To view image click on "Access Content Now" above In his landscape art Christopher Finn explores cultural ideas of nature. Looking through the lens of Western culture, Finn examines the relationships that humans have with other animals and the land. In his earlier works, Finn represented this exploration by graphically imposing a geometric screen over his compositions. This image is part of a later series, which consists of more idyllic seeming scenes. He developed this composition from a magazine photograph which depicted a tiger in a constructed environment, a landscape that is not the tiger’s natural habitat. In discussing this artwork, Finn referenced a poem by Rainer Marie Rilke about another zoo animal, “The Panther.” Rilke wrote: “As he [the panther] paces in cramped circles, over and over, the movement of his powerful soft strides is like a ritual dance around a center in which a mighty will stands paralyzed.” Although the tiger in this image seems free to roam within his enclosure and the bars of his cage are not visible, Finn empathizes with the tiger, and imagines him to be agitated by the confines of the zoo. Painter, printmaker, and independent curator, Christopher J. Finn (1950 - ) was born in Windsor, Ontario, where he earned his BFA in painting and printmaking at University of Windsor (1972). Moving to Saskatchewan, Finn earned his MFA in printmaking at University of Regina (1973-75). During this time, he attended the Emma Lake Workshops, studying with master lithographer Robert Eagerton (1974). In addition to his studio practice as an artist, Finn worked as a screen-printer with such studios as Grand Western Screen Shop in Manitoba. After attending the Banff Centre School of Management, Finn earned certification in Museum and Art Gallery Management (1985), a Certificate in Architectural Drafting at Red River College (1986), and his B.Ed in Art/History (1989) from the University of Manitoba. His curatorial work includes Assistant Curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (2002-2016) and Curator of Education at the Art Gallery of Windsor (2017-2020). Finn’s work is held in numerous private and public collections, including Remai Modern (Saskatoon), Museum London (London, Ontario), Winnipeg Art Gallery (Winnipeg), Banff School of Fine Arts (Banff), Canada Council Art Bank (Ottawa), and Toronto-Dominion Bank Collection (Toronto)
