I didn’t know that a week after my most recent trip to the Art Gallery of Guelph the province was going to be going into yet another lockdown, resulting in the closure of art galleries. This time the lockdown/emergency brake is for 28 days, taking us to May 1. I’m not sure what this means for the gallery’s current exhibitions that end on April 18th and April 25th, but I’m glad I was able to see The Disappearing Sky, When We Breathe We Breathe Together, and New Age Warriors in person. The Disappearing Sky features the work of Saskatchewan-based artist Zachari Logan and Baker Lake artist Ruth Qaulluaryuk, When We Breathe We Breathe Together is an action-oriented cultural organizing initiative facilitated by Decolonize This Place, and New Age Warriors, the exhibition I’m going to cover in this post, is a celebration of the strength, resilience, and ingenuity of artist Catherine Blackburn’s ancestors as well as the women in her life today.
Born in Patuanak, Saskatchewan, Catherine Blackburn is of Dene and European ancestry and a member of the English River First Nation. A multidisciplinary artist and jeweller, her work merges contemporary concepts with elements of traditional Dene culture. Melding traditional beadwork with contemporary design, the installation engages cultural identity, memory, and history, building on her past explorations of Canada’s colonial history through her own personal narratives of identity and culture. Reflecting new directions and materials, in New Age Warriors Blackburn has fashioned warrior garments and language medallions from plastic Perler beads to highlight the connection between materiality and Indigenous women’s ability to adapt to their changing environments. With a plasticity that parallels the flexibility of Indigenous women while affirming their resiliency, the regalia is an amalgam of elements in female clothing from different North American nations, honouring the diversity and creativity of traditional Indigenous design. Transforming memory and tradition to reimagine the future, the armour that adorns New Age Warriors “opens conversations about Indigenous innovation, ways to live on the land in the twenty-first century, and how love serves as a mighty force.” (Dr. Carmen Robertson)
Blackburn’s work came to my attention in the spring of 2019. She was featured in an article in VOGUE magazine along with seven other Indigenous beaders. I love fashion and am interested in the idea of fashion as armour. Each day when we dress, we make decisions about what to wear, why we are wearing it, how we want to feel when we are wearing it, and how we want others to see us.
The pieces in this exhibition are stunning and the photos only capture a small part of that. I went with a friend and we both gasped upon entering the first room. Some pieces were displayed in front of the corresponding photos of people wearing them and I found that to be an impactful way to show the beauty of the work.
On Wednesday, April 14, at 7 pm The Art Gallery of Guelph is presenting a conversation with Catherine Blackburn. Part dialogue, part studio visit, the discussion will explore her futuristic regalia and photographs that blend traditional materials and methods with elements of couture, hip-hop expression, and cosplay aesthetics, as well as her current work. I’ve already registered. You can register here.
Story and photos by Glodeane Brown.
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