Saluting Canadian design at the ROM

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It might be a little early to start thinking about Canada Day, but there's a must-see exhibition at the ROM that will get you in the mood. Canadian Modern is a roundup of our nation's groundbreaking industrial design and craft from the mid-twentieth century to the present – and it's an eye-opening experience.

From the first moment, you know that if you're colour-averse, you're in trouble. A mannequin in a chromatically-saturated Marilyn Brooks gown from 1968 greets you like a hostess at a swanky cocktail party:

We're a long way from today's tasteful neutrals and all-greige interiors. Frank Gehry's Red Beaver armchair, my favourite piece in the show, turns up the volume on a single colour with patriotic fervour:

More subdued, but over-the-top in concept, is Gord Peteran's Chest on Chest dresser, with its full-scale piece a pedestal for a perfectly-executed miniature:

The rhythmic wave-like forms of Thomas Lamb's Steamer chair are so commanding you can almost hear the ocean:

Throughout the exhibition, clever groupings provoke extended looking. The metallic surface of the K700 stool reflects the colours of the Onion curtain and the Pumpkin dress in a psychedelic swirl that feels true to the era:

Meanwhile, a Lotte lamp with a neatly curled cord sits beside a BlackBerry, a thoughtful pairing of the wired and the wireless:

The BlackBerry's blank screen points to a melancholy current that runs through the show. All of the items on display are meant for everyday use, but here are sequestered from the hurly-burly of life. A lineup of mid-century chairs has the feeling of mischievous children corralled for the annual formality of a school photo:

There's something poignant about all the kettles that will no longer boil, phones that will no longer ring, jewelry that will no longer dangle from earlobes or encircle a neck. I'm used to appreciating objects like these in vintage shops, where you're allowed to touch them and contemplate bringing them home, making them yours.

Take it as a call-to-action, though. That longing you might feel in viewing these not-so-distant artifacts can be satisfied by going out to find these very things, still available from dealers and collectors and everyday folks who want to introduce them to new owners.

There's a second, quieter call-to-action as well. Seeing objects from recent decades given the museum treatment might get you to look at the stuff in your home with fresh eyes. What ordinary things tell the story of you? The annals of history aren't just locked away in display cases and dusty books. We're each creating our own history – right here, right now.

Over to you

Check out Canadian Modern, on through October 15. Want to share your thoughts on the show? Jump into the Comments below.