Portico Gallery The Portico Gallery is sponsored by Kim Spencer McPhee Barristers PC Speaker: Sequoia Miller, Chief Curator and Deputy Director Audio Tour Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Gardiner! I’m Sequoia Miller, Chief Curator and Deputy Director, and I’m here to talk about the artworks in the Portico Gallery. The objects on view here focus on the idea of food security, one of the “9 Pillars of Sustainability” offered by our partners at No.9, an arts advocacy group.
Let’s start with the armchair full of vegetables. This sculpture was made by Victor Cicansky, a widely celebrated ceramic artist who has worked for decades in Regina. Cicansky often includes vegetables in his work, frequently giving them a personality or attitude where they appear more like characters than something edible. Cicansky is also an avid gardener and has led numerous individual and public art projects premised on food cultivation and sustainability. By putting the vegetables on par with people, he seems to draw our attention to their individuality, calling on us to respect our food sources as we would each other.
The large brown jug nearby was made by Brownscomb Pottery, founded on Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula in 1870 by a family of English potters. This jug dates to the 1870s or 1880s and carries forward the tradition of the harvest jug, popular in the southwest of England. Harvest jugs have long been made of local red clays for use during fall celebrations. Particularly for carrying ale or cider. While the elaborate ornament on this work suggests that it was likely for decorative purposes, it reminds us of the importance of both local food production and artisanal practices like pottery. For millennia, farmers in many parts of the world would make pottery in their off season, pointing to the longstanding link between what we eat and what we eat from. Looking at the hearty “Hero Sandwich,” I’m wondering, would you eat a frog? Of course frog legs are enjoyed in many parts of the world, but as human populations grow and climate change impacts food supply, many people are looking to alternate food sources. Insects, kelps, and numerous other proteins that have not been widely consumed by humans may soon move onto our plates and palates. How do we think about the carbon footprint of what we eat? Are we willing to venture into more sustainable yet underutilized food sources?
The greyish casserole nearby was made by Peter Gboko at Abuja Pottery in Nigeria. Founded in 1950 as a colonial project by English potter Michael Cardew, the workshop is now known as Dr. Ladi Kwali Pottery, named after its most famed artist. The casserole combines a European object type and technology with African materials and ornament. Abuja Pottery began as an economic development project, raising questions about sustainability and food production and preparation.
Food sustainability and preparation is also at the centre of “Man Skinning Walrus” by Inuit artist Roger Aksadjuak. Food security is a widespread and urgent issue is many Inuit communities. The range, nutritional value, and cost of food are primary concerns for many. At the same time, sustainable harvesting practices of the Inuit can serve as a model for many non-Inuit people. The scene portrayed here is the antithesis or the large-scale extractive processes upon which so many of us depend. Considered as a group, these works can help us slow down to think about where our food comes from and why.
Thanks for visiting the Gardiner and may your food be safe, secure, and delicious.
Artwork credits:
Armchair Garden #1, 1984 Victor Cicansky (Canadian, b. 1935) White earthenware, glazed Gift of Aaron Milrad in memory of Bella and Joseph Milrad
Man Skinning Walrus, 2004 Roger Aksadjuak (Inuit, 1972-2014) Sawdust-fired earthenware and coloured slip Gift of the Museum of Inuit Art
Casserole, 1968 Peter Gboko, Abuja Pottery (Nigerian, Founded 1950) Stoneware with glazes Gift of Iris and Jack Lieber
Jug, 1870 - 1890 Brownscombe Pottery (Canadian, founded 1870) Earthenware with red tinted lead glaze, applied ornament Gift of Matthew Jocelyn
Collapsed Deer Head, 2015 Janet Macpherson (Canadian, b. 1974) Slip-cast porcelain with black underglaze; gold lustre Gift of the artist
Hero Sandwich, 1985 David Gilhooly (American 1943 - 2013, active in Canada) Earthenware Gift of Dr. Stephen Brown and Dr. Brenda Woods