What's new at the MOA?

What's new at the MOA - quite a lot!

If you haven't been to the Museum of Anthropology recently, now is a good time.

One of the featured exhibits is by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: (continues until mid October 2016)


Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories

"Vancouver artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, of Coast Salish and Okanagan descent, is showcased in this provocative exhibition of works that confront the colonialist suppression of First Nations peoples and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights to lands, resources, and sovereignty.

Twenty years since his last major Canadian solo show, Unceded Territories will demonstrate the progression of Yuxweluptun’s artistry and ideas through hard-hitting, polemical, but also playful artworks that span his remarkable 30- year career, featuring a selection of brand-new works exhibited publicly for the first time." http://moa.ubc.ca/portfolio_page/lawrence-paul/

This is an interesting and thought provoking exhibition. Here are a few pictures I took when I visited the exhibition recently:

 

This is a painting about fish farmers, if you look carefully you can see the lice.

 

 

The shows opening attracted a record crowd:

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/arts/yuxweluptun-indigenous-art-vancouver-1.3601559

"Red Man watching White Man trying to fix a hole in the sky"

detail of above

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, graduated from the Emily Carr School of Art and Design in 1983 with an honours degree in painting. Yuxweluptun's strategy is to document and promote change in contemporary Indigenous history in large-scale paintings (from 54.2 x 34.7cm to 233.7 x 200.7cm), using Coast Salish cosmology, Northwest Coast formal design elements, and the Western landscape tradition. His painted works explore political, environmental, and cultural issues. His personal and socio-political experiences enhance this practice of documentation. Yuxweluptun's work has been included in numerous international group and solo exhibitions, such as INDIGENA: Contemporary Native Perspectives in 1992. He was the recipient of the Vancouver Institute for the Visual Arts (VIVA) award in 1998. http://lawrencepaulyuxweluptun.com/

 

 

 

Here is a video titled "Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories"



The museum  has been renovated since the last time I visited, with changes to the indoor and outdoor displays. Definitely worth a visit!

 

------------------------------------------------

 

On a different level entirely here is my art news:

 

I am very please to report that my painting "Venetian White" has been accepted into the juried show "Arts 2016" and I will be getting an award.

 

 

 

The opening reception is Friday June 24, 7 to 9 pm.

 

The exhibition is at the Surrey Art Gallery (13750 88th Avenue) and runs until August 27, 2016.

 

----------------------------------------------

 

Here is my latest painting, another varnished watercolour (8" x 8") named

"Small Change":

 

 

Well that's all for this week,

 

happy Wednesday, with whimsy,

 

Gillian.



What's new at the MOA?

What's new at the MOA - quite a lot!

If you haven't been to the Museum of Anthropology recently, now is a good time.

One of the featured exhibits is by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: (continues until mid October 2016)


Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories

"Vancouver artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, of Coast Salish and Okanagan descent, is showcased in this provocative exhibition of works that confront the colonialist suppression of First Nations peoples and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights to lands, resources, and sovereignty.

Twenty years since his last major Canadian solo show, Unceded Territories will demonstrate the progression of Yuxweluptun’s artistry and ideas through hard-hitting, polemical, but also playful artworks that span his remarkable 30- year career, featuring a selection of brand-new works exhibited publicly for the first time." http://moa.ubc.ca/portfolio_page/lawrence-paul/

This is an interesting and thought provoking exhibition. Here are a few pictures I took when I visited the exhibition recently:

 

This is a painting about fish farmers, if you look carefully you can see the lice.

