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Matisse inspired Canadian expat duo in Paris

Morrice and Lyman in the Company of Matisse. Firefly Books, 256 pages, $49.95. Henri Matisse, considered one of the founding fathers of Modern Art, left a lasting impression on the Canadian art world.
Matisse
Morrice and Lyman in the Company of Matisse has been produced in conjunction with major exhibitions of their work that appeared in the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in 2014.

Morrice and Lyman in the Company of Matisse. Firefly Books, 256 pages, $49.95.

Henri Matisse, considered one of the founding fathers of Modern Art, left a lasting impression on the Canadian art world. Through his connection to two Canadian painters, James Wilson Morrice and John Lyman, Matisse inspired a love of light in their work and through them into our art history.

In early days of the 1900's the centre of culture and art was Paris.

For two young painters looking to broaden their outlook and embrace modern art this was the place to be. It was there they first encountered Matisse and from those meetings and their time in the City of Light that Morrice and Lyman both sought new directions for their work.

Their individual journeys and the times they later spent with Matisse in various locations; Morocco, Barbados and Trinidad, are well chronicled in a series of essays. Supporting these writings are several portfolios that allow for some comparisons between the three painters. Matisse always championed individual authenticity in a painter's work, which Morrice and Lyman maintained but there is no denying the influence Matisse had on the younger artists.

This book has been produced in conjunction with major exhibitions of their work that appeared in the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in 2014.

Star Guitars by Dave Hunter. Voyageur Press, 288 pages, $21.99.

The stringed instrument is traced back over 4,000 years but the guitar as we know it belongs to the 20th century. Modern music is driven by the electric guitar. It is the single instrument that led the music rebellion of the '50s and ignited a generation in the '60s.

Dave Hunter has chosen 101 musicians and featured them with their most notable guitar. Each one appears with a description of their rise in the music world and what would be considered their signature guitar. He shares the stories of how some of these instruments got their names, such as how B.B. King ran back inside a burning club to save his guitar. The fire had been started by a fight two men were having over a girl named Lucille, a name King has bestowed on all of his guitars since that day.

There are many names you would expect to find, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, along with others that didn't get that level of fame but made an important mark just the same, like Hubert Sumlin, Scotty Moore and Lonnie Mack with his Gibson Flying V guitar.

Filled with colour photographs and great background stories, this is a collection any guitar lover will want to spend time with.

Vancouver Light by David Nunuk, Harbour Publishing, 128 pages, $49.95.

In brilliant hues Vancouver comes alive before David Nunuk's camera. Over 100 photographs leap off the pages of this large format book and make you fall in love with this remarkable city.

From high above and down at sea level Nunuk explores the city showing us both the familiar and out of the way locations. This collection is a testament to patience and that is apparent in every image. To get so many gorgeously lit images involves being in the best location at the right time on the perfect day.

The landscape is the star in Nunuk's photographs and on the occasion when a person is included, they are the props to enhance the scene. Expansive waterfront views, cityscapes, park scenes and more are all shown in sharp detail. Water plays a prominent role in many of the photos and Nunuk does an excellent job of capturing its relationship with the city, from the reflections at False Creek to the sunset at Jericho Beach and the log booms on the Fraser River.

From dawn to dusk the light of Vancouver shines through in this book that will be appreciated by both locals and visitors to this beautiful urban setting.