Mary Anne Barkhouse & Michael Belmore: Colony
Unveiled in the Sculpture Park Thursday, September 20 at 7 PM
Followed at 7:15 pm by an Artists’ Talk and indoor reception for their exhibition Terra Incognita.
This fall the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre unveiled the 33rd permanent outdoor
installation in the Sculpture Park. Constructed from granite and bronze,
Colony is the creation of artists Mary Anne Barkhouse (Nimpkish band,
Kwakiutl First Nation) and Michael Belmore (Ojibway). The red and black granite
is from the Haliburton Highlands area and is estimated to be about 3 billion
years old. The stone is carved by Belmore with the form of Misshipeshu, an
underwater lynx found in Ojibway mythology, stylized after the gargoyle
sculptures that are prevalent in gothic European architecture.
A bronze beaver sits on top of the
granite. The beaver is an important icon in Barkhouse’s work as it is a
distinctly Canadian emblem of industry, an example of nature’s ability to
persevere in the face of adversity. A key species within the North
American ecosystems, beavers provide not only for their own requirements but for
other flora and fauna as well. Historically the quest for their pelts has
directly influenced the colonial development of both Canada and the United
States, impacting severely their populations and those of indigenous
peoples. The beaver in Colony is engaged in the act of preservation, as
the adult beaver provides shelter and support to its young.
With Colony, Barkhouse and Belmore juxtapose the grotesque
architectural ornamentation of the gothic era with the traditional Ojibway
iconography of the Eastern Woodlands. Like the beaver, the mystical, horned
Misshipeshu is a guardian of the natural world, affording protection and control
over marine life and water conditions. Long depicted in the
narratives of the ancient petroglyphs found across the province of
Ontario, Misshipeshu finds a new means of expression through a transposition
into the contemporary milieu. Mirroring the transitioning of Ojibway
culture into urban settings, Misshipeshu likewise adapts to a new landscape, the
Sculpture Park. Blending the stone traditions of both Ojibway and European
cultures, and the iconography of the beaver and the Misshipeshu, Colony
is a reminder of the need for protection and respect of our ecosystems.
Colony was commissioned with the support of Augusta and Paul Tribe,
for the love of the arts, and with support from the Canada Council for the Arts
Acquisition Assistance Program, 2006.