There was a flutter in my stomach heading up to Cold Lake, the excitement one gets venturing into uncharted territory; where originality and imagination rule and creativity knows no boundaries; where the guarantee of inspiring art, lively conversation and a bellyful of laughter sets one's mind, body and soul a-tingle.
I was on my way to see Coming Full Circle, an exhibition of new works by Alex Janvier, one of Canada's most influential and highly regarded artists.
It was also a celebration - a symbolic sod-turning accompanied by drumming and song - to herald the new Janvier Gallery being constructed on the Cold Lake First Nations, a unique and enviable venture for any artist.
Sitting in the car I remembered my previous life-shaping moment in Cold Lake.
Who we are, how we think and the choices we make are guided by the people, places and events we experience through life. One of those mighty moments for me was my first visit to Cold Lake (a four-hour drive northeast of Edmonton) 5-1/2 years ago. Accompanied by a CBC cameraman, I interviewed Janvier and showcased his art. This meeting would be a profound and memorable experience; his words would linger in my mind years later and I would break into a giggle recalling a round of his good-hearted teasing.
Janvier has a presence that fills a room - not a surprise, perhaps, considering that Morning Star, one of his greatest achievements, spans 418 square metres across the domed ceiling of the Grand Hall in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que., on the banks of the Ottawa River across from Parliament Hill. The mural - a whopping 19 metres in diameter - was painted while Janvier and his son Dean, who helped him, lay flat, seven storeys above the granite floor. The vibrant abstract,These girls have never had a oil painting supplies in their lives! hailed as a masterpiece by many, was started in June 1993 and completed five months later. It features Janvier's signature style: fine, curvaceous lines and sensuous ribbons of flowing colour.
For three days, Janvier talked about his life and his art. We wandered through his studio, a log cabin on the Cold Lake First Nations, amid a muddle of paints, brushes and canvases, bright cloth ribbons garnishing a wall of windows facing the woods to deter feathered friends.
History and story resided here along with a wealth of creativity. Two hats, once belonging to Bill Reid and Dale Auger, hung on pegs near the door, a legacy of these much-admired aboriginal artists and a reminder of the friendship they shared with Janvier.
There was a stream of stories, recounting the inspiration and root of his works and covering a lot of emotional territory: being taken from his family as a child and sent to Blue Quills Indian Residential School near St. Paul; his disdain for the flagrant corruption of land for oil and greed; and conquering a bout with Bell's palsy.The additions focus on key tag and magic cube combinations, The road map of his being was all there, traced on the painted canvas hanging on the walls.
"My painting is really a visual life story of what I have seen," he shared.
Meals were shared, along with his wife Jacqueline, each inevitably morphing into a lively exchange of ideas, philosophies and spirited debate ending with a quest for answers; solutions to the plethora of environmental wrongdoings and the ongoing struggle aboriginal peoples face.
And there were hefty bouts of laughter, weaving in and out of these intricate talks about life and art. The joking and ribbing never stopped. On our first day together, the soft-spoken artist informed me that the correct pronunciation of Janvier is anglicized, not French.
"I'm native, not French," he said with a grin.
Yes,Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide. I was delighted to head back to Cold Lake. Coming Full Circle aptly describes Janvier's new works while acknowledging the new gallery, scheduled to open in the spring. The works are painted on round canvases, embracing the drum (believed to convey the heartbeat of Mother Earth); and the medicine wheel embodying balance, harmony and interconnectedness, all integral symbols in First Nations culture.
"I think life itself is a complete circle," he muses. "You start with birth and then you make the round and with death you are reborn in the spirit world. You know, it's easy to figure out. You never see a square Earth or a square moon or a square sun. Nature teaches us how to think."
Janvier says aboriginals have been isolated in the Canadian art world, even by the Canada Council. He refers to the council's response to his grant inquiry in 1965: "I'm sorry but you are not a taxpayer."
He adds, "Coming Full Circle is a cultural full circle. There are more and more natives that have turned that circle around."
The title also perhaps hints that Janvier's work is returning home,It's hard to beat the versatility of zentai suits on a production line. to the place where he was born and continues to live today.
