“Intangible” – New Exhibition Opens at the Bill Reid Gallery – My VanCity

An exciting new exhibit featuring a diverse display of art works created by six Coast Salish artists has just opened at the Bill Reid Gallery. Subtitled “Memory and Innovation in Coast Salish Art”, the pieces are all very modern but are clearly grounded in the multigenerational traditions of the Coast Salish people.

The exhibition was curated by Beth Carter, curator at the Bill Reid Gallery, and Sharon Fortney, an indigenous scholar and curator who is a specialist in Coast Salish culture. It features two or three pieces from each of the artists, as well as a video, during which the artists spend three to five minutes telling their stories, describing their medium for expression and explaining the purpose of their creations.

lessLIE (Leslie Sam), a member of the Cowichan tribe, creates striking works with subtle themes. “Culturally Correct Canucks” appears, at first glance, to be a replica of the Canucks logo. On closer examination, one is able to see the changes in the mouth of the fish and the addition of the sea which combine to make the logo ‘culturally correct’, while asking its own questions. A second painting “DIEt of dEATh”, juxtaposes traditional organic food inside a logo which looks more than a little like a McDonald’s sign, evoking questions about land, ownership and stealing.