Beau Dick
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Beau Dick (November 23, 1955 – March 27, 2017) was a Kwakwaka'wakw
Northwest Coast art Northwest Coast art is the term commonly applied to a style of art created primarily by artists from Tlingit, Haida, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, Tsimshian, Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth and other First Nations and Native American tribes of the Northwes ...
ist and Chief who lived and worked in
Alert Bay Alert Bay is a village on Cormorant Island, near the town of Port McNeill on northeast Vancouver Island, in the Regional District of Mount Waddington, British Columbia, Canada. Demographics In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statist ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, Canada. He was a contemporary artist, activist, and hereditary Chief from the Namgis First Nation. Dick was an artist with an extensive national and international exhibition history.Rachelle Dickenson, Acquisition Proposal for Beau Dick’s Bookwus Ghost Mask and Supernatural Kolus, accession #46607 and #46608.1-2, Curatorial File, National Gallery of Canada.


Early life

Beau Dick was born in
Kingcome Inlet Kingcome Inlet is one of the lesser principal fjords of the British Columbia Coast, north and east of Broughton Island. It is sixth in sequence of the major saltwater fjords north from the 49th parallel near Vancouver and similar in width, on av ...
, BC, a Kwakwaka’wakw village north of
Vancouver Island, British Columbia Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while ar ...
. When Dick was six years old he moved with his family to
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, BC, . From a young age, he was heavily influenced by the customary woodcarving of both his grandfather and father. Dick assisted his grandfather and father in carving one of the world's tallest totem poles located in Alert Bay.


Art career

At only 17 years of age Dick was asked to apprentice under artist Tony Hunt in
Victoria, BC Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...
. Eventually returning to Vancouver, he continued to hone his carving techniques under the influence of Doug Cranmer. In 1986, Dick was commissioned to carve a mask to be showcased in
Expo 86 The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a world's fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communicatio ...
in Vancouver. The
Canadian Museum of History The Canadian Museum of History () is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of Canada, as well as support related res ...
(formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) in Gatineau, Quebec, acquired Dick's mask, and it remains on display there. In 1998, he was one of only seven Canadian artists to be invited to the reopening of
Canada House Canada House () is a Greek Revival building on Trafalgar Square in London. It has been a Grade II* Listed Building since 1970. It has served as the Chancery (diplomacy), chancery of the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom since 192 ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England, in the presence of Prime Minister
Jean Chretien Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...
and
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
. His work has been featured in a number of international exhibitions, introducing his pieces to a more contemporary audience. Beau's work was featured alongside that of artist Neil Campbell in the 2004 exhibition ''Supernatural: Beau Dick and Neil Campbell'' at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver, followed by the 2005 "Totems to Turquoise" exhibit in both New York and Vancouver. In 2009, the
McMichael Canadian Art Collection The McMichael Canadian Art Collection (MCAC) is an art museum in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located on a property in Kleinburg, an unincorporated village in Vaughan. The property includes the museum's main building, a sculpture gar ...
showcased Dick's work in their exhibit entitled "Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast". Dick participated in the 17th
Biennale of Sydney The Biennale of Sydney is an international festival of contemporary art, held every two years in Sydney, Australia. It is a large and well-attended contemporary visual arts event in the country. Alongside the Venice and São Paulo biennales and ...
in 2010 and in the Sakahán exhibition at the
National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...
in Ottawa in the summer of 2013.


Artistry

Dick's work is rooted in Kwakwaka´wakw aesthetics and practices. His craftsmanship and artistry have been noted for being strongly influenced by traditional pieces and techniques, but are particularly unique for their incorporation of contemporary and Western influences. As noted by artist
Roy Arden Roy Arden (born 1957) is an artist who is a member of the Vancouver School. He creates sculpture from found objects, oil paintings, graphite drawings and collage, and curates and writes on contemporary art. Career Arden graduated from Emily ...
, many of Dick's designs "reminds eof Japanese anime characters and commercial Halloween masks... An influence from a European painting, or a Japanese
Noh mask is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. It is Japan's oldest major theater art that is still regularly performed today. Noh is often based on tales from traditional literature featuri ...
, are equally likely to inflect on one of his works." Dick's masks were created for both ceremonial uses in the communities (to be danced) as well as for collecting. In fact, according to Dick, if the masks are not danced, they are not fully activated. They are living cultural objects. For him, the way light shifts over the surface of the carvings is an integral element of his contemporary aesthetic, as Roy Arden also noted. The activation of the masks in dance makes for interesting conceptual relationships within a gallery installation context and extends conceptual framework of both sculptures and the products of performance.


Activism

On February 10, 2013, Dick performed a First Nations copper-cutting ceremony on the steps of the BC Legislature in
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
in conjunction with a variety of activists, including local members of
Idle No More Idle No More is an ongoing protest movement, founded in December 2012 by four women: three First Nations women and one non-Native ally. It is a grassroots movement among the Indigenous peoples in Canada comprising the First Nations, Métis a ...
. Having embarked on a 10-day, 500 km walk from Alert Bay to Victoria, the gesture was intended to bring attention to the abuse of Native treaties by the federal government, as well as highlight the negative repercussions of commercial fish farms on Vancouver Island. A documentary film was made in 2017 by LaTiesha Fazakas and Natalie Boll, titled '' Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick'', which filmed Dick and other activists during the copper-cutting ceremony, while also examining Dick's artistic practice. The ceremony was noted as being the first time such a shaming practice had been used by the Kwakwaka'wakw in decades. Beau Dick stated: "The copper is a symbol of justice, truth and balance, and to break one is a threat, a challenge and can be an insult. If you break copper on someone and shame them, there should be an apology."


Death

Dick died on March 27, 2017 months after experiencing a stroke that caused his health to gradually deteriorate. A
potlatch A potlatch is a gift-giving feast practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and the United States,Harkin, Michael E., 2001, Potlatch in Anthropology, International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Scienc ...
, the ceremony for which his art work was often used, was held in his memory at Alert Bay.


Selected exhibitions

* ''Supernatural: Neil Campbell and Beau Dick'', Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, 2004 * ''Totems to Turquoise,'' New York and Vancouver, 2005 * ''Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast'', 2009 * 17th
Biennale of Sydney The Biennale of Sydney is an international festival of contemporary art, held every two years in Sydney, Australia. It is a large and well-attended contemporary visual arts event in the country. Alongside the Venice and São Paulo biennales and ...
, Sydney, Australia, 2010 *
National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...
, Sakahàn exhibition, 2013 *"The Box of Treasures: Gifts from the Supernatural, The Bill Reid Gallery, Vancouver BC", 2015 * ''Lalakenis/All Directions: A Journey of Truth and Unity'',
Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the campus of the University of British Columbia. The gallery is housed in a building designed by architect Peter Cardew which opened in 1995 ...
, 2016 *"Learning From Athens, documenta 14, Athens GR and Kassel DE", 2017


Awards

Dick received the 2012 VIVA award.


References


External links


Douglas Reynolds Gallery (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)Vancouver Sun ArticleGeorgia Straight

Times Colonist

Fazakas Gallery (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)Globe and Mail

Green Peace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dick, Beau 1955 births 2017 deaths Artists from British Columbia Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw woodcarvers 20th-century First Nations sculptors 20th-century Canadian sculptors Canadian male sculptors 20th-century Canadian male artists 21st-century Canadian sculptors 21st-century Canadian male artists People from Alert Bay