Maori artist Brett Graham examines Canada’s legacy of colonization with "Pioneer" at the MacKenzie

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Brett Graham, "Pioneer," 2015

installation at First Nations University of Canada as part of "Performing Turtle Island," 2015. Photo: Eagleclaw Thom

Brett Graham: Pioneer is on view from September 2, 2017 to January 28, 2018

Fall Exhibition Reception and Celebration | Friday, September 29, 2017

The MacKenzie continues its lineup of programming for Transformative Landscapes with Pioneer by New Zealand artist Brett Graham. Pioneer considers the prairies as an ocean and the tide of settlers as a flood that overwhelmed and devastated the Plains First Nations. A hybrid sculpture approximating a life-sized prairie grain wagon, the work was inspired by the artist’s reading of Regina author James Daschuk’s best-selling Clearing the Plains (University of Regina Press), a book which describes, in chilling detail, the politics of ethnocide by which the Canadian plains were cleared for settlement. The artwork gives form to the lingering racism and misunderstanding that permeates the national consciousness to this day. Pioneer is a promised donation by the artist to the MacKenzie’s Permanent Collection.

“Brett’s piece was done in response to James Daschuk’s Clearing the Plains, and the impact of colonization on Indigenous populations – first through the spread of diseases, whether it was by contact or intentional, then later government policies that were put in place to eradicate the population of their food sources,” says Michelle LaVallee, the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s Curator. “The implications of those attitudes and policies resonate today, and influence assumptions and values that are meant to positively guide our society and the actions of those given power over others — but instead — have had devastating effects on Indigenous lives. In the context of Transformative Landscapes and intercultural relations, this exhibition is happening while the country is given pause to think about these things on the occasion of Canada 150 — as we look back at where we have come from, contemplate what Canada is today and, most importantly, where it is going.”

While at the MacKenzie, Pioneer will be presented alongside Winnipeg artist Jeff Funnell’s Notes from the Inquest, which opens on September 30.

“Brett Graham is one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists and sculptors, so this is an important and rare opportunity to present a large-scale work by a Maori artist in Canada,” says Anthony Kiendl, the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s Executive Director and CEO. “We’re pleased that this major work of art by a leading international artist has been promised as a gift to our permanent collection. The MacKenzie continues to build our burgeoning international reputation as a leader in Indigenous art.”

About Brett Graham

Brett Graham is an artist from the sub-tribe Ngati Koroki Kahukura, Aotearoa (New Zealand). His work explores his dual Maori and European heritage and the issues affecting Pacific and Indigenous peoples today through installations that distill complex histories into striking sculptural forms. Graham has exhibited at the Sydney Biennale (2010, 2006) and his collaboration with Rachael Rakenawas exhibited at the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007). His work is included in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the National Gallery of Australia and Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand.

About Transformative Landscapes

As this year marks a time of transformation in which we contemplate the past, examine the present, and visualize the future, the MacKenzie Art Gallery launches Transformative Landscapes: Contemplating Space, Time and Connection. This programming series highlights the development and creation of a public artwork on the grounds of the MacKenzie, on Treaty Four Territory, in spring 2018. The project features leading Indigenous artists who will participate in workshops, screenings, panel discussions, and artist talks, exploring the themes of public art, reconciliation, intercultural relations, and national commemoration.

Source: MacKenzie Art Gallery