Sharifah Marsden - Miigwetch

Lattimer Gallery has been carrying the jewellery and paintings of Sharifah Marsden for six years. Sharifah is an Anishinaabe artist from the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation in Ontario who has been living in Vancouver for the past fifteen years, and she strives to fuse her cultural roots with Northwest Coast forms. As her first solo show, Sharifah Marsden - Miigwetch features jewellery pieces created over the past two years during the artist’s studies at the Vancouver Metal Arts School. The word 'miigwetch' means 'thank you' in the Ojibwe language. Under the instruction of European goldsmith Gerold Mueller, Sharifah has learned hollow form jewellery design and stone-setting, processes she has added to her existing arsenal of hand-engraving techniques.

Throughout the 15 years I have lived in Vancouver, I have been active in the Native arts community, working in Native art galleries, attending Native arts programs, and connecting with other First Nations artists. The strong influence of Northwest Coast formline has influenced how I have chosen to develop my personal style, and my artistic practice. As I studied and was witness to the creations of the Northwest Coast, I was forced to analyze my own art, in the Anishinaabe style. Through the development of my own style, while living and growing here, I came to create my own sense of formline, within the Anishinaabe tradition. - Sharifah Marsden

This small exhibition will run between April 25th - May 16th, 2015 and an online preview will be available as of April 18th. Please join us for the opening and artist reception on April 25th between 4pm-6pm. Sharifah will be in attendance for this event, and refreshments will be provided. 

YVR Art Foundation

Almost everyone who visits Vancouver for the first time comments on the beautiful artwork in our airport. The setting of YVR has always been picturesque, but in 1993 the Vancouver Airport Authority decided to make the inside of this travel hub as attractive as its exterior and surroundings. It was during this year that the Vancouver Airport Authority established the YVR Art Foundation, which is a separate entity dedicated to fostering the development of BC First Nations art and artists. The YVRAF supports the design, purchase, and commissioning of artworks to celebrate BC’s cultural heritage and sense of place, many of which are integrated into the airport’s architecture. This is a unique approach to running and decorating an international airport, and there are very few airports in the world that have made such a commitment to the cultures within which they are situated.

Lyle Wilson's (Haisla) YVR Installation

In 2004, the Foundation created an Art Scholarship & Awards Program in collaboration with corporate donors to provide scholarships to BC First Nations youth who wish to develop their artistic potential. Since 2004, the Foundation has awarded approximately $200,000 to over 40 young artists. In 2014, the Foundation also started to offer Mid-Career Artist Scholarships. 

Applications for the YVRAF scholarships are usually due every January and information about the application process can be found here: http://www.yvraf.com/programs

2014 Charity Bentwood Box Results

For the eighth straight year, Lattimer Gallery increased the amount it raised through their Annual Charity Bentwood Box event from the previous year. Raising $32,520 in 2012 and $38,909 in 2013, Lattimer Gallery is extremely excited to announce that it generated $45,435 this year. As of 2014, Lattimer Gallery has raised over $100,000 for Aboriginal organizations through this one event. For the past four years, 100% of all proceeds have been donated to Vancouver's Urban Native Youth Association.

Andy Everson's Clever R2-BW Bent Box

Thanks to all of the participating artists and generous customers who bid on these works of art, as well as the matching donors. Please find the final amounts raised per box below:

Yul Baker (Kwakwaka'wakw/Salish) - $450.00
Joe Campbell (Coast Salish) - $550.00
Reg Davidson (Haida) - $900.00
Andy Everson (Kwakwaka'wakw/Comox) - $500.00
Phil Gray (Tsimshian/Cree) - $5,000.00
Dean Heron (Kaska/Tlingit) - $1,000.00
Bradley Hunt (Heiltsuk) - $1,200.00
Dean Hunt (Heiltsuk) - $650.00
Shawn Hunt (Heiltsuk) - $3,200.00
Corrine Hunt (Kwakwaka'wakw/Tlingit) - $1,250.00
Cody Lecoy (Coast Salish) - $1,300.00
Peter McKay (Nisga'a) - $800.00
James Michels (Cree/Metis) - $3,900.00
Justin Rivard (Cree) - $1,600.00
Steve Smith (Kwakwaka'wakw) - $750.00
Rod Smith (Kwakwaka'wakw) - $1,800.00
Michelle Stoney (Gitksan) - $2,200.00
Nathan Wilson (Haisla) - $2,000.00
Clinton Work (Kwakwaka'wakw) - $2,900.00
Don Yeomans (Haida) - $3,200.00

Cody Lecoy's Surreal Four Food Chiefs Box

Thanks again to everyone involved in making this annual event such a success. Please take a few minutes to take a look at the Urban Native Youth Association's website. UNYA is a program-providing organization, working to empower youth through 21 programs including education and training, personal support, residential programs, and recreation. Visit their website at www.unya.bc.ca

Making a Northwest Coast Native Bracelet

Take a look at the above photo. This is a Northwest Coast Native cuff bracelet, comprised of 14k yellow gold overlaid atop sterling silver. Many cuffs like this can be seen in galleries and museums along the West Coast, but they are presented to the public as perfect and polished works of art. Few people truly understand all of the labour and precision involved with producing a high quality hand-engraved piece of jewellery. Lattimer Gallery recently used the commission of the above cuff bracelet by Ojibway/Haisla artist Kelvin Thompson as an opportunity to document and share the way in which such a piece is created.

