Exhibit connects Indigenous artists on two continents

Page 3

Raven's Eye caught up with the world's first art exhibition developed through satellite video conferencing developed by Australian Aboriginal artists and First Nations artists of Canada at the Secwepmc Museum in Kamloops.

The facilitation of an art education research project between the University of British Columbia and the University of South Australia has resulted in the birth of a collaborative international exhibition titled Four Circles/Soaring Visions.

How did a research program that draws and reveals comparisons between the plight of Aboriginal people spanning two continents begin? With the recognition by both parties that Aboriginal artists are under-represented within art education curriculum and their history is misunderstood by the dominant society in both countries.

As the project moved forward it became apparent that the field of art education needed more studies addressing issues of tradition and innovation for Indigenous artists. As several artists were invited to participate in videoconferences, the ensuing energy and excitement created a context for the development of ideas, as well as the sharing of similar histories, issues and goals. A decision was made to initiate an international exhibition of their work.

For the past two years artists Heather Shearer, from the Arrernte people of central Australia and Max Mansell, an Indigenous Tasmanian, have been sharing histories with artists George Littlechild and Faith Louis-Adams, both Plains Cree from Alberta.

Vivid colors and beautiful designs coupled with text and audiotape, balanced with a response to the social, cultural and spiritual fragmentation perpetuated by the colonizing powers in Australia and Canada creates a powerful exhibition.

Faith Louis-Adams constructed four mixed media representational drums, each 60 inches in diameter.

"I've used the form of the drum because it is representative of the heartbeat of our people," said Louis-Adams. "The drum speaks to a common spirituality and creates a strong connection to our heritage. Hearing the drums and the singing for the first time since I was young was an extremely moving and emotional experience for me. It filled me with an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and a longing to return home. I know this is why the drum figures so prominently in my current artwork."

Max Mansell's strongest painting is The Stolen Generations, acrylic on Belgian linen. A black figure lies prostrate with arms and legs outstretched, surrounded by numerous symbols. A newspaper pasted onto the work alleges "a misguided reading of Christianity in which one-quarter of all Aboriginal families had their children taken away so they could be shown how to use a knife and fork, read the bible and behave like white people."

George Littlechild's body of work consists largely of photograph collages with unifying shades of red, blue and gold. In Never Again, his late mother, Rachel Littlechild, stands in her residential school uniform with an ugly knowledge staring through pained eyes. She is nine years old. She died in 1965, and was only 37.

Art exhibitions can be empty affairs, leaving people wondering why they bothered to pay real money to view something they don't understand. Others are accessible, engaging, innovative, enlightening and thought-provoking, stimulating fireside discussions.