Current Terrain

BRUNO CANADIEN, BRENDA DRANEY, JESSIE RAY SHORT, ADRIAN STIMSON, AND ALBERTA ROSE W.
Current Terrain

September 18 - October 21, 2018
A Space Gallery; 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON  
Opening Reception and Performance: September 18, 2018, 6pm at A Space Gallery
imagineNATIVE Art Crawl: October 19, 2018, 6-9pm, 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON
Curator's Tour: October 19th, 2018, 630pm at A Space  Gallery

Artists living on the land now known as Alberta continue to contribute to conversations of contemporary art both nationally and internationally. The province has a rich history of Indigenous artists leading the way, making connections between territory and site through the materiality and criticality of their diverse practices. This exhibition investigates a range of works by Indigenous artists currently living in Alberta demonstrating the vitality of contemporary art in the province.

Each of the artists work activate Alberta's variable territories and geographies from the boreal forest, the great plains, the vast array of mountain ranges from the foothills to the badlands, all connected by extensive bodies of water. While some artists consider site and relationship of land to family, others explore the ways in which the landscape has been altered by colonialism, capitalism and resource extraction. Overall, this exhibition considers the intersection of land, ecology, and relationality to and within Alberta.

Current Terrain is curated by Ociciwan and presented in partnership with imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.

ROLLING HILLS OF PRAIRIE GRASSES AS EXQUISITE AS RAINFOREST
By Nicole Kelly Westman

A fiery hue settles in as a sooty sun sets, creating a light similar to that of a sodium vapour street lamp. The apocalyptic light bathes everyone in a flattering glow while a basic question is proposed to a group of peers: “is fire bad?” The binary presumed in this positioning seems abruptly inadequate. I refrain from answering but think to myself “for whom is fire bad?” For humans the billowing smoke, poor air quality, and loss of property results in a palpable concern for a future smothered by smolder. Yet these burns are necessary for the shedding of canopies and create a potential for new growth and robust biodiversity in the wooded areas of the subarctic and boreal forests native to Alberta. The lodgepole pine requires combustion in order for their overly durable cones to burst open and expel seeds. After the flames are extinct these budding coniferous trees share space with berry shrubs, willows, grasses, mycelia and leafy deciduous trees to naturally alter the context of the forest.

We too should look to the potentialities within the naturally occurring cleanse of the forest floor as a metaphor for rejuvenation that makes space for a more delicate presence rather than certain permanence. To reject colonial dispositions of conquering and to listen to the histories surrounding us. To find new feminized voices that are both humble and confident in order to reclaim our positionings in this place. This is not to disavow the challenges within the chaos of fire but for us to reposition ourselves so that we may hear the needs of our land and slow the pace of our reactions in order to analyze our emotionally derived responses in the face of what we claim as disaster.

We need to listen to the land in order to destabilize our paternalized positionings. In the ways we have removed our responsibilities and disconnected from our understandings of the cyclical changes unique to this land. A pristine example of this lies in the prestige of the national park for which we must idly obey the imposed rules which frame us as spectators. Banff National Park was established two decades prior to Alberta’s entrance into Confederation and holds the prominence of being Canada's first national park. With the privilege of being the first comes the expectation of setting precedent, and through the guise of the rulings designated upon this place humans are no longer incorporated as carers, cultivators or harvesters. In the legislation upheld by the park authority there exists an erasure of Indigenous epistemologies that hold particular intimacies to the specifics of place. Through the segregation of park boundaries we have, innocently or not, cordoned off a section of land to designate as a sanctuary. But can there be solace on the Crown Land leased to industry for extraction or in the commodification of our watersheds or in the desecration of our natural prairie grasses?

I am unsettled by the finite boundaries we have claimed to protect. Again an oversimplification exists in the binary division of land we deem sacred and the land we deem ripe for sacrifice. In the space between the marsh and the tailings pond is there a knowledge that we cannot access because the ego induced by the anthropocene has equipped us with enough academically derived promises of progress to relieve our guilty burden. There is an insufficiency in the designation of these taxonomies, in the water we protect and the fresh water we blast into the earth to frack. Are we listening to the land’s trembling response as she quivers with instability in the face of our greed induced exploitations? How do we adapt to a stance of reciprocity so that we can hold care for the knowledge embedded in the geological history of oil? If capitalism were not seduced by oil would the tar sands have been considered a site of ancestral knowledge of such significance that they too could be tended for by the policies of governing bodies? Can we be so bold as to question our aesthetic bias when designating sites of significance?

