Urban Thunderbirds: Fly or Flop?

An exhibit held at the Greater Victoria Art Gallery, Urban Thunderbirds showcases the recent works of Coast Salish artists lessLIE and Dylan Thomas. Consisting of various sized painted canvases, carvings, and a single stretched hide drum, all of which are mounted on matte white walls, Urban Thunderbirds has a more minimalist appeal. Through the use of few colors apart from white and black, this modern First Nation artwork is both simplistic and dynamic in visual appeal, yet complicated in both creation and symbolism. Seeking to amalgamate both the traditional and the contemporary, the works of both artists seamlessly tie westernized abstract art with Coastal First Nations’ bold imagery and design.

Victoria Art Gallery Logo

Small in overall size, the gallery space itself consists of little more than an entrance facing a small dividing wall leading to an open space with a concrete floor. Dim light emanating from track lighting is directed towards each individual piece, resulting in the viewing of the artwork in detail to be challenging depending on the color of the paint, size of the canvas, and the angle of the light from the celling. Casting heavy shadows underneath each piece, I felt as though the gallery space was more cave-like than anything, making viewing relatively uncomfortable, and therefore brief. This is also the result of minimal seating for prolonged enjoyment of the exhibit, as only one 5-person bench exists in the middle of the room. Additionally, in the absence of noisy students and children, one is enveloped in the equally distracting rumbling echo of an exposed overhead ventilation system. It is easy to say that the exhibit has been placed in a space inadequate for the true appreciation of the artwork, as it seems to fight with the artwork for the viewer’s attention. The inclusion of better lighting, more seating, and sound panels to eliminate excessive sound reverberation would certainly make experiencing the exhibit more enjoyable overall.    

'ConunDRUM' by lessLIE

The artwork of the exhibit itself varies from bold, exciting, and captivating, to more ordinary and expected, as traditional First Nations symbolism is challenged to consider and, in some cases, embody westernized contemporary ideology. While some artwork enthralls the common viewer in the delightful engagement with notions of globalization, modern power struggles, the significance of community, and the power of the individual, many other pieces remain relatively detached to their apparent symbolic meaning, creating an inconsistency in a recognizable theme. As a result, the exhibit unintentionally begins to cater to a smaller audience more familiar with First Nations’ symbolism, rather than an audience who could be further educated about the negative impacts of contemporary life on human culture through the integration of familiar symbols into First Nations’ art. For example, the art piece ‘Cultural ConunDRUM’ by lessLIE, a skin drum with the characteristic green face of the Starbucks logo interpreted in First Nation’s design, exposes the cultural parody of a global giant, particularly that of Starbucks, making cultural products for the global rich at the expense of the local poor. The dramatic use of this symbolism is akin to that of Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun’s artwork, proving far more interesting and impactful to a larger audience than the sole use of traditional designs in conventional colors and arrangements. Dylan Thomas’ ‘Community Wellness’ is another excellent example of melding the traditional and the contemporary through new dynamic design, much like that of his mentors Robert Davidson and Rande Cook, which would have been best continued throughout the entirety of the exhibit.

'Community Wellness' by Dylan Thomas

Overall, Urban Thunderbirds is an insightful way into understanding what it means to be a First Nations individual living in an Urban Western culture. Through the mixing of the two artists’ works within a single space, various ideas regarding globalization and humanity’s connection to both time and place is presented to the viewer in no particular order (which may be viewed as either beneficial or a drawback to the overall theme of the exhibit). While each individual piece is visually interesting, meaning would be largely lost if not for the presence of small description labels off to the sides of each work. The use of more than one medium of artwork is certainly an additional asset to the overall presentation of the exhibit, creating a degree of dynamism beyond the exclusive use of paint and canvas.  With the above considerations, the exhibit is visually interesting but far from remarkable, resulting from a combination of an inadequate showing space and underdeveloped artwork leaving the viewer craving for greater allusions to a more centralized theme.