Resilient to the Bones (2021) is carved from polystyrene foam, and is part of Caroline Monnet?s current exhibition. Photo courtesy MMFA, Jean-François Brière
As a child, Anishinaabe/French artist Caroline Monnet watched her parents renovate old cottages into homes. The powerful act of transforming raw construction materials into life-affirming shelters has been behind much of her artwork, including early films about people mobilizing to build houses.
In her current work, these ideas are expressed through large-scale ornamented construction materials: Monnet carves Indigenous-inspired patterns into Styrofoam insulation boards and plywood panels, and folds Tyvek into elaborate wall hangings, or embroiders it with Anishnabek motifs.
The work draws attention to the housing crisis in Indigenous communities, and the lack of a federal vision to address the problem. ?First and foremost, it?s about having a dialogue around the terrible conditions in Canada?s backyard,? says Monnet, noting how many reserves fail to meet basic provisions for clean water and shelter. The work also aims to counter misinformed perceptions that the dilapidated housing of reserves, as shown in many media images, represents the character of its inhabitants. ?We imagine people reflecting the houses they live in,? she says. ?How can we make these places with more pride"? One of her pieces embeds a Winston Churchill quote onto pink Styrofoam: ?We shape our homes, and then our homes shape us.?
Monnet...