Lot 8: Bob Boyer 1948 - 2004 Canadian acrylic on blanket Custer Gets a History Lesson

Bob Boyer 1948 - 2004 Canadian acrylic on blanket Custer Gets a History Lesson 103 x 76 inches 261.6 x 193 centimeters Literature:Miguel Cervantes and Charles Merewether, Mito y Magica en América: Los Ochenta, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, 1991, reproduced page 47, listed page 377 Lee-Ann Martin, Bob Boyer: His Life's Work, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, 2008, page 34 Provenance:Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto Private Collection, Toronto Exhibited:Vancouver Art Gallery, Beyond History, 1989 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Mito y Magica en América: Los Ochenta, Monterrey, Mexico, June - September, 1991, catalogue #39 Bob Boyer's works highlight the importance of the transference of cultural traditions, a result of the complexity of our modern world. In an attempt to find an alternative to traditional canvas painting, Boyer began to explore painting on flannel blankets. This decision resulted in what Lee-Ann Martin calls "the perfect portable art work", possessing an element of practicality not often seen in large works of art. This element acknowledges the tradition of giving blankets as gifts in Aboriginal cultures, as well as the richly painted tipi - an important facet of Native traditions. His witty, often irreverent titles incorporate both the negative and positive aspects of our shared, and often strained North American history. Boyer's blankets thus present intriguing polarities to the audience - as Martin notes, they are political yet narrative, abstract yet traditional. This exploration of identity is now a common element across all cultures.