Robert Boyer (1948-2004)
Métis artist Bob Boyer's painting bears the mark of a dual cultural perspective, one that alternates between the Plains Indian imagery of his Native heritage and the European tradition that provides him with the vocabulary of abstraction. His first works were painterly, semiabstract depictions of ceremonial and everyday objects used by Native people, borrowing design elements of traditional hide painting and beadwork. Boyer has used a variety of media throughout his career, although he is probably best known for his blanket paintings. In the 1980s he replaced the traditional canvas surface with that of a blanket, addressing the political issues of Native history in Canada, painting scenes alluding to injustice, betrayals, defeats, and environmental destruction. By the mid-1990s Boyer had shifted his focus, choosing instead to encourage the perpetuation and celebration of Native culture. Bob Boyer is represented in many museums across Canada including the National Gallery, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Museum of Civilization, Calgary's Glenbow Museum, and the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatchewan.
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