Homage to the R 34 was commissioned for the international arrivals tunnel at Montreal International Airport in Dorval, Quebec. When installation of the work began on March 20, 1968, complaints from the RCMP and airport personnel about the content ensued. Texts referencing the draft-dodger Muhammad Ali, the bombing of a British kindergarten during the First World War, and a page from Curnoe’s journal were viewed as anti-American or inappropriate for the location. After four days of discussion, the jury recommended the mural be removed.
Personal, Local, and National: Greg Curnoe’s Vision
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Greg Curnoe, Homage to the R 34, October 1967–March 1968
Bostik urethane enamel paint on plywood and steel, propellers, metal screens, and electric motors, 26 panels of irregular dimensions installed in three units: 295 x 1551 x 25.5 cm; 195 x 1109.9 x 25.5 cm; 191.5 x 492.7 x 2.5 cm (overall length 32.2 m), commissioned by the Department of Transport, Ottawa, for the Montreal International Airport, Dorval, Quebec; collection of National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, since 1998