For a time, the allure of New York City was overwhelming for a young Indigenous printmaker from British Columbia鈥檚 mountainous interior.
A recently trained printmaker from Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Ed Archie NoiseCat was in New York producing prints for the likes of Roy Lichtenstein and Frank Stella 鈥� his 鈥渓egends of contemporary art.鈥�
But even as he embraced the appeal of this exciting new world, NoiseCat鈥檚 thoughts were often filled with the stories of his ancestral people.
鈥淢y work is inspired by the stories that comprise my life 鈥� the people, tricksters, tragedies and triumphs of the Indigenous experience,鈥� he says in advance of his solo exhibit at the Squamish Lil鈥檞at Cultural Centre in Whistler.
Sq膩tsza7 Tmicw - Father Land will showcase a lifetime of NoiseCat鈥檚 creative exploration. The exhibit includes his limited edition prints, woodcarvings, metalwork glasswork and handcrafted jewellery.
鈥淗is work is visually powerful as it recounts the ancient North American myths, posing fundamental questions and illustrating the primal conflicts of culture and mankind,鈥� says the website . 鈥淎lthough he draws upon the beliefs and values of his ancient culture, his work is contemporary. As a printmaker he has worked with some of the more celebrated artists of this generation. Their influence enables him to bring a wealth of non-traditional techniques and an informed understanding of modern art to his work. At the same time, however, he was born and raised on a reservation with the conflicts of his heritage.鈥�
Just as his work was inspired by the stories he heard growing up in the interior 鈥� his mother鈥檚 people are the Canim Lake Band of Shuswap Indians; his father鈥檚 people are the Lil鈥檞at 鈥� NoiseCat will also be in Whistler passing on his knowledge to a young Lil鈥檞at Nation carver.
鈥淣oiseCat will be on site mentoring Qawam Redmond Andrews as they work together on a 20-foot cedar pole,鈥� says the cultural centre鈥檚 Mandy Rousseau. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 particularly unique about this transfer of knowledge is that NoiseCat, whose late father was Lil鈥檞at, is a master carver and Qawam鈥檚 father was the last master carver in Lil鈥檞at. He passed away before completing his transfer of knowledge to the next generation of Lil鈥檞at carvers.鈥�
The cultural centre was thrilled to bring the generations together to coincide with NoiseCat鈥檚 solo exhibit.
It is the first time the centre鈥檚 temporary gallery space will host a feature artist exhibition. Sq膩tsza7 Tmicw - Father Land opens to the general public at 4584 Blackcomb Way in Whistler on August 13. (There's a special opening for Squamish Nation and Lil'wat Nation members on August 12.) It closes on February 28, 2021. For more information visit .
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