First, a design is sketched by the artist. This sketch is then carbon transferred to the metal. After the basic outline of the design has been transferred to the silver or gold, the artist uses gravers to incise these lines. 

Second, the design needs to be fleshed out and given dimension. Texture and depth are created through the process of engraving with chisels and gouges. In addition to providing the piece with dimension through the removing of metal, Northwest Coast Native artists often indicate negative space through the use of crosshatching. This criss-crossing pattern helps the primary figures in the design stand out.

Third, cuff bracelets are often shaped, polished, and then buffed before they are brought to the marketplace. Some of the West Coast's more experienced artists incorporate overlay and cut-outs before shaping and finishing their works. For the bracelet depicted here, Kelvin has cut-out and filed the negative space, instead of crosshatching it. These cut-outs are made into the 14k yellow gold.

Fourth, the edges are cleaned up and the top layer is flipped onto the bottom layer when an overlay bracelet is being made. The top layer is then painstakingly soldered to the base layer.

Fifth, excess metal from the overlay process is trimmed and final embellishments are applied. You can see here that Kelvin has engraved extra lines in the head and wings of the Eagle, and he has started to meticulously decorate the border of the bracelet with a single-hatch pattern.

Finally, the cuff is shaped and finished. Most standard cuffs and overlay bracelets are buffed and polished, but Kelvin has yet again taken this piece one extra step by chemically oxidizing the base silver layer. Oxidization, often achieved through the use of liver of sulphur, turns silver black, and all raised areas are polished. This results in recessed areas remaining dark, which emphasizes the depth of the piece and helps the design stand out.

Lattimer Gallery prides itself on working with customers to complete custom commissions. We work with a wide range of artists, who offer a wide range of skills, and we are always happy to facilitate unique orders. Contact us via phone or email to make any inquiries you might have.

Collaboration & Contrast: Highlights and Favorites

Our summer exhibition, Collaboration & Contrast, will be closing this Saturday, July 20th and we've decided to highlight a few of our favorite pieces here before the show is over.

Steve Smith, Yellow Cedar Paddle, When You Know Better... You Do Better, 62" x 5 3/4" x 1", $6,500.00 CAD

Steve Smith's double-sided Yellow Cedar Paddle, When You Know Better…You Do Better, is one of the stand-out pieces in the show. From the bottom to the top, the paddle is covered with life from the sea, the land and the air and has such fine detail, displaying his immense skill as a painter. Steve has also cleverly incorporated amphibious animals between the land and sea including a Lizard, Snake and Frog. Yet, what is most striking about this piece is the story that has inspired its creation:

This piece (and a few others in the show) was inspired from an experience that I had when I had a recent operation. It was inspired from the in between realms of coming off of the anesthetic. This was one of many visions revealed to me. What I saw has changed the way I see, the way I do art and the impact that I could have as an artist. I have never been one to create political artwork and in fact, I was taught to stay away from doing artwork depicting certain topics. From what I have seen I will no longer contain nor censor the content that wants or needs to come out of me. As human beings on this planet we all have or will make mistakes, and that is to be expected. When we keep making the same mistakes we tend to suffer or others suffer from our actions. When we are tired of the pain we are causing ourselves or others we start to look for ways to stop hurting ourselves. It is through this process that some of us have learned an old, but truthful saying 'when you know better, you do better'. The pipeline that is proposed to run underground from Alberta to the Pacific Coast is exactly what I'm talking about in the title of this piece. A carved groove representing the pipeline runs from the top of the paddle to the bottom of it. From the bottom up are sea creatures and then midway up the blade of the paddle land animals and insects appear. Elements of the sky make their way up towards the handle. I have intentionally used many colors, probably the most I have ever used. In contrast to the black that seems to permeate throughout the entire paddle, the vivid colors of all the various creatures pop out. The pipeline groove runs through all of these wonderful and special creatures representing just what a real pipeline would do. I have only depicted but a few of the animals, birds and insects that this would have a devastating effect on. The amount of wildlife, trees, flowers, lakes, streams, rivers, mountains, earth...that could be polluted is unfathomable. I truly believe that we know better, so let's do better. 

