Screen printing a plexiglass highway sign for “No Reply” with semi-transparent silver ink. Photo by Claire Kujundzic.
I had the pleasure of exhibiting this work at Two Rivers Gallery in Prince George from Jan. 29 to April 17, 2016. CKPG interviewed me during the installation and posted a short clip here. Sheryl McKay of CBC’s North By Northwest also interviewed me and a podcast is here. CBC news covered the story here.
Curator & Artistic Director, George Harris’ statement:
Below are some views of what was on display:
Claire looks at one portion of the “No Reply” wall – silkscreen on plexiglass with reclaimed fir, linen, truck mirror, metal and Gobo silhouette projection; letterhead of former Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, the Hon. Bernard Valcourt, who did not reply to a letter about Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women.
“No Reply” – centre section of wall.
“No Reply” – closeup of plexiglass “letter” on fir stand.
“No Reply” – the East Cordova Street sign component. (We lived in the 600 block for 11 years.)
“Residential Tabernacle” – silkscreen on priest robe and deer hide; deconsecrated tabernacle, communion bells; elk hoof rattle. Letters from the Archdiocese of Vancouver and the Bishop of Prince George concerning native residential schools.
“Encouraging Words” – silkscreen on moosehide, tarpaper; fir. Letter from the Hon. Elijah Harper expressing thanks for support during the Meech Lake debate.
“St. Lawrence River Blues” – silkscreen on toilet seat, metal; letter from the late Jean Drapeau, former Mayor of Montréal, concerning pollution in the St. Lawrence.
“St. Lawrence River Blues” – open; reveals an aquatic dinosaur skeleton (Temnodontosaurus Platydon) printed on corroded metal.
“Grey Flannel Softwood Dispute Panel” – silkscreen on flannel, fir. Letter from the Hon. Roy McLaren, former Minister for International Trade, concerning NAFTA; logos of some of the corporations which have used NAFTA’s Chapter 11 to sue governments.
“Grey Flannel Softwood Dispute Panel” – closeup.
“Grey Flannel Softwood Dispute Panel” – rear panel with logos of some of the corporations which have used NAFTA’s Chapter 11 to sue governments.
“Pinstripes” – silkscreen on wool, serpentine. Letter from the Hon. Michael Wilson, former Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and International Trade, concerning NAFTA.
Silkscreen on pinstripes, jade; letter from the Hon. Michael Wilson, former Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and International Trade, concerning NAFTA. (closeup)
Silkscreen on wool, serpentine. (rear view) Letter from the Hon. Michael Wilson, former Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and International Trade, concerning NAFTA.
“Denim Blues” – silkscreen on denim, adhesive vinyl & made-in-China plywood with reclaimed fir, rebar and lunch box; letter from the Hon. Thomas Mulcair regarding NAFTA.
Closeup of page one of “Denim Blues”.
Closeup of lunch box and thermos behind the denim curtain; hand silk screened stickers of US-based unions that operate in Canada.
Installation view of the “trouser triptych” of NAFTA-related pieces; piece about Oka at far right.
“Lacrosse Rules” – silkscreen on fabric, leather; astro turf. Letter from the office of the late Premier Robert Bourassa concerning the Oka crisis.
“Lacrosse Rules” – closeup of letter from the office of the late Premier Robert Bourassa concerning the Oka crisis.
“Lacrosse Rules” – closeup of leather with lacrosse sticks and referee signals.
“Foiled Again” – silkscreen on aluminum foil with plaster salmon “fossil”. Letter from Brian Tobin, former Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, concerning the Kemano Completion Project.
“Foiled Again” – closeup.
“Review Panel” – silkscreen on electrical panel – a letter about Site C from Premier Christy Clark. (closeup)
“Review Panel” – silkscreen on electrical panel and adhesive vinyl; laser etched slate; Peace River area fossils of the genus Monotis (Latin for one-eared); reclaimed fir; letter about Site C from Premier Christy Clark. Cree & Beaver languages.
Laser etched slate tile inside the electrical panel box, behind the Premier’s letter; Cree and Dane-zaa languages of Treaty people.
“Review Panel” – closeup of Peace River area fossils of the genus Monotis (Latin for one-eared)
“Review Panel” (Closeup of breaker)
“Review Panel” (Closeup of open breaker)
Installation view: “Unfiltered” in centre.
“Unfiltered” – silkscreen on tobacco/cotton rag paper & chest X-ray; light box. Letter from the Hon. Benoit Bouchard, former Minister of Health, concerning the marketing of “kiddie packs”.
“Unfiltered” – silkscreen on chest X-ray; light box. (closeup) The quote on the X-ray is from an Imasco marketing plan.
“Unfiltered” – closeup of hand made tobacco/cotton rag paper.
“Major Vesssels” – silkscreen on wood, paper; porthole. Letter from BC Ferries concerning an anti-nuclear “guerrilla media” project aimed at Trident submarine traffic.
“Major Vessels” – closeup of outer panel.
“Major Vessels” – open view.
Outer columns: “guerrilla media” project aimed at Trident submarine traffic; the Trident Action Group printed and distributed 21,000 faux schedules in ferry information racks. (Centre column shows a bona fide ferry schedule.)
