Outside Wency’s office you may have noticed an inscrutable blue face staring back at you, this is a piece called ‘Blue Moon’ created by Indigenous artist Maynard Johnny Jr.
Similar to the expression on the face in ‘Blue Moon’, the origin story of this piece is a mystery; however by learning more about the heritage of the artist that created it, we can understand more about the piece itself.
Born in Campbell River in 1973, Maynard Johnny Jr. is of Penelakut, Kwagiult (Kwakwaka’wakw speaking) and Coast Salish descent. This background blends some strong artistic perspectives and styles. Kwakwaka’wakw tribes are renowned for wood carving; their style is distinguished by bold colours and deep incisions. The dramatic expressions in Kwakwaka’wakw carving are highlighted with white paint to create intensity, especially during traditional firelight dance performances. This highlighting is prominent in the eyes of ‘Blue Moon’ and draws the viewer in to take a closer look. Coast Salish design, on the other hand, contains specific shapes including circles and trigons. Maynard Johnny Jr uses these shapes to create a striking yet soft face in ‘Blue Moon’. He also uses positive and negative space, rather than outlines, to define the shapes in the piece. In doing so, he has managed to seamlessly combine his ancestral background in to a contemporary piece of art. More about the artist is below.
Maynard Johnny Jr began drawing at age six and working seriously as a self-taught artist at seventeen. Early in his career, he won multiple logo and art competitions for his work, depicting traditional characters from legends and stories with a contemporary edge. Throughout his career, Maynard Johnny Jr has primarily created graphics however he has also designed jewelry and worked with wood to create masks and panels. Among these pieces is an eight by three foot sculpture of a salmon that was donated to the World Trade Centre to honour those lost in the 9/11 tragedy.
Maynard Johnny Jr is inspired by other indigenous artists including Robert Davidson, the late Art Thompson and Mark Henderson. Looking to the future, he has noted that he hopes to continue sharing his culture through wood carving and other media that extend beyond his norm, including precious metals.
Reflection questions:
– Does your family have a crest, tartan or insignia that captures its spirit/essence? If so, how do you identify with it? If not, what shapes, colours or expression do you believe would capture your family’s spirit?
– Have you ever taught yourself something? What did you learn about yourself in that process?
For more information, check out the following links:
https://www.cedarhilllonghouse.ca/artist/maynard-johnny-jr
https://stoningtongallery.com/tribe/kwakwakawakw-kwakiutl-kwagiulth/
http://uvac.uvic.ca/gallery/salishcurriculum/coast-salish-design-elements/