| Voice of Fire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Barnett Newman |
| Year | 1967 |
| Type | Acrylic on canvas |
| Dimensions | 540 cm × 240 cm (213 in × 94 in) |
| Location | National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa |
Voice of Fire is a 1967 acrylic on canvas abstract painting made by American painter Barnett Newman in 1967. It consists of three equally sized vertical stripes, with the outer two painted blue and the centre painted red. The work was created as a special commission for Expo 67. In 1987 it was loaned to the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The purchase of Voice of Fire by the National Gallery of Canada for its permanent collection in 1989 at a cost of $1.8 million caused controversy.[1] Some residents mocked the purchase with striped T-shirts and ties that mimicked the painting.[1] The 1996 book Voices of Fire: Art Rage, Power, and the State, edited by Bruce Barber, Serge Guilbaut and John O'Brian, discusses the issues around the purchase of the painting.
- ^ a b McQueen, Ann Marie (June 28, 2005). "Artist's works Fire up debate". Ottawa Sun.