Tool ]) (undo)

•	(cur | prev) 17:49, 30 October 2012‎ 142.33.162.34 (talk)‎. . (15,558 bytes) (+73)‎. . (undo)

•	(cur | prev) 17:46, 30 October 2012‎ ClueBot NG (talk | contribs)‎ m. . (15,485 bytes) (-21)‎. . (Reverting possible vandalism by 142.33.162.34 to version by Victoriaedwards. False positive? Report it. Thanks, ClueBot NG. (1304593) (Bot)) (undo)” (Wikipedia, “The Group of Seven (artists)”).

The vandalism has happened quite a bit over the month of October, so it makes it harder to trust everything that was written in the article.

When looking to the Canadian Encyclopedia article, it is very knowledgeable about the painters different techniques possibly due to the authors background in art dealing. The article also shorter than Wikipedia’s article; the length can be considered a good and bad thing. One of the bad points is that it does not spend as much time on the actual members of the group. It gives the dates, the member’s names, and the paintings but it needs more of a background of the group and the reasons they became well known.

The Canadian Encyclopedia article’s authority is much more trustworthy than Wikipedia because there is no chance of the information being vandalized. Also the author is trustworthy in knowing about the paintings by the artists because of his specialization in Canadian modernism. The downside to the author knowing about the art is that they do not know as much about the painters themselves. This seems to be the very reason, why the article is more focused on the art than on the painters.

Overall, the two articles are very informative and helpful on the subject of the Group of Seven. Also they both have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their authority over the subject. Even though there are some problems with the specific information, both articles are helpful to people of they wish to know more about the Group of Seven.

Suggested Readings

 * Canadian Landscape. Dir. Radford Crawley ; narrator, Stephen Dale. National Film Board of Canada, 1941. Video recording.
 * Davis, Ann. "A Study In Modernism The Group Of Seven As An Unexpectedly Typical Case." Journal Of Canadian Studies 33.1 (1998): 108.Academic Search Complete. Retrived 11 Nov. 2012. Web.
 * Duval, Paul. Group of Seven drawings. Toronto: Burns and MacEachern, 1965. Print.
 * Harris, PatriciaLyon, David. "Northern Exposure." Americas 47.2 (1995): 6. Canadian Reference Centre. Retrieved 11 Nov. 2012. Web.
 * Housser, Fred B. Canadian art movement: the story of the Group of Seven. Toronto: Macmillan Co. of Canada, 1974. Print.
 * Hunkin, Harry. There is no finality : a story of the Group Seven. Toronto: Burns and MacEachern, 1971. Print.
 * McMichael Conservation Collection. Heritage of Canadian art: the McMichael collection. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1976. Print.
 * Mellen, Peter. The Group of Seven. Toronto, Ont.: McClelland and Stewart, 1970. Print.
 * Newlands, Anne. The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson: an introduction. Willowdale, Ont.: Firefly Books, c1995. Print.
 * Zaslove, Jerry. "Unfinished Landscapes: Smelting The Tailings From The Riches Of The Canadian Wilderness." Topia (York University) (2009): 236-243. CaandaianReference Centre. Retrieved 11 Nov. 2012. Web.

=Assignment One=

Artists in the Group of Seven
The topic that I chose to look up in Wikipedia, was the Group of Seven. They were a group of painters that travelled around Canada painting its landscape. I began the search with the Group of 7 but there came to be many results. The third article/link from the top was the one I was looking for and it read, Group of Seven (artists).

While looking at the article, it gave me the history and collections of the Group of Seven along with the group members and known associates. From the known associates, is where I chose my other articles. The first painter I looked at was Tom Thomson. He was a mentor to the other members of the Group of Seven and his Wikipedia article referenced his personal life/death, his paintings, technique and influence on other painters. For the other painter, I chose Emily Carr. She was not an 'official' member of the Group of Seven but she was greatly associated with them. Emily Carr's article has a lot of information as well, it focuses on her personal life, paintings, her recognition and her association with the Group of Seven. There are also more pictures of her paintings throughout the article.

The first encyclopedia referenced came from the Wikipedia articles themselves; the Canadian Encyclopedia was referenced in the external links. The Encyclopedia of Canada was a lot more descriptive of the painters and showed much more of their respective paintings. The Wikipedia articles are more similar to the Encyclopedia of Canada, than any of the others. The other two encyclopedias chosen came from a google search, encyclopedia.com and Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia.com was a good website for searching Tom Thomson and Emily Carr but it did not have anything on the Group of Seven. The website also was not as detailed nor did it have as many paintings showing in the actual article, as Wikipedia or the Encyclopedia of Canada. The final encyclopedia looked at was the Encyclopedia Britannica Online, this was the least informative on all three topics, and did not show any of their paintings. The Wikipedia articles were much more helpful and provided useful external links and references than Britannica online.