In Memoriam

Art Gallery of Ontario

Robert Houle. In Memoriam, 1987. Oil, feathers, leather, ribbon on plywood, Overall (framed): 137.2 x 151.9 x 9 cm. Gift of Vanessa, Britney and Nelson Niedzielski, 2000. © Robert Houle 2000/1196 Two differently sized panels of painted plywood are assembled together in this artwork that includes indigenous community names, leather, ribbons and eagle feathers. On the left panel a thin horizontal decorative moulding architecturally crowns the top. Below the moulding, a piece of plywood is cut away in a curve that arcs from the upper right corner down past the left corner of the panel, creating the illusion of an arch. Painted black, the vertical brush strokes are visible on the entire panel. Multicoloured ribbons tied around eagle feathers flow down the centre, dividing the left and right panels of the artwork. Longer than the left panel, the right panel is a rich deep purple maroon. The following community names are stenciled onto the panel from top to bottom: Beothuk, Mohican, Natchez, Neutral, Timucua, Tobacco, Yamasee. The names are obscured by the brush strokes, making it hard to read them and alluding to the loss of these communities and a discourse around representation and naming outside of colonial narratives.