Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose
In 1965, tamarack goose sculptures were introduced in the southern James Bay Cree community of Moose Factory, Ontario. Taking inspiration from decoys used for hunting, John Blueboy, a Cree artist from Rupert’s House, Québec, constructed the sculptures by arranging and tying the twigs of the tamarack...
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ftqueensuniv:oai:qspace.library.queensu.ca:1974/29418 2023-05-15T17:13:17+02:00 Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose Cull, Shaelagh Vorano, Norman Art History 2021-09-13T21:31:29Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/29418 eng eng Canadian theses http://hdl.handle.net/1974/29418 Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University Copying and Preserving Your Thesis This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner. Tamarack Goose James Bay Cree Material Culture John Blueboy Moosonee Moose Factory Expo 67 Indian Art 74 From Our Hands Old Fields/New Paths Canadian craft Artisan’78 thesis 2021 ftqueensuniv 2021-09-18T23:02:08Z In 1965, tamarack goose sculptures were introduced in the southern James Bay Cree community of Moose Factory, Ontario. Taking inspiration from decoys used for hunting, John Blueboy, a Cree artist from Rupert’s House, Québec, constructed the sculptures by arranging and tying the twigs of the tamarack tree into the form of a goose, creating an artform that garnered attention from collectors of Indigenous craft and modern art. For his role in reimagining hunting decoys to create a new artform, John Blueboy was named “Inventor of the Decorative Decoy” by the Grand Council of the Crees. Within three decades of their debut in Moose Factory, tamarack geese were included in provincial, national, and international exhibitions including the 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montréal, Québec, Canadian Indian Art 74 held at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1974, and craft exhibitions such as the influential travelling shows, Artisan’78 (1978), From Our Hands (1983), and the international show Old Fields/New Paths (1983/84), which toured Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Through these exhibitions and their mass collection in Canada and abroad, tamarack geese were folded into national art narratives and influenced the development of contemporary Canadian art and craft. This thesis traces the history of the tamarack goose artform between 1965 to 1990, when they were most broadly circulated, to explore the participation of regional Indigenous artists in shaping modern art and craft in Canada in the late twentieth century. Through an examination of their collection and exhibition locally, nationally and internationally, this thesis discusses the reinvention of the craft form and its effect on the economy of Moose Factory, traces the movement of tamarack geese through exhibitions and collections, and highlights the legacy of John Blueboy’s tamarack geese in the communities of Moosonee and Moose Factory. M.A. Thesis Moosonee James Bay Queen's University, Ontario: QSpace Canada Indian Moose Factory ENVELOPE(-80.616,-80.616,51.267,51.267) New Zealand Tamarack ENVELOPE(-121.170,-121.170,57.650,57.650) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Queen's University, Ontario: QSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftqueensuniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Tamarack Goose James Bay Cree Material Culture John Blueboy Moosonee Moose Factory Expo 67 Indian Art 74 From Our Hands Old Fields/New Paths Canadian craft Artisan’78 |
spellingShingle |
Tamarack Goose James Bay Cree Material Culture John Blueboy Moosonee Moose Factory Expo 67 Indian Art 74 From Our Hands Old Fields/New Paths Canadian craft Artisan’78 Cull, Shaelagh Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose |
topic_facet |
Tamarack Goose James Bay Cree Material Culture John Blueboy Moosonee Moose Factory Expo 67 Indian Art 74 From Our Hands Old Fields/New Paths Canadian craft Artisan’78 |
description |
In 1965, tamarack goose sculptures were introduced in the southern James Bay Cree community of Moose Factory, Ontario. Taking inspiration from decoys used for hunting, John Blueboy, a Cree artist from Rupert’s House, Québec, constructed the sculptures by arranging and tying the twigs of the tamarack tree into the form of a goose, creating an artform that garnered attention from collectors of Indigenous craft and modern art. For his role in reimagining hunting decoys to create a new artform, John Blueboy was named “Inventor of the Decorative Decoy” by the Grand Council of the Crees. Within three decades of their debut in Moose Factory, tamarack geese were included in provincial, national, and international exhibitions including the 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montréal, Québec, Canadian Indian Art 74 held at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1974, and craft exhibitions such as the influential travelling shows, Artisan’78 (1978), From Our Hands (1983), and the international show Old Fields/New Paths (1983/84), which toured Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Through these exhibitions and their mass collection in Canada and abroad, tamarack geese were folded into national art narratives and influenced the development of contemporary Canadian art and craft. This thesis traces the history of the tamarack goose artform between 1965 to 1990, when they were most broadly circulated, to explore the participation of regional Indigenous artists in shaping modern art and craft in Canada in the late twentieth century. Through an examination of their collection and exhibition locally, nationally and internationally, this thesis discusses the reinvention of the craft form and its effect on the economy of Moose Factory, traces the movement of tamarack geese through exhibitions and collections, and highlights the legacy of John Blueboy’s tamarack geese in the communities of Moosonee and Moose Factory. M.A. |
author2 |
Vorano, Norman Art History |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Cull, Shaelagh |
author_facet |
Cull, Shaelagh |
author_sort |
Cull, Shaelagh |
title |
Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose |
title_short |
Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose |
title_full |
Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose |
title_fullStr |
Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose |
title_full_unstemmed |
Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose |
title_sort |
transformations in material culture: john blueboy and the tamarack goose |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1974/29418 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-80.616,-80.616,51.267,51.267) ENVELOPE(-121.170,-121.170,57.650,57.650) |
geographic |
Canada Indian Moose Factory New Zealand Tamarack |
geographic_facet |
Canada Indian Moose Factory New Zealand Tamarack |
genre |
Moosonee James Bay |
genre_facet |
Moosonee James Bay |
op_relation |
Canadian theses http://hdl.handle.net/1974/29418 |
op_rights |
Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University Copying and Preserving Your Thesis This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner. |
_version_ |
1766070234586808320 |