And so I ask you to slow your pace and confront your bias and, as a political action, to refuse positionalities of blame. To consider the care put forth by these artists to defend the places they claim as home. To recognize the emotional and invisible labours of Indigenous bodies to protect the places that government has not. To claim your own responsibilities and refrain from the ease of pointing fingers with accusations of blame. In this time when Indigenous voices are uprising to fight for a decolonized future how do we all recognize the actions of our discourse and symbiotically support each other to find potential ways to secure less destructive futures? Can we trigger our minds to reconsider rolling hills of prairie grasses as exquisite as rainforests rather than barren plots? Can we consider the courage of the buffalo as it finds its footing in a place that is both foreign and familiar while it gently reclaims an area to which its histories are abundant? With the complications imposed by these questions we must look forward to an unclear path of missteps and fumbles as we collate collective voices to move forward with both an expectation for timely unity and confrontation. We dedicated too much time between oscillating perspectives of vilifying and victimizing this land but now is the time for us to refrain from asserting our assumptions and listen to the land so that we may in turn look to her anew.

AYÂPATINAWA PASKWÂWASKOSIYA MIYONÂKWANWA TÂPISKÔC MISISAKÂWA
By Nicole Kelly Westman | Translated into Plains Cree by Dorothy Thunder

ehiskotewi-itasinâsot pîsim kâpahkisimok, wâsenâkwan tâpiskôc pimohceskanâs kâwâsaskotenikan. pikwâwiyahk kihkâyâsiwak ekakwecimihcik peyakwaya ayisiniyiwak: “iskotew cî mâyâtan?” kahisinîswasteki namoya tâp’ we kwayask. namwâc ninaskomon mâka omisinititeyihten “awîna ohci iskotew emâyâtahk?”

ayisiyiniwak wâneyihtamihikowak kâmisikaskâptâtehk, namoya kakîmiyoyehetotamihk iyikohk ekaskâpâtehk. mâka keyâpic nitaweyicikâtew ohci wanaskwatanaskwa kamiyo-ohpikiki ekwa kamaskawâskosicik ita kâhohpikicik kâsakâwaskâhk kîwetinohk ekwa mistikwâskweyâhk Alberta. oskâhcakowak piko kasaskahohcik waskwetoya katawipayicik ekwa kamanipayicik kistikâcikanak. kâkîsisaskitepayik ôki sâkipakâwimîtosak ohpikiwak ita kâhohpikiki mînis nîpisewahtikosa, nîpisiya, maskosiya, ita ewasaskwetiwahk ekwa kânîpîwicik mîtosak pîtos isinâkwan kâsakâhk.

kîstanaw piko kakiskisimitotamahk kesimeskoci-ohpikik kâsakâhk ispî kâmiyohohpikiki iyikohk wiya tepiyâ kakiscâyâhk. ekâ pikwîsi kesipanâcihtâhk kapimitisahamahk kayâs kâkîpehispayik ita kâhayâyahk. kamamisihtotâcik iskwewak kapîkiskwestamâkoyahkik tân’si ôma kiyânaw kesisohkikâpawiyahk. namoya kapîweyihtamahk kâhâyimahk kâmisikwâkotehk mâka kanâkateyihtamahk kitaskînaw ekâ pikwîsi kesihcikeyahk namoya semâk kapimakocineyahk ispî kâhiteyihtamahk kâmayipayik.

piko kwayask kanâkateyihtamahk askiy namoya tâpiskôc kayâs kâkîhisipimpayihcikehk. namoya kwayask kinâkatohkâtenaw ekwa namoya kitâhkameyihtenaw kahisinisitohtamahk kesimeskwacipayik ôma askiy. mâmemôc tâpiskôc ôma kâhispihteyihtahkwak ewako ôma paskohkopâw ayâwin piko katipitôtamak wiyasiwewinisa kâpaminikoyahk kiyânaw okanawâpahkewak. Banff National Park ekîhosihcikâtehk nîso mitinawa pâmayes Alberta kapihtokwahiht mâmawinitowinihk ekwa ekospî mistahi kîhispihteyihtâkwan ekweyâc kâhayâmakahk ôta kânatahk nistam ita pisiskiw kanaweyicikewin. ekosi osâm ewako mâmawacinistam ehayâmakahk ekosi kapimitisahikâtew, kâhitasteki ôhi wiyasiwewinisa kapimitisahamihk namoya ayiwâk ayisiyiniwak katipeyihtamwak, kasikwahcahikecik ahpô kakistikâtahkik. wiyasiwewinihk kâpimitisahahkik kâpaminahkihk pisiskiw kanaweyicikewin namoya pimitisahamwak iyiniw kiskeyihtamowina ôta ohci ayâwin. tânisi ehisitipahaskahtamihk. kesitipahaskatamihk kâkanaweyicikâteki pisiskiw kanaweyicikewin, kweyask ahpô ekâya, kipayikâtewa ita ekâ awiyak takîpihtokwet. ekosi cî kinaheyihtenaw ispî kihci-okimânahk kâhawihiwecik askiy kôtinamihk ekota ohci pimiy ahpô kâmeskotôniket kinipîminaw ahpô ispî kâpiscipotât iyinto paskwâwaskosiya?

