ART REVIEW: Humorous works, emotional subtext

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/04/2009 (6354 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GIVN’R would not be the first term one might think of when talking about contemporary Canadian art. The title — which could suggest something yelled out if you were drinking beers in a backyard in the summer or a very Prairie saying for putting forth your best or quickest effort to get a task done — actually makes sense for the show.

This acutely Canadian colloquial title suggests a number of things about Terrance Houle’s work.

He has been "givn’r" himself, having pushed through and triumphed in the Canadian art scene since his emergence from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2003. Curated by Plug In ICA’s director Anthony Kiendl, GIVN’R is his first major solo show and a retrospective of his artistic output over the past five years. Five years might not seem long enough to warrant a retrospective, but the consistent quality of Houle’s creations has taken him and his work around the world during this short period.

The show is packed tightly (perhaps even too tightly) with a variety of media exploring numerous facets of aboriginal culture. A member of the Blood tribe, Houle has entrenched his work in the traditional culture that he grew up in, while placing it within the contemporary culture and stereotypes that exist in society. Houle is able to maintain a perfect balance between his punk-rock politics and humour, with a sharp-edged intellect that invites the viewers to explore and reflect on the themes that he approaches with a critical eye.

The smaller gallery at the front of Plug In has been split into two separate video-screening rooms. The first is a more intimate setting, housing two chairs, matching headphones and one screen. From casting calls to urban portaging expeditions across Toronto, the breadth of Houle’s more relaxed video work sits in this room. The larger room hosts his slower-moving and more poetic films. The shaky, grainy effects of the movies in the larger room give the films a vintage feel.

Houle’s photographs incorporate aboriginal regalia in contemporary settings. Several sets of photographs are spread across the walls of the gallery.

In the Urban Indian Series, the viewers watch Houle in his gorgeous attire, moving from his home to the office and back again. He places himself as the blatant outsider through his choice of dress, indicating to the viewers that he is very aware of the unspoken (and spoken) racism and stereotyping of Aboriginal people in Canada. The Landscapes, Pitchin’ Tipis and Remember in Grade… series further explore this theme through the juxtaposition of dress and setting within the context of the political.

A new work created for the show explores Houle’s father’s life in and around residential schools and his experiences as one of the few decorated Aboriginal men in the Canadian Armed Forces in the 1970s. A buzzing alarm clock is wired to read out the letters that Houle’s father wrote to his mother throughout his time away from her. The clock sits atop a doily-covered table covered in Christian prayer candles and figures; an afghan-covered wooden rocking chair rests silently next to it.

The viewer experiences his father’s journey within the setting Houle has created. The depth of the setting blends with the content of the letters to create an emotional experience that is a multi-faceted look at a personal and social history.

The diverse range, not only of media, but of explorations of the contemporary face of aboriginal cultural within a social and political realm is incredible. While the exhibition is packed with a large body of work from a short period of time, it is indicative of Houle’s stamina and essential contribution to contemporary visual art. His work speaks with great wit and wisdom, which no doubt has contributed to his already stellar successes that are sure to continue.

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ART REVIEW

GIVN’R – Terrance Houle

Plug In ICA, 286 McDermot Avenue

To May 16