Public Art at the Collicutt Centre

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Those Who Stood Upon This Land Before Time

Close up of a painted canvas depicting aboriginal life. Portrait of a Maskepetoon.

Details

Year 2005
Artist(s) David More & Charles Meggison
Type Painting
Medium Canvas, paint, metal, wood
Site Location Collicutt Centre Main Street 3031 - 30 Avenue

Description

David More, in collaboration with Charles Meggison, a local fine woodworker, created this piece by taking a cylinder and wrapping painted canvas around it.


The theme for this work, Those Who Stood Upon This Land Before Time, arose from the artists' research. They strongly felt the presence of aboriginal people depicted here in leisure activities. The portrait of Maskepetoon, a powerful native leader, dominates the canvas. Well-known explorers like Anthony Henday and David Thompson passed this way in search of furs. Metis hunters crossed the prairies in search of bison. Finally, the settlers came to farm this land and made their homes.



The cylinder is an 'external' time capsule which was originally designed to rotate once every hour to mark the continual passage of time. Two aspen trees spread up the cylinder pointing to a compass rose-mounted on the 12 radiating trusses of the ceiling. The compass rose unites the elements of the composition and has long been a metaphor for peoples' search for direction and meaning.


 

Painted canvas depicting aboriginal life. Portrait of a Maskepetoon and horses.
Painted canvas depicting aboriginal life. Children playing lacross, portrait of Dr. Fry and portrait of Henday.
Painted canvas depicting aboriginal life. Dancer in full headdress and a man on a horse outside a farm school.
Painted canvas depicting aboriginal life. Metis couple standing side by side, a worker leading a horse and plow, children playing with a dog.

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