Lectures tackle shock of the new

Delve into the history and meaning of modern art at Modern Art, Understanding the Shock of the New, a lecture series at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, starting Sunday.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural art lectures, the art gallery is presenting a new fourpart lecture series with a focus on modern art between the wars. The speaker will be Daniel Mato, professor emeritus of art history at the University of Calgary.

“The lectures are captivating and bring together art lovers as well as raise funds to support the gallery,” said Patti-Anne Kay, of The Gallery Associates, the gallery’s fundraising group.

Sunday’s lecture, Making the Cubes Dance, explores cubism, its forms and masters, including Picasso, and its impact on the development of modern art. Subsequent topics include: Subjective Realities: Do You Feel What I See?, Art of Suspended Belief: The Surrealists and Russian Art, Spiritual and Objective, Structure and Void. Full descriptions of each lecture are available online.

Individual lectures are $35, $30 for students and members. The entire series is $120, $100 for students and members. Each lecture runs 2 to 4 p.m. and includes time for questions and light refreshments. Tickets also include admission to the art gallery. The series runs Feb. 14 and 21 and Mar. 6 and 13 at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 1040 Moss St.

Tickets are available online at aggv.ca/events, through Eventbrite and in person. For information, go to aggv.ca or call 250-384-4171.