With Northwest Coast culture under the bright lights of the world stage, these three artworks reflect on the carnivalesque by contrasting the strength of cultural ancestry with a trickster wit and a humour that is the essence of many aboriginal families.
In our globalized community these pieces illustrate the merging of a contemporary aboriginal culture their with their traditions and strength colliding with the grand tradition of carnival showmanship. They draw on the theatric traditions of many cultures, playing with the idea of the stage, the mask, the costume, and ornate backdrops. The First Nations' richly historic potlatches documented historical happenings through dramatic performances; these traditional performances are merged with southern carnival costumes and the theatre atmosphere of the stage. The carnival is instantaneously full of life, with new rules of the carnival that can merge with historic northwest coast elements. They honour our essence of play and difference.