Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone

Billy Gauthier

Billy Gauthier, Northern Voices (Owl / Human Transformation) (2008), installed for Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. M + E Photography.

Jessica Winters, Inuit Futures ilinniaqtuk and Curator of Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, May 2019. Photo courtesy of Jessica Winters.

Installation view of Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. M + E Photography.

Visitors to Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. M + E Photography.

Curator Jessica Winters with Charlotte Winters Fost at Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. Photo courtesy of Jessica Winters.

One of three films of Gauthier working in his studio commissioned for Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. M + E Photography.

Billy Gauthier, Sedna’s Tears (2008), installed for Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. M + E Photography.

Billy Gauthier, Swimming Loons — My Tribute to Kenojuak Ashevak (2010), installed for Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. M + E Photography.

Billy Gauthier, Northern Frigidaire Diet (2012), installed for Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone, The Rooms, St. John’s, NL, 2019. M + E Photography.

Saunituinnaulungitotluni | Beyond Bone
Billy Gauthier

June 1 - September 2, 2019
The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, NL
Curated by Jessica Winters (Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuk)
Curatorial Advisors: Dr. Heather Igloliorte and Darryn Doull

Saunituinnaulungitotluni - Beyond Bone is the first mid-career retrospective by renowned sculptor Billy Gauthier. An artist and activist of Inuit and Metis ancestry, Gauthier's inspiration comes directly from an intimate connection with the land and culture of his home in North West River, Labrador. Curator and Ilinniaqtuk Jessica Winters worked alongside Dr. Heather Igloliorte and Darryn Doull, Curator of Canadian Art at The Rooms, to gather over 20 artworks from private collections across the country and design an exhibition space with custom display structures, a hands-on section, a large-format map to help visitors orient to Gauthier’s home lands, a bilingual title wall didactic, and three commissioned films of the artist working in his studio, speaking about his artistic practice and addressing his environmental activism. This was Winters’ first time working in this capacity and many generative discussions were had along the way. Winters also completed all of the original writing and research for the exhibition didactics and outlined central exhibition thematics. A publication is currently planned to honour this exhibition and relationship. In addition, The Rooms was ultimately able to acquire a new work from this exhibition for its collection.

Media

Evan Careen, “Labrador artist remains grounded by his surroundings,” The Northern Pen, June 11, 2019.