Artist Talk: June 29, 2019, 5 pm
Artist in Attendance: June 29-30, 2019
On Saturday, June 29, 2019, Ojibway artist, IceBear, will be unveiling his new monumental work, 'The Calling', a contemporary interpretation of The Seven Fires Prophecies. Inspired by the ancient teachings of the Anishinaabe people, 'The Calling' is the embodiment of the artist’s unique Visions that reflect his beliefs about the necessity of understanding the natural world around us. Appearing in a shape of a traditional native drum with bronzed and patinaed sculptures of creatures in high relief, this mixed-media, three-dimensional work offers an environmental message:
“The Seventh Prophecy has come to pass; mankind has been presented with a decision to make, an unmistakeable choice between two paths: Materialism and Greed, or Spirituality and Respect. This has been foretold not just by tribal elders from all over the planet, but also by the world’s best scientists. The warnings are clear. Animals are going extinct in record numbers. Oceans are rising. Forests are burning. Violent storms unleash unprecedented fury and destruction. The Time of the Eighth Fire is at hand. A time of decision, where our choice will lead to Death, or to Life. What will we choose?”
Respect for Mother Earth and all her creatures is always omnipresent in IceBear’s paintings and mixed media works, reflecting his cultural heritage, the mythologies of aboriginal peoples, and the conundrum of being aboriginal in a technological world.
IceBear is a status member of the Chippewas of Nawash at Cape Croker at Georgian Bay in Ontario, currently living and working on Vancouver Island. For more information about the artist, visit our website.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
The world is changing, and danger is everywhere. Creator is calling his children; calling their Spirits
to return home, to the encompassing circle of His protection. He loves them all equally, regardless of
species, shape, size or age.
The Calling is a modern interpretation of this ancient warning. And so IceBear gives it life in contemporary fashion, with present day products replacing the stone, wood or other traditional elements. The primary material used here he has used successfully in a number of artworks before, and he has added in some new ones to push the limits both technically and creatively. Although the conceptual drawing for this work was completed a few years ago, the 3 dimensional version has taken 6 months of daily effort to bring The Calling to life. It appears as a bronzed drum with sculpture in high relief. The drum component is 5 ft in diameter, in places a little more, by a nose, and about 12 inches deep. Weight when complete is expected to be about 100 pounds.