Great White North Exhibition: Artists muse on Canada’s national identity

by Sarah Manning | October 3, 2016 11:08 am

By Jacquie De Almeida

Best in Show  and Best  in Design ‘Winter’—  sterling silver and  resin bracelet

Ask a foreigner what they know about Canada and they’ll likely praise us for our maple syrup and giving the world the game of hockey. They’ll also likely offer words of comfort for the months of frigid temperatures a good deal of the country  endures every winter.

That’s exactly the idea Quebec-based jewellery artist Dominique Audette had in mind when she designed ‘Winter,’ a sterling silver and resin bracelet that took Best in Show and Best in Design at the Great White North Exhibition.

Now in its second year, the competition invites goldsmiths and metal workers from across the country to create a piece of jewellery exploring some facet of Canada’s identity, whether its culture, history, or stories. This year’s theme, ‘In Flux,’ challenged artists to confront the idea of national identity and what it means to be Canadian in the context of intrinsic complexity and constant change.

“Our country is associated with winter, cold, ice, and snow,” Audette tells Jewellery Business. “The general lines of the jewellery, consisting of broken curves, refer to the cold. Similarly, the colours chosen are reminiscent of ice breaking on the shores of rivers—turquoise hues bright as the snow turn lilac or blue, depending on the time of day.”

Audette says she designs almost exclusively in resin. “This relatively lightweight material allows me to create sculptural pieces without unduly burdening the jewellery,” she says. “The resin also allows me to use colour in a way stones alone ever could.”

Audette says her design process typically begins with drawing random lines and shapes. “It is only when these forms talk to me that I transform them into jewellery,” she explains. “It is at this point the technical side comes into play and together with the artistic aspect, transforms a basic idea into a tangible object that is sculptural, balanced, portable, and wearable.”

gwn_ii_products182 — During a trip to Nunavut this winter, I saw some of the oldest and most remote Hudson’s Bay Co., outposts, and was reminded of how the commodification of Canada’s natural resources has always been central to the process of colonization. Resource extraction has helped shape the  social, environmental, and political landscape, and is  therefore a driving force in what we call our culture. For this neckpiece I’ve chosen to draw upon some of  the archetypal elements of the British colonial legacy in  both material and imagery in response to this year’s theme  of ‘In Flux.’ I’ve beaded two scenes onto a Hudson’s Bay blanket that hang on a piece of fabricated brass, strung with flat cotton rope and an adjustable fastener. The first scene is of a beaver (whose pelts were used as currency by early traders) bare trees (representing the toll on nature this process came to represent), and four horizontal stripes that were woven into Hudson’s Bay blankets to indicate size and thickness and, as a result, the possible social status of its owner. On the reverse, there is a simple scene of an untouched, light blue pond and healthy trees. The uncomplicated nature of this portrait is meant to evoke an untouched landscape void of human complication and threat. ~ Natalie Vanderzand

This year, the exhibition will be making stops at Montreal’s Musee des Maitres Artisans du Quebec  (on now until Oct. 16) and Toronto’s 18Karat Studio and Gallery (Nov. 1 to Dec. 17). The latter also organizes the competition.

The response to the call for entry saw artists from across Canada submit 22 designs for consideration by a blind jury. All based in Toronto, the judging panel comprised writer Laura Beeston, jewellery designer Shelly Purdy, and artist Richard Ahnert.

“Jewellery is an expression of an artist’s creativity, but unlike other art forms, it possesses an unparalleled intimacy that connects the maker to the wearer,” said Vanessa Laurin, the exhibition’s curator. “It is created by one’s hands to be worn on another’s skin. It is passed down to us by our ancestors and handed  down to our loved ones as tokens and mementos—memories of who we were. Jewellery tells the story  of who we are.”

As a full-time teacher of jewellery arts, Audette says she’s never participated in a design competition before. Still, she understands their importance in providing artists with an outlet for designing a piece outside their signature style.

fluiditelvilleux — Best in Technical: ‘Fluidity and diversity’—sterling silver and maple bracelet

“Secondly, they allow us to measure ourselves and know the value of our creations by informed and impartial judges,” she explains. “And when one wins an award, it validates our artistic choices. Further, competitions open doors and present opportunities that might not otherwise happen.

“Now that my teaching career has slowed down, I can devote myself to work on my own jewellery and to devote time to the creation of pieces for contests like this one. This is certainly not the last time I’ll be entering a competition.”

Other participants in the Great White North Exhibition were:

Sarabeth Carnat – Calgary
Mandy Deskur Murray – Elora, Ont.
Nicole Gauvin – Laval, Que.
Sarah Groves – Vancouver
Ann Lumsden – Ottawa
Petra Luz – Montreal
Katharina Möller – Toronto
Meggie Roy – Vallée-Jonction, Que.
Michaela Wolfert – Almonte, Ont.

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