William McElcheran
Encyclopedia
William Hodd McElcheran (Hamilton, Ontario
. 1927 – 1999) was a Canadian
designer
and sculptor.
and designer. He joined mid fifties employed by BB & R Architects in Toronto
as a liturgical designer. He pushed a heavy stamp on the activities of the architectural interior designer and was head of church and university buildings. So in 1958 he played a major role in the development of McMaster Divinity College
and Chapel . In the early sixties he started sculpting, first in wood, followed by other materials. From 1970 McElcheran made his famous "The Crowd", "The (Rat) Race" and "Businessman" figures that appeared in several cities in Canada. He has this theme further developed until his death, as sculpture, relief and wall reliefs. He went to them to cast bronze, for training to Italy
in 1975 and stayed in Pietrasanta
. After returning to Canada he commissioned a fountain scene (The Family Fountain) for the city Guelph
: the nude figures led to a controversy in the city.
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. 1927 – 1999) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
and sculptor.
Life and Work
McElcheran graduated with a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art until 1948 and was trained as a carpenterCarpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
and designer. He joined mid fifties employed by BB & R Architects in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
as a liturgical designer. He pushed a heavy stamp on the activities of the architectural interior designer and was head of church and university buildings. So in 1958 he played a major role in the development of McMaster Divinity College
McMaster Divinity College
McMaster Divinity College, also known as MacDiv, is a Christian seminary in Hamilton, Ontario. It is affiliated with the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, although in practice it is interdenominational, and could be said to more closely align with the broader Evangelical tradition...
and Chapel . In the early sixties he started sculpting, first in wood, followed by other materials. From 1970 McElcheran made his famous "The Crowd", "The (Rat) Race" and "Businessman" figures that appeared in several cities in Canada. He has this theme further developed until his death, as sculpture, relief and wall reliefs. He went to them to cast bronze, for training to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1975 and stayed in Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is a town and comune on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca. Pietrasanta is part of Versilia, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about 32 km north of Pisa...
. After returning to Canada he commissioned a fountain scene (The Family Fountain) for the city Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
Guelph is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Waterloo and west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it...
: the nude figures led to a controversy in the city.
Works (selection)
- The Race (1966) in St. Catharines
- Untitled - bronze sculpture, relief (1973), John M. Kelly Library - University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(first in plastic, a few years later in Italy in bronze) - Businessman (1980), Wellington Street in Toronto and CobourgCobourg, OntarioCobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
(OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) - The Conversation (1981), Stephen AvenueStephen AvenueStephen Avenue is a major pedestrian mall in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The mall is actually the portion of 8 Avenue SW between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE. It is open to vehicles only from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m....
in CalgaryCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies... - Wall Relief Cross Section (1981-1984), three walls of Dundas subway station in Toronto
- The Family Fountain (1985) in Guelph
- Businessman Walking (1986), King Street and St. Clair AvenueSt. Clair AvenueSt. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street....
in Toronto - The Encounter (1986), King Street in Toronto
- Three Businessmen and Career Woman in PisaPisaPisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
(Italy) - Businessman on a Horse (1989), University of Toronto and the Odette Sculpture ParkOdette Sculpture ParkThe Odette Sculpture Park is an open space in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, that shows 31 large-scale contemporary sculptures by world-renowned artists including Elisabeth Frink....
in WindsorWindsor, OntarioWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor... - The Boss (1989)
- What is happening (1995), Cumberland Street Toronto YorkvilleYorkville, TorontoYorkville is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, well known for its shopping. It is a former village, annexed by the City of Toronto. It is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west, and is considered part of...
- The Mob or Hunting Party (in plaster)
- Encounter (1997), bronze sculpture of two businessmen (1958, 3 of 4), York UniversityYork UniversityYork University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...