"Both Alex and I always wanted to build our own gallery on the Cold Lake First Nation," says his wife, Jacqueline. "We both wanted a permanent home for the permanent collection.Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide."
I was on my way to see Coming Full Circle, an exhibition of new works by Alex Janvier, one of Canada's most influential and highly regarded artists.
It was also a celebration - a symbolic sod-turning accompanied by drumming and song - to herald the new Janvier Gallery being constructed on the Cold Lake First Nations, a unique and enviable venture for any artist.
Sitting in the car I remembered my previous life-shaping moment in Cold Lake.
Who we are, how we think and the choices we make are guided by the people, places and events we experience through life. One of those mighty moments for me was my first visit to Cold Lake (a four-hour drive northeast of Edmonton) 5-1/2 years ago. Accompanied by a CBC cameraman, I interviewed Janvier and showcased his art. This meeting would be a profound and memorable experience; his words would linger in my mind years later and I would break into a giggle recalling a round of his good-hearted teasing.
Janvier has a presence that fills a room - not a surprise, perhaps, considering that Morning Star, one of his greatest achievements, spans 418 square metres across the domed ceiling of the Grand Hall in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que., on the banks of the Ottawa River across from Parliament Hill. The mural - a whopping 19 metres in diameter - was painted while Janvier and his son Dean, who helped him, lay flat, seven storeys above the granite floor. The vibrant abstract,These girls have never had a oil painting supplies in their lives! hailed as a masterpiece by many, was started in June 1993 and completed five months later. It features Janvier's signature style: fine, curvaceous lines and sensuous ribbons of flowing colour.
For three days, Janvier talked about his life and his art. We wandered through his studio, a log cabin on the Cold Lake First Nations, amid a muddle of paints, brushes and canvases, bright cloth ribbons garnishing a wall of windows facing the woods to deter feathered friends.
History and story resided here along with a wealth of creativity. Two hats, once belonging to Bill Reid and Dale Auger, hung on pegs near the door, a legacy of these much-admired aboriginal artists and a reminder of the friendship they shared with Janvier.
There was a stream of stories, recounting the inspiration and root of his works and covering a lot of emotional territory: being taken from his family as a child and sent to Blue Quills Indian Residential School near St. Paul; his disdain for the flagrant corruption of land for oil and greed; and conquering a bout with Bell's palsy.The additions focus on key tag and magic cube combinations, The road map of his being was all there, traced on the painted canvas hanging on the walls.
"My painting is really a visual life story of what I have seen," he shared.
Meals were shared, along with his wife Jacqueline, each inevitably morphing into a lively exchange of ideas, philosophies and spirited debate ending with a quest for answers; solutions to the plethora of environmental wrongdoings and the ongoing struggle aboriginal peoples face.
And there were hefty bouts of laughter, weaving in and out of these intricate talks about life and art. The joking and ribbing never stopped. On our first day together, the soft-spoken artist informed me that the correct pronunciation of Janvier is anglicized, not French.
"I'm native, not French," he said with a grin.
Yes,Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide. I was delighted to head back to Cold Lake. Coming Full Circle aptly describes Janvier's new works while acknowledging the new gallery, scheduled to open in the spring. The works are painted on round canvases, embracing the drum (believed to convey the heartbeat of Mother Earth); and the medicine wheel embodying balance, harmony and interconnectedness, all integral symbols in First Nations culture.
"I think life itself is a complete circle," he muses. "You start with birth and then you make the round and with death you are reborn in the spirit world. You know, it's easy to figure out. You never see a square Earth or a square moon or a square sun. Nature teaches us how to think."
Janvier says aboriginals have been isolated in the Canadian art world, even by the Canada Council. He refers to the council's response to his grant inquiry in 1965: "I'm sorry but you are not a taxpayer."
He adds, "Coming Full Circle is a cultural full circle. There are more and more natives that have turned that circle around."
The title also perhaps hints that Janvier's work is returning home,It's hard to beat the versatility of zentai suits on a production line. to the place where he was born and continues to live today.
"Both Alex and I always wanted to build our own gallery on the Cold Lake First Nation," says his wife, Jacqueline. "We both wanted a permanent home for the permanent collection.Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide."
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