- Steve Smith DLA'KWAGILA

Rod Smith, Red Cedar Sculpture, Spy Hop, 12" x 22 1/2" x 12 1/4", $3,200.00 CAD

 Next is Rod Smith’s stunning, large-scale Spy Hop Red Cedar Sculpture. The dimensions of this piece, while larger than Rod usually creates, are balanced by the elongated dorsal fin of the Killerwhale. We love how Rod included a Salmon in the belly of the Killerwhale and a Raven in the dorsal fin – very playful and creative.

Rod Smith & Steve Smith, Big Brother, Little Brother, SS: 13 3/4" x 9 1/4" x 3 1/4" RS: 15" x 7 1/2" x 3 1/4", $4,800.00 CAD

Last is a collaboration piece you have likely seen more than a few times this past month. Included in our advertisements and invitations is the Red Cedar Sculpture, Big Brother, Little Brother, a piece we feel epitomizes the concept of the show. The two pieces are similar in shape and size, allowing us to view the stark contrast in the brothers’ use of formline and design choice and the similarities in their meticulous brushstrokes. Here is what each artist says about this collaboration piece: 


This piece started as a laminated old growth red cedar block. Through all of the phone calls and the small sketches that had been made I still wasn’t clear on the concept. This piece is truly a case of ‘do what you know.’ I had done several smaller-scale ‘tower’ pieces in the past and had always wanted to try one on a larger scale; now was my chance. I chose what I considered an eye-pleasing shape, making sure that they nested and were free standing. An iron oxide wash is used as the base, as this is a traditional colour used in most Kwakwaka’wakw art. Black was the only colour chosen as this is what I have done in the past. The design incorporates several ‘pathways’ along with some non-traditional hatching.

- Rod Smith GALUYAGMI

Rod was given a piece of laminated red cedar and the idea was for him to cut it into two pieces that made up one piece. The shape was totally up to him. He applied a base coat on both sides and let me choose which one I wanted. I told him that I would take the little brother and he could have the big brother. I think the pieces have a real bird-like look to them. That's how I approached the piece that I painted. Using non-traditional colors I painted my piece in blacks, reds and oranges. I love how these pieces fit right into each other and the way that they stand together gives me a sense of protection and unity.

- Steve Smith DLA'KWAGILA

Introducing Kwakwaka'wakw Artists and Brothers: Rod Smith GALUYAGMI and Steve Smith DLA'KWAGILA

red cedar sculpture with acrylic paint, Love is All Around Us/Being A Part of Creation

cedar box with acrylic paint, Heart & Soul

Artists, brothers, and painters: Rod Smith Galuyagmi and Steve Smith Dla'kwagila have this much in common, yet their distinctive use of Northwest Coast formline and design are very much in contrast. Having both apprenticed from their father, the late Harris Smith Lalkawilas, the brothers’ styles display stark similarities and differences, yet are still reminiscent of Harris Smith’s work. The title of the exhibition, Contrast& Collaboration, effortlessly conveys both the unique journeys they have undertaken in their artistic careers and their first opportunity to collaborate on exclusive pieces for the exhibition that display their contrasting styles. As Steve eloquently remarked, “I see us as being part of a tree that has different branches on it. We are still the same tree and yet we each go our own way just as the branches of a tree do”.

vinyl MUNNY with acrylic paint, Joyful

The body of work displayed in Contrast & Collaboration differs from the brothers’ larger body of work in a variety of ways. Firstly, the show focuses explicitly on the brothers’ Kwakwaka’wakw painting styles, as both a duo and individuals. Both artists consider their work to be contemporary Kwakwaka’wakw pieces; while there are elements of traditional design in their work, such as the several types of salmon-trouthead, they are used in atypical ways to show the viewer something they may not have seen before. Multiple pieces were identical in structure before each artist worked with them on their own, easily demonstrating the contrast in their styles. Many of the collaborative pieces are created at a much larger scale than either artist would create on a regular basis; the expansive empty ‘canvas’ space on these particular pieces allowed for the artists to demonstrate their visions and play with the medium. In pieces such as Joyful, the formline of each artist twists, turns and intertwines to create a flow of design that is quite playful. 

red cedar sculpture with acrylic paint, Big Brother, Little Brother

 The collaboration process was one of a trusting nature, in some cases with one brother envisioning a sculptural piece with only light suggestions of color and having the other brother incorporate his style in turn. At other times, the concept of the piece was established before the creation; yet neither brother was present for the piece’s conception entirely, allowing the process to be truly collaborative and involved integrating their individual styles to offset, contrast and balance the other’s style while still respecting the original idea and each other’s unique design choices. All of the pieces have great attention to detail, whether it is the design placement or the fine brush-strokes; both Rod and Steve believe this characteristic unites their styles amidst their differences in use of formline. Rod’s thin, delicate brush strokes and use of cross-hatching juxtaposed with Steve’s bold, elegant painting style and dramatic designs display what these two artists and brothers achieve in their works: balance.

The show will be on display at Lattimer Gallery from June 22nd - July 20th, 2013.