PHOTO: Meryl McMaster-Bloodline, Part II

Meryl McMaster is a Canadian artist with nêhiyaw (Plains Cree), Métis, British and Dutch ancestry. Her lens-based practice incorporates the production of hand crafted materials and performance forming a synergy that transports the viewer out of the ordinary and into a space of contemplation and introspection. She explores the self in relation to land, lineage, history, culture and the more-than-human world (Part I).

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Renai Modern Archive

Meryl McMaster addresses themes that affect everyone in today’s world, such as tensions surrounding one’s personal identity and heritage, coming to terms with differing worldviews that can exist within oneself and reconnecting to one’s past. An accomplished young artist whose work is both conceptually strong and visually spectacular, McMaster is definitely one to watch. A new suite of photo and video works is the centrepiece of the latest exhibition by Meryl McMaster, titled “bloodline”, the exhibition includes works from throughout McMaster’s career and brings viewers up to date on her current explorations of family histories, in particular those of her nêhiyawak (Plains Cree) female forebears from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in present-day western Canada. McMaster’s newest series, “nôhkominak âcimowina / Stories of My Grandmothers” is inspired by her paternal grandmothers, whose lives span 130 years lived in the Red Pheasant community. These are deeply personal works that touch on universal narratives of self-discovery and family histories. Many of the images were captured on Red Pheasant, and are presented alongside family photos and other ephemera that inspired the artist’s exploration of her ancestry. Begun in 2019, the series “As Immense as the Sky” deals with the intersection of worldviews, the result of the artist’s upbringing in a family of both Indigenous and Western heritage. Contemplating different views of time and the countless cycles of life led to the development of this series, as McMaster explains on her website: “Many places I visited hold particular meaning for my direct ancestors as they are sites of significant moments in their lives; I was drawn to the sites of ancient stories across central and southern Saskatchewan and to the shores of early settlement in Ontario and Newfoundland. My aim was to reconnect with those who came before me as a way of introducing myself to the land on which they lived. I came to see these landscapes as immense time capsules of buried knowledge. “As Immense as the Sky” is about walking these ancient paths, experiencing the diversity.” The resulting images are a blend and collapse of time into the present, with the memory of the past and the mystery of the future. The photo “Of Universes We Have Just the One” was taken in a snowstorm on the Scarborough Bluffs overlooking Lake Ontario. The idea of edges and borders is important to the artist, as they reflect divisions and colonial concepts of territory, especially that of the nation. For this piece, McMaster constructed a costume consisting of reflective globes. The idea was to present herself as a lighthouse or beacon that guides people to safety. She is wrapped in a survival blanket, which can also be used to signal for help. As well, the signalling has celestial force as a gesture to the universe and indicator of human presence. The twilight or overcast setting alludes to the solitary nature of the human condition. But through the guise of a beacon, McMaster suggests the possibilities of connections, community and gathering. “Lead me to the Places I Could Never Find On My Own I & II” were shot in Saskatchewan in Grasslands National Park in the Badlands East Block section. McMaster was attracted to the site for its Dark Sky preserve designation, as she wished to explore Cree stories of stars and constellations. Guides and companions again affect her choice of place for photographing, as stars are used by both humans and animals to navigate. Her hat was fashioned from a cornucopia upon which are perched Indigo Buntings, a bird species that is particularly well known for its capacity to migrate at night, using stars for guidance. McMaster is interested in the deep history of the land, as well as our place in a larger cosmology. Her nest-like basket is filled with stars and she depicts herself as undertaking a long journey, carrying the universe on her back. “On the Edge of this Immensity” was shot on Manitoulin Island, at Gore Bay. The piece expresses a persistent theme in the artist’s work; the idea of journey and retracing movements of people – in this case that of her family. Her maternal side, Dutch in origin, lived in New York State and came to Canada after the American Revolution. They settled on Manitoulin Island and then moved to Saskatchewan. The work shows McMaster at a moment in her journey. The area resonated for the artist as a site where her ancestors once walked, and she depicts herself as re-enacting their journey, carrying a boat that represents their passage to different lands. The birds within the boat are generic in nature, but operate as companions and guides. While there, McMaster felt as if time had collapsed and wondered not only about those who had come before her, but also those who will come in the future. She also reflected upon the nonfamilial – nature and animals, represented by the birds – and their moment in time and how it was her responsibility to carry them to a safe place.

Photo: Meryl McMaster, My Destiny is Entwined With Yours, 2019, From the series “As Immense as the Sky”, Signed, titled, dated, and editioned, au mount verso, Chromogenic print flush mounted to Aluminum Composite Panel, 40 x 60 inch (101.60 x 152.40 cm), Edition of 5 + 2 APs, © Meryl McMaster, Courtesy the artist and Remai Modern

Info: Curators: Sarah Milroy and Tarah Hogue, Remai Modern, 102 Spadina Crescent East, Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Canada, Duration: 22/7-31/12/2023, Days & Hours: Wed & Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00, Thu-Fri 10:00-21:00, https://remaimodern.org/