Works of Bob Boyer on display at MacKenzie

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When it comes to the world of art, the works of da Vinci and Picasso are easily recognizable. When it comes to Aboriginal art in Canada, Bob Boyer's name and work seem to hold a similar status.

After Boyer passed away in 2004, staff at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina envisioned the creation of a legacy project that would ensure current and future generations wouldn't forget the important contributions made by the artist. The result of that vision is the Bob Boyer Legacy Educational Project and Exhibition that has been on display since Sept. 23 and will remain at the gallery until Jan. 14.

Wendy Winter, gallery educator for school and youth programs at the MacKenzie, is curator of the Boyer exhibition, which will be featured in the gallery's school tour program and the urban outreach program for inner city and Aboriginal schools throughout the fall.

Having the MacKenzie host an exhibition of Boyer's work seems particularly fitting, given the long relationship between the artist and the gallery.

Boyer received his bachelor of education from the University of Saskatchewan in 1971, then began his involvement in the arts and in education in First Nations communities.

From 1973 to 1975, Boyer was the community program officer for the gallery. In 1978, he was appointed assistant professor and consultant in Indian art at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, now the First Nations University of Canada. Two years later he became head of the school's department of Indian art.

His breakthrough exhibition took place in 1984 at the MacKenzie. Horses Fly Too featured a number of oil paintings in which Boyer used blankets as his canvas. Solo and major exhibitions soon followed, organized by esteemed galleries and museums such as the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology, the Edmonton Art Gallery and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

"His painting on blankets tended to be very political and he got national and international recognition with them," said Lee-Ann Martin, curator of Aboriginal art at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Martin is currently gathering Boyer's works and writings for a Bob Boyer retrospective exhibition scheduled to open at the Mackenzie in September 2008. It will remain there for close to three month then will tour nationally.

The exhibition will include approximately 60 to 70 of Boyer's works, presenting a much broader picture of the man and his art than the current exhibition, which features only four of his works.

"I think what they wanted to do with this legacy project was to get the whole process going with the curriculum development in school and to get the kids responding to Bob's work," said Martin.

Martin and Boyer were friends as well as colleagues for about 20 years. The conversations they had about his work are providing valuable background that will help Martin pull the exhibition together.

"I'm doing the research right now, visiting institutions, public collections and private individuals who have his works and identifying which of the paintings will be included in the exhibition," said Martin.

Boyer worked in several styles but is best known for his blankets, which are politically charged paintings with subtle forms of anti-colonial criticism.

"He was always just experimenting, pushing colours and materials, different types of paint and styles of painting," said Martin. "So, this exhibition will really look at that sort of lasting impact of Bob and how he continued to evolve and develop within his own practice over 30 years. This exhibition will be a more comprehensive look at his work."

The Bob Boyer Legacy Education Project is just one of the Aboriginal-themed exhibits currently at the MacKenzie. Another is the Wahwa Neechi Funk! Aboriginal Humour Exhibition, curated by Neal McLeod, which will be at the gallery until Jan.14.

The exhibition is a look at Aboriginal humour and how laughter (pahpiwin) brings people together and gives hope through ifficult times. It consists of various Aboriginal storytellers telling of journeys and struggles where pahpiwin can be found in everyday Aboriginal (neechi) life.

For example, in Mike Steadman's piece, he uses a KFC chicken bucket, presenting the Colonel as a symbol of a changing world. He says that we are no longer buffalo hunters, but instead eaters of fried chicken. As our food changes, our culture changes.

"Our greatest storytellers have often reminded us of our individual limitations and need for others to enlarge our perception and understanding of the world around us," said McLeod. "There is no better way to do that than through neechi funk and humour."

More information about the exhibitions can be found on the gallery Web site at www.mackenzieartgallery.sk.ca.