Galerie Nicolas Robert is glowing with colour. On display are the vivid works by Saulteaux First Nations artist Robert Houle, who is presenting his series of oils titled Artifact Abstractions. Expressive, fluid brush strokes race across the canvas, spontaneous like a fleeting thought, the background steeped in bold colour fields flashing lushious greens, fiery reds, vibrant yellow. Houle now lives in Toronto, but his work echoes the memories of his youth on the reservation. Look closely at the brush marks and you can make out an eagle, a shaman, an arrow. I love the vibrant yellow canvas with a hurriedly drawn open square floating at the bottom of the frame. Simply called “Lightbox”, it refers to a small box which is traditionally worn by the Saulteaux. As the story goes, in times of trouble and darkness the box can be opened to let out a beam of light to show you a way out. What a wonderful legend.

Robert Houle is a game-changer in Canadian art. He broke the mold of First Nations artists by stepping away from the traditional forms of visual expression associated with ‘native art’, paving the way for young talents such as Kent Monkman and Nadia Myre. Houle infuses methods of Western art with concepts and ideas relevant to his heritage, creating luminous, enigmatic works.

Galerie Nicolas Robert, space 524
Robert Houle
Artifact Abstractions
October 15 – November 19, 2011
www.galerienicolasrobert.com