namoya ninaheyihten kesitipahaskâtamihk askiy ehitweyahk enâkateyihtamahk. kiwaninisitohtenaw tânima kehcinâ askiy ehispihteyihtakwahk ekwa ita emiywâsik ohci pakitinâsowin. tastawayik ita paskwaskekak ekwa sâkahikanis ita kâwepinamihk pimiy kîkway cî ekâ ekîhohcikiskeyihtamahk ayisiyiniw ehisihciket tâpiskôc enakacihtâyahk ekosi ekâ kapihkweyihtamîkoyahk. namoya kitepinisitohtenaw kehcinâ, nipiy kânâkateyihtamahk ekwa nipiy kâhâpacihtâyahk kâpasahcipayitâyahk askiy. kinâkateyihtenaw cî kikâwînaw askiy ispî kâpiscipohtâyahk ita ayisiyiniw esôniyahkâtahk? tân’si kesinaskomâyahk kesinâkateyihtamahk kiskeyihtamowin pehcinâway kâkîhastehk kanakacihtâhk pimiy. kîspin namoya kasôniyâhkâtamihk pimiy askîwipimiy cî kâhâpacihtâniwiw ohci aniskac wahkotowin kiskeyihtamowin ekwa mîna kakwekanaweyihtahkik kapimitisahahkik wiyasiwewinisa? kâkîhahkotonamonaw cî konta isi kesimayisihcikeyahk ita kahayâki ekotwa ihtwâwina ehispihteyihtâkwahki?

ekosi kiwihtamâtin wehtinâ kesihcikâtaman tan’si kâkakwehisihcikeyan, kânîkânapiyan wiyasiwewinihk, ekâya kîkway otâmeyihtamowin. tân’si ôki kehcinâ kâkakwenâkateyihtahkik ôhi ayâwina ita kâwîkicik. kanistawinaman tân’si ehitamahcihocik iyiniwak kâkakwenâkateyihtahkik ekâ kihci-okimânâhk ekosi kâhitôtahkik. kâwe kanâkateyihtaman ekâ awiyak kahatâmeyimat. ispî iyiniw epasikôt epîkiskwestamâsot kweyask kamînonamihk kâwe nîkânihk kasihtoskâtoyahk kesimiyopayik ôte ekâ kîkway kesiwanisîcikeyahk nîkânihk? kâwe cî ekosi kâkîhisimâmitoneyihtenaw paskwaw-askosiya kesimiywâsiki tâpiskôc sakâwa iyikohk wiya pakwataskamik? kâkîkihceyimânaw kesisohkeyimot paskwâwimostos kâwe kakîwetotahk ita kâkîwîkit pîtos ayâwin ita emihcetiki pehcinâway kâkîpehispahikocik? kâhisîhâyimahki ekosi ôhi kwehcîkemowina piko kamâmitoneyihtamihk ôte nîkânihk kwayask kakwemâmînonamahk kesimiyopayik miyowihcetowin ekwa mayiwihcetowin. osâm kihawema kipakitinenaw ekâ kwayask etâpeyihtamahk ekwâni ekwa ohcîcipayin ekâ ekosi kesîyinîyihkâtamahk ekwa kanâkateyihtamahk kikâwînaw askiy kâwe kesimiyokanawâpamâyahk.

OPENING RECEPTION & PERFORMANCE by ADRIAN STIMSON
September 18, 2018, 630pm at A Space Gallery  (Toronto)

Current Terrain celebrates the diverse works of five Indigenous living in Alberta. Please join us on Tuesday, September 18 at A Space Gallery for a free opening reception and a new, world premier performance by Adrian Stimson. 

