Emily Carr graduate student, Luke Parnell, is part of a double-solo exhibition at the McLaren Art Centre in Barrie, Ontario, open until February 21, 2011.

From the McLaren Art Centre website:

This thematic double-solo exhibition features photography by Meryl McMaster (Toronto) and painted wood carvings by Luke Parnell (Vancouver). These rising Aboriginal artist address the distances to historical representations of and by indigenous people, embodying past artistic motifs in living contemporary forms.

As the curators write, “The mantle of colonialism in North America propelled photographers and artists of past centuries to pictorially ‘preserve’ indigenous cultures. Stubborn, ruinous stereotypes arose from such representations and issues surrounding their perpetuation inevitably raised questions with respect to Aboriginal agency. Two emerging Aboriginal artists—Meryl McMaster and Luke Parnell—engage their work in critical conversations with the past. From distinct perspectives, they question the life of historical images today. Through subtle variations of historical image and iconography, both exemplify past now as a creative credo.

Luke Parnell integrates his formative influences. His works are influenced by a globalized art education and traditional apprenticeship. Parnell integrates Haida and Nisga’a carving styles, incorporating knowledge drawn from his familial heritage and the recovery of old master works. He works with and against the inherent grain of Northwest Coast design, contributing to and honouring its lineage.”

For more information on Luke’s work for the past now exhibition, please visit the Simcoe website.