Bella Bella, B.C.

Brandtner’s art was inspired by both the formal experiences and social concerns of German Expressionism and Cubism, as well as Picasso’s work during the period between the two World Wars. Brandtner’s non-figurative works made him one of the pioneers of abstraction in Canada. In 1930, while travelling in British Columbia, he endeavoured to depict the landscape of Bella Bella, including a series of headlands along the Pacific Ocean. The use of various techniques enabled the artist to assert the autonomy of this particular work despite its illusionist character, especially through its geometric composition and the staggering of the planes representing the mountains.