CURATOR'S TALK
October 19, 2018, 630pm at A Space Gallery  (Toronto)

Please join us on Friday, October 19 at A Space Gallery for a free Curator's Talk with Core Member Erin Sutherland as part of the imagineNATIVE Art Crawl.

imagineNATIVE ART CRAWL
October 19, 2018, 6-9pm at 401 Richmond  (Toronto)

The Festival’s annual walking tour of exhibitions at 401 Richmond which this year features stops at six galleries. This year’s Art Crawl takes place entirely in the 401 Richmond building and will begin at Urban Space Gallery with a word from our first Art Crawl sponsor, RBC, where you can also try your hand all night with the on-site digital paintbrush and canvas! At each gallery, you will have the opportunity to hear from exhibition curators and attending artists. The talks are timed and we keep a tight schedule, but you are free to return to a gallery after talks are complete. All galleries are located on the ground floor with ramps, power-assisted doors and elevators.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Bruno Canadien is a member of the Deh Gah Got’ı́é Kǫ́ę́ First Nation, a Deh Cho Region member of the Dene Nation. Bruno graduated from the Alberta College of Art’s Painting Department in 1993, and currently resides in the Calgary area. Bruno’s work has been included in The News From Here, the 2013 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art at the Alberta Gallery of Art, Culture Shift – 3rd Native Biennial hosted by Art Mur in Montreal (2016) and at INSURGENCE/RESURGENCE (2018) at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. His work may be found in public and private collections, including the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Glenbow Museum, Red Deer Museum, and the Indigenous Art Centre in Ottawa.

Brenda Draney  is Cree from Sawridge First Nation, Treaty 8, with a strong connection to Slave Lake. Draney’s work is collected and shown across Canada including the National Gallery of Canada, the Embassy of Canada Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Sobey Collection, and the Shorefast Foundation. She shows in Banff, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa. She won both the 2009 RBC Painting Competition and 2014’s Eldon and Anne Foote Visual Arts Prize in Edmonton and was short listed for the 2016 Sobey Art Award at the National Gallery of Canada.

Jessie Ray Short is an artist, filmmaker and independent curator whose cross disciplinary practice involves memory, visual culture and Métis history. In the past 10 years she has exhibited work nationally and internationally at venues including The Banff Centre for the Arts, M:ST Performative Arts Festival, Calgary AB, and at the Wairoa Māori Film Festival in Wairoa, Aotearoa (NZ). Jessie has been the recipient of several grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. As a curator she has had the opportunity to work on various projects most notably Jade Nasogaluak Carpenter: Mourn at City of Calgary Open Spaces Gallery and Mixed Berries: Amanda Strong and Bracken Hanuse Corlett at Gallery 2, Grand Forks, BC. She currently holds the positions of program coordinator for TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary, AB and Adjunct Curator of Indigenous Art for the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton, AB. Jessie holds an MA degree from Brock University with a focus on contemporary Métis visual culture.

Adrian Stimson is a member of the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation. He has a BFA with distinction from the Alberta College of Art and Design and MFA from the University of Saskatchewan. He considers himself as an interdisciplinary artist; he exhibits nationally and internationally. His paintings are primarily monochromatic, they primarily depict bison in imagined landscapes, they are melancholic, memorializing, and sometimes whimsical, they evoke ideas cultural fragility, resilience and nostalgia. The British Museum recently acquired two paintings for their North American Indigenous collection. His performance art looks at identity construction, specifically the hybridization of the Indian, the cowboy, the shaman and Two Spirit being. Buffalo Boy, The Shaman Exterminator are two reoccurring personas. He was awarded the Blackfoot Visual Arts Award in 2009, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003, the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005 and the REVEAL Indigenous Arts Award –Hnatyshyn Foundation.

Alberta Rose W. was born and raised in Treaty 7 Territory near to the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Wesley bands of the Nakoda nation, Alberta finds passion in art, food, politics, and social issues. These interests are expressed through artwork as well as engagement with community organizations and events. As an Inuvialuit person growing up in a predominantly white community, she has often felt a sense of displacement; but found connection to her culture through her mother and traditional practices. Alberta graduated from ACAD in the spring of 2016 with a Bachelor’s  degree in Fine Art, majoring in painting, then completed a prepatorial practicum in the Walter Phillips Gallery at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Currently, she is in the process of travelling, creating more art, and works as a liaison for the Inuit Art Foundation. Artists, and to participate in an Indigenous Leadership program.
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This project was produced with the support of Native Women in the Arts; the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council; Ontario Arts Council; and the Canada Council for the Arts. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.