Houses of Parliament Project
Back in 2012 attendees at a Halifax-based arts gathering were, over a convivial meal, encouraged to present their hypothetical dream projects. The unusual topic made for an extremely lively and interesting evening.
In that milieux Tony brought up his long held wish to somehow visually resurrect architectural spaces that had once hosted key moments in Canada’s development. When asked to give an example he mentioned the 1943 Quebec Conference which had taken place in Quebec’s historic Citadel and at the famed Chateau Frontenac Hotel. He not only got an encouraging reaction but also some concrete support when an attendee suggested he directly contact Canada’s Parliament.
Working on site in the Common’s Foyer
Emboldened he did contact the curator of the House of Commons and broached the subject of possibly working within their domain. What slowly unfurled was the most consuming project that the artist had ever undertaken and one that is only now coming to fruition.
Having made several written introductions and proposals he was initially interviewed on-site in 2013 and later received permission to work within the various areas of Parliaments’ Centre Block that related to Canada’s Lower House. During his initial trips to Ottawa Tony worked in several of well known public spaces including the Commons’ Chamber and the Confederation Rotunda and at that time he offered to donate a number of the resulting paintings to Parliament. His project achieved a focus when he was allowed to portray areas that were behind the scenes and therefore unknown to the general public.
Given the historic nature of the acclaimed “National Historic Site” he was not allowed to take most art supplies into the structure so he sketched, photographed and made notations on site and then worked up his canvases in his home studio. The only requirements made by the curators were that no figures in his work should be identifiable as a particular individual.
Drawing in the comfort of the Senate’s Foyer
It should be pointed out that this personal project received no public funding and that the related expenses were carried by the artist himself.
Interestingly he learned fairly early on that he was the first painter to ever officially seek permission to work within Canada’s Parliament Buildings. His project came to be viewed as having historical significance when it was announced that Centre Block would close shortly after the 2017 Sesquicentennial of Confederation for a sustained and much needed refurbishment.
The artist’s work within the House of Commons was completed in 2018 by which point they had purchased twelve of his paintings and received three gifted canvases.
Tony’s early sketching forays were understandably noticed by senior staff from the Upper House and they requested that he expand his project to include their domain. Two large paintings of the Senate Chamber and its main foyer were gifted in 2017. At this point they are now housed in the Senate’s temporary quarters in the former station buildings near Parliament Hill.
So what started as a very personal “dream project” evolved to be an actual multi-year undertaking that became an unanticipated legacy project for the artist. He admits to being more than a little gobsmacked by the many outcomes ……….
Anthony Batten is featured in a nine minute video guided by Tamara Dolan who is responsible for the Senate’s Collections. To view video, click here.