“Postage Due” – silkscreen on plexiglass & reclaimed Wells-Barkerville fir. Letter from Anne Joynt, former President & CEO of Canada Post, concerning the proposed closure of the Barkerville Post Office.
“Postage Due” closeup; Billy Barker silk screened onto fir panel.
“Tailings” – silkscreen on plexiglass & core boxes; hard rock gold mine tailings; salvaged steel table legs; letter from Marcia Farqhar, BC Environmental Assessment Office, concerning an application from International Wayside Mines Ltd. for its Cariboo Gold Project. Closed.
“Tailings” – open.
“Tailings” – aerial view, open.
“Tailings” – closeup.
“Leaden Prose” – embossed lead; silkscreen on cayenne paper; black light, plywood Letter from the Hon. Pierre Blais, former Minister of Consumer & Corporate Affairs, concerning food irradiation. Most spices sold in Canada are irradiated. (closed view)
“Leaden Prose” – closeup of embossed lead.
“Leaden Prose” – embossed lead; silkscreen on cayenne paper; black light, plywood Letter from the Hon. Pierre Blais, former Minister of Consumer & Corporate Affairs, concerning food irradiation. Most spices sold in Canada are irradiated. (open view)
I was honoured to participate in this event and learned a lot from my fellow panelists. Thanks to UNBC & PICS for partnering with Two Rivers.
Kym led us in a beautiful song and dance at the end which felt like a special blessing; photo courtesy of Carolyn Holmes, Two Rivers Gallery.
More images to follow; meanwhile see this page for previous versions and other work from the series. Some short, low res video clips here: installation view, Review Panel, Tailings.
A catalogue is now available, with an essay by Curator, George Harris. Please use the “About & Contact” page on this site to order or to inquire about mailing costs outside Canada. $20 + GST + shipping/handling = $25.00 (cheque or e-transfer).
Catalogue published by Two Rivers Gallery. 36 pages + cover jacket.
Thanks to: Claire Kujundzic, Art Napoleon, Verena Hofmann, Stan Haack, Danny Wong, Dave & Karen Jeffery ~ Sunset Theatre, Dave Jorgenson, Cheryl Mcarthy, Kathleen Angelski & Two Rivers Maker Lab, Bruce Self, Murry Krause, Brian Lewis, Jane Inyallie, Kathy Landry, Angie at The Quesnel Drive-in Restaurant, Andrew Glitherow, Ian Crawford, Lycrecia Adin, Brent Blake, Sophia Isajiw, Jocelyn Banyard, Denise Dauvin, Tim Hathaway, Zirnhelt Timber Frame, Denise Linley, Lyndal Osborne & John Freeman, The Banff Centre, Vancouver Native Education Centre, Two Rivers Gallery, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, CBC Radio, CKPG, CFIS Glen Alteen, Nettie Wild.
At the opening I dedicated Behind the Lines to the Treaty 8 Stewards of the Land, and both Claire Kujundzic and I remain grateful for their dedication, courage and vision.
Gallery comments book (1.6 MB PDF)
Exhibit at Workers Arts & Heritage Centre, Hamilton, Ontario 2009
Installation view at WAHC.
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- Mr and Mrs Tuberosum.
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- Mr and Mrs Tuberosum (potato people in vegetable crate)
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- Mr and Mrs Tuberosum (lab coat)
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- Mr and Mrs Tuberosum (closeup of lab coat)
“Mr and Mrs Tuberosum” – Silkscreen on lab coat & wood, with fimo & potatoes. Letter from the Hon. Alan Rock, Minister of Health, concerning genetically engineered foods. Fimo body parts represent the gene sources Monsanto has been using to modify potatoes, e.g. sunflowers, peas, soybeans and bacteria.
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- Enough Words – front view.
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- Enough Words – angle view.
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- Enough Words – closer front view.
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- Enough words – closeup.
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- Enough Words – closeup
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- Enough Words – closeup
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- Enough Words – closeup
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- Enough Words – closeup
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- Enough Words – closeup
“Enough Words” – silkscreen on plexi with steel. Letters from the office of the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, former Minister of Justice, concerning the ongoing imprisonment of Leonard Peltier, American Indian Movement activist extradited from Canada in 1976 with the use of false affidavits.
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- Special Permit Class.
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- Special Permit Class (rear view).
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- Special Permit Class (closeup).
“Special Permit Class” – silkscreen on pig gut and canvas with church pew parts and reclaimed fir. Letter from the Minister of State concerning the refusal of the Canadian government to admit entry to Jewish refugees aboard the S.S. St. Louis in 1939. The majority of passengers ended up in concentration camps.
According to “Open Hearts, Closed Doors” – Canadian Immigration Review, “The Special Permit Class was comprised of southern Europeans and Jews, who had to get special cabinet permission to immigrate. In 1923, immigration policies were tightened up to severely limit the admission of these non-preferred immigrants, especially Jews. Canada’s doors remained effectively closed to Jews until after the war.” There is now a memorial to the passengers in Halifax, and Prime Minister Trudeau gave an official apology in 2018.
Photo of passengers on the S.S. St. Louis reproduced with permission of the US Holocaust Museum. The views or opinions expressed in this artwork, and the context in which the photograph is used, do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of, nor imply approval or endorsement by, the United States Holocaust Museum.