<vid Garneau, renowned visual artist and associate professor at University of Regina in Canada, will speak at Carleton College on Tuesday, April 12 at 4 p.m. in the Gould Library Athenaeum. Garneau’s appearance is in conjunction with an exhibit of his work currently on display through June 5, 2011, in the College’s Gould Library. Métis/sage: Visually Translating the Métis Experience in Canada depicts the Aboriginal people of Canada in the 21st century, challenging the audience to consider how they picture the Métis. The exhibit combines European and North American art, comics, and traditional Métis beading into a contemporary painting style. Garneau’s lecture and admission to the exhibit are free and open to the public.
Garneau’s exhibition, Métis/sage, plays on the words Métis (the People), métissage (mixing), and sage (wise folk and the sacred plant). Within the context of this theme, paintings in the show artfully blend European and North American high art with popular art such as comics and tattoos. This is meant to visually articulate the mixing of past and present that contribute to contemporary Aboriginal life in Canada.
As a visual artist, Garneau paints, draws, creates videos and performance art pieces, writes, and curates. He is an associate professor of painting, drawing, and criticism at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. His work is concentrated on ideas of nature and culture, masculinity, and ethnicity—particularly the Métis heritage.