 

 

The shows opening attracted a record crowd:

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/arts/yuxweluptun-indigenous-art-vancouver-1.3601559

"Red Man watching White Man trying to fix a hole in the sky"

detail of above

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, graduated from the Emily Carr School of Art and Design in 1983 with an honours degree in painting. Yuxweluptun's strategy is to document and promote change in contemporary Indigenous history in large-scale paintings (from 54.2 x 34.7cm to 233.7 x 200.7cm), using Coast Salish cosmology, Northwest Coast formal design elements, and the Western landscape tradition. His painted works explore political, environmental, and cultural issues. His personal and socio-political experiences enhance this practice of documentation. Yuxweluptun's work has been included in numerous international group and solo exhibitions, such as INDIGENA: Contemporary Native Perspectives in 1992. He was the recipient of the Vancouver Institute for the Visual Arts (VIVA) award in 1998. http://lawrencepaulyuxweluptun.com/

 

 

 

Here is a video titled "Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories"



The museum  has been renovated since the last time I visited, with changes to the indoor and outdoor displays. Definitely worth a visit!

 

------------------------------------------------

 

On a different level entirely here is my art news:

 

I am very please to report that my painting "Venetian White" has been accepted into the juried show "Arts 2016" and I will be getting an award.

 

 

 

The opening reception is Friday June 24, 7 to 9 pm.

 

The exhibition is at the Surrey Art Gallery (13750 88th Avenue) and runs until August 27, 2016.

 

----------------------------------------------

 

Here is my latest painting, another varnished watercolour (8" x 8") named

"Small Change":

 

 

Well that's all for this week,

 

happy Wednesday, with whimsy,

 

Gillian.



Totem Poles

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia is a very interesting place to visit. There is an extensive collection in the museum as well as an outdoor collection including many totem poles and a long house.

 

 I took these pictures when I last visited: 

 

Welcoming poles outside: 

Outside the Museum of Anthropology:



"Totem poles may recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events. Some poles celebrate cultural beliefs, but others are mostly artistic. Certain types of totem poles are part of mortuary structures, and incorporate grave boxes with carved supporting poles, or recessed backs for grave boxes. Poles illustrate stories that commemorate historic persons, represent shamanic powers, or provide objects of public ridicule." (Wikipedia)

Poles are usually carved of western red cedar because it is resistant to decay (containing a natural fungicide), but still there are not many poles that are more than 100 years old still standing.

 

"The vertical order of images is widely believed to be a significant representation of importance. This idea is so pervasive that it has entered into common parlance with the phrase "low man on the totem pole." " (Wikipedia)

 

 

"Erection of a totem pole is almost never done using modern methods, even for poles installed in modern settings on the outside of public and private buildings. Instead, the traditional ceremony and process of erection is still followed scrupulously by most artists, in that a great wooden scaffold is built, and hundreds of strong men haul the pole upright into its footing, while others steady the pole from side ropes and brace it with cross beams.

 

Once the pole is complete, a potlatch is typically held where the carver is formally paid and other traditional activities are conducted. The carver will usually, once the pole is freestanding, perform a celebratory and propitiatory dance next to the pole while wielding the tools used to carve it. Also, the base of the pole is burnt before erection to provide a sort of rot resistance." (Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

"Totem poles are typically not well maintained after their erection. 

The beliefs behind the lack of maintenance vary among individuals, but generally it is believed that the deterioration of the pole is representative of natural processes of decay and death that occur with all living things, and attempts to prevent this are seen as somehow denying or ignoring the nature of the world." (Wikipedia)

Inside the museum is a huge collection of art from cultures around the world.

MOA describes itself as: "A place of extraordinary architectural beauty. A place of provocative programming and vibrant, contemporary exhibitions. A place of active exploration and quiet contemplation. A place of world arts and cultures."

Bill Reid's sculpture "The Raven and the First Men":

Cooking box lids:

 

I have always been fascinated by the imagery on totem poles and other First Nations' carvings and I sure found some inspiration in my visit to the MOA.

 

Here are two paintings that I have finished recently.

 

Both are watercolours; the first I call "Aurora":

 

the second "Echoes":

 

Both are part of my art show at "Pane e Formaggio", on now until early November.

 

For more information on these paintings or others in my show visit GillianOlsonArt.blogspot.com

 

Thank you for stopping by, yours with whimsy, Gillian.