In 1979, on my return to Canada after living other places for eighteen years, I made a work for an exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery called The Eskimo/Krieghoff Proximity Device: A Cultural Osmosis.
The sculpture and wall pieces evolved out of a four-year period in which I attempted to portray Canada in terms of an interference pattern—like how light from two sources creates a holographic image. The sources most significant in helping me see Canada at the time were native culture and European culture, especially between 1840 and 1930. This period seemed to allow the freedom to utilize the mythic proportions of the Inuit, representing the infusion of native influences on Canadian society and Cornelius Krieghoff’s vision, part of the European presence.
So begins our Winter 1999 cover story. To keep reading, view a PDF of the entire article.
