Beau Dick: Devoured by Consumerism
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REMAI MODERN 102 Spadina Crescent E, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 0L3
Beau Dick, "Ghost of Christmas Presents," 2016
red cedar, acrylic, feathers, Canadian banknotes, nail, leather, graphite, 33 x 21.6 x 15.2 cm. Courtesy of Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver.
Remai Modern is honoured to host Beau Dick: Devoured by Consumerism, the last exhibition conceived by the late Kwakwaka’wakw artist, activist and hereditary chief, Beau Dick (1955–2017).
By sharing works inspired by the Kwakwaka'wakw Winter Ceremonies, Dick hoped to spark change in a world he saw devouring itself under the ravenous pressures of capitalism.
“Beau Dick demonstrated the power and potential of art in such an incredible way. His work operates on multiple levels—spiritual, political, social and aesthetic,” said Rose Bouthillier, Curator (Exhibitions). “In that complexity, there is so much space to experience and reflect on human nature, connections, relationships and responsibilities.”
Featuring works from 1980–2016, the exhibition includes over 20 carved and painted masks and sculptural works. Devoured by Consumerism explores the contrasts and connections between the Kwakwaka’wakw Winter Ceremonies and modern consumer culture. There are four dance ceremonies in total for the Kwakwaka’wakw winter season, three of which are sacred (Hamatsa, Winalagalis, Atlakim), and one considered to be more secular (Dłuwalaxa). The exhibition includes pieces connected to each dance ceremony, alongside other works and documents related to Beau’s life.
“'Now we’ve got to come together, all people of the world. Let’s find the truth together and put each other first,’ says my friend Beau Dick. This was the man I knew. Beau cared about people first. His work, his celebrity and his success were mere tools to get the more important job done: taking care of those he loved, and Beau loved many,” said LaTiesha Fazakas, who conceived the exhibition alongside the artist. “This exhibition is meant to awaken and stir change. I hope those who are able to come and spend time here with Beau will leave caring more, so we can quell the hunger for empty things.”
A host of compelling figures inhabit the exhibition, such as the supernatural cannibal birds, shape-shifter Otter Woman, and wild man and woman of the woods Bookwus and Tsonoqua. Through masks and sculptures inspired by his culture’s potlatch traditions, Dick argues that these stories and practices contain profound understandings of balance, community responsibility and personal transformation.
Beau Dick: Devoured by Consumerism was conceived by Dick and Fazakas, and is organized by Fazakas Gallery. The exhibition debuted at White Columns, New York, in March 2019. Remai Modern’s presentation is organized by Rose Bouthillier, Curator (Exhibitions).
The exhibition is accompanied by a publication, produced in collaboration with Figure 1 Publishing, Vancouver. Full-colour photographs are supported by insights from his apprentices and friends. Essays by Fazakas, John Cussans and Candice Hopkins examine the continued impact of Dick’s art and life. The book is available in Remai Modern’s Art & Design Store.
About Beau Dick
Beau Dick, ’Walas Gwa’yam (1955–2017), was a Kwakwaka’wakw (Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw First Nation) artist and activist who was acclaimed as one of the Northwest Coast’s most versatile and talented carvers. He was born in the community of Alert Bay, B.C., and lived in Kingcome Inlet, Vancouver, and Victoria before returning to Alert Bay to live and work. He began carving at an early age, studying under his father, Benjamin Dick, his grandfather, James Dick, and other renowned artists such as Henry Hunt and Doug Cranmer. He also worked alongside master carvers Robert Davidson, Tony Hunt and Bill Reid.
In support of the Idle No More movement, Dick performed two spiritual and political Copper-breaking ceremonies, on the steps of the British Columbia legislature in Victoria in 2013 and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2014. Dick created several important public works, including a transformation mask for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver and the Ga’akstalas Totem Pole for Stanley Park, carved with Wayne Alfred and raised in 1991.
His work has been shown in exhibitions around the world, including at the Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, B.C. (1976); Canada House, London, UK (1998); the 17th Biennale of Sydney, Australia (2010); and documenta 14 in Athens, Greece and Kassel, Germany (2017). He was the recipient of the 2012 VIVA Award and was artist-in-residence at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory from 2013 to 2017.