I am both honoured and humbled to author this important and timely publication on Robert Houle. I extend a special thank you to Sara Angel for the opportunity. I am grateful for the assistance provided by her remarkable team at ACI. Their professionalism and help throughout the project was nothing less than stellar. I am also indebted to all editors, in particular Amanda Lewis and Kendra Ward, who provided me with valuable suggestions and advice on the manuscript. My colleagues in art museums across the country, in particular the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa; and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Gatineau, have been of great help responding to my inquiries on specific works by Houle during the research phase.
My deepest gratitude goes to Robert Houle. I am grateful for the generosity of time he gave in sharing his life and work with me; for his honesty and patience; and most of all, for his trust. This journey has been memorable. Sincere thanks to Paul Gardner for his invaluable assistance from the beginning of this project to its completion. It could not have been accomplished without him.
From the Art Canada Institute
The Art Canada Institute gratefully acknowledges the generosity of TD Bank Group, the Title Sponsor of this book.
The Art Canada Institute also gratefully acknowledges its other sponsors for the 2017–18 Season: Aimia, Alexandra Bennett in memory of Jalynn Bennett, Consignor Canadian Fine Art, Kiki and Ian Delaney, Richard and Donna Ivey, the six children of Betty-Ann McNicoll-Elliott and R. Fraser Elliott, The Sabourin Family Foundation, and Sandra L. Simpson.
We also sincerely thank the Founding Sponsor for the Art Canada Institute: BMO Financial Group; and the Art Canada Institute Founding Patrons: Jalynn H. Bennett, Butterfield Family Foundation, David and Vivian Campbell, Albert E. Cummings, Kiki and Ian Delaney, Dr. Jon S. and Mrs. Lyne Dellandrea, the Fleck family, Roger and Kevin Garland, Glorious & Free Foundation, The Scott Griffin Foundation, Gershon Iskowitz Foundation, Jane Huh, Michelle Koerner and Kevin Doyle, Lawson Hunter, Phil Lind, Nancy McCain and Bill Morneau, Sarah and Tom Milroy, Partners in Art, Gerald Sheff and Shanitha Kachan, Sandra L. Simpson, Stephen Smart, Pam and Mike Stein, Nalini and Tim Stewart, The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Robin and David Young, and Sara and Michael Angel.
We thank our Lead Benefactors: Alexandra Baillie, Alexandra Bennett, Grant and Alice Burton, Kiki and Ian Delaney, Dr. Jon S. and Mrs. Lyne Dellandrea, Michelle Koerner and Kevin Doyle, James and Melinda Harrison, Sarah and Tom Milroy, Partners in Art, Pam and Michael Stein, and Sara and Michael Angel.
We thank our Patrons: Connor, Clark & Lunn Foundation and Lawson Hunter.
The ACI gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre (Leah Cox); Art Gallery of Hamilton (Christine Braun); Art Gallery of Ontario (Eva Athanasiu, Tracy Mallon-Jensen, Donald Rance); Art Gallery of Peterborough (Fynn Leith); Art Gallery of Windsor (Nicole McCabe); Canadian Museum of History (Erin Gurski, Vincent Lafond); CARCC (Christian Bédard); Carleton University Art Gallery (Sandra Dyck, Patrick Lacasse); Estate of Carl Beam (Anong Beam); Grunt Gallery (Dan Pon); Indigenous and Northern Affairs Art Centre (Kevin Gibbs); Kinsman Robinson Galleries (John Newman); Latcham Gallery (Elisa Coish, Chai Duncan); MacKenzie Art Gallery (Marie Olinik); McMaster Museum of Art (Julie Bronson, Carol Podedworny); National Gallery Canada (Raven Amiro, Philip Dombowsky); The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (Linda Jansma, Sonya Jones); School of Art Gallery, University of Manitoba (Donna Jones, Jamie Wright); Toronto City Planning Urban Design, Public Art Commission (Jane Perdue); University of Waterloo Art Gallery (Ivan Jurakic); Vancouver Art Gallery (Danielle Currie); Winnipeg Art Gallery (Nicole Fletcher, Simone Reis); and Barry Ace, Rebecca Belmore, Michael Cullen, Toni Hafkenscheid, Trevor Mills, Patti Ross Milne, Shelley Niro, Ruth Phillips, Serge Saurette, and Greg Staats. The ACI recognizes the numerous private collectors who have given permission for their work to be published in this edition.
The ACI also sincerely thanks Robert Houle and Paul Gardner for their image research assistance.
Image Sources
Every effort has been made to secure permissions for all copyrighted material. The Art Canada Institute will gladly correct any errors or omissions.
Credit for Banner Images
Biography: Robert Houle at the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, 1970. (See below for details.)
Key Works: Robert Houle, Parfleches for the Last Supper (Bartholomew), 1983. (See below for details.)
Significance & Critical Issues: Robert Houle, Kanata, 1992. (See below for details.)
Style & Technique: Robert Houle, Parfleche for Norval Morrisseau, 1999. (See below for details.)
Sources & Resources: Robert Houle, Parfleche for Edna Manitowabi, 1999. (See below for details.)
Where to See: Robert Houle, Muhnedobe uhyahyuk (Where the gods are present), 1989. (See below for details.)
Cinq études d’indiens Ojibwas, 1845, by Eugène Delacroix. Louvre Museum, Paris (RF 9311).
Composition No. 1 Lozenge with Four Lines, 1930, by Piet Mondrian. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Hilla Rebay Collection, New York. Courtesy of the Guggenheim Collection Online.
Cover of the 1943 edition of Ojibwa Crafts by Carrie A. Lyford, photograph by Rachel Topham.
Cover of Land, Spirit, Power exhibition catalogue, 1994. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
The Death of General Wolfe, 1770, by Benjamin West. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, gift of the 2nd Duke of Westminster to the Canadian War Memorials, 1918; Transfer from the Canadian War Memorials, 1921 (8007).
The Indian in Transition, 1978, by Daphne Odjig. Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau (III-M-15).
Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo 67, 1967, photographer unknown. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa.
Installation view of Faye HeavyShield’s Untitled, 1992, at the Land, Spirit, Power exhibition, photograph by Louis Joncas. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives, Ottawa.
Installation view of Sandy Bay Residential School Series, 2009, at Latcham Gallery, Stouffville, Ontario, 2016, photograph by Toni Hafkenscheid. Courtesy of the author.
Installation view of Seven Grandfathers, 2014, at Walker Court, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, photograph by Dean Tomlinson.
Interior page from Ojibwa Crafts (1943) by Carrie A. Lyford, photograph by Rachel Topham.
Invitation to Robert Houle’s first solo exhibition, 1984. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Lozenge Composition with Two Lines, 1931, by Piet Mondrian. Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, acquired with the generous support of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the Algemene Loterij Nederland, and the Vereniging Rembrandt (1988.1.0016). Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
A miniature parfleche, Crow, 1890–1910. Collection of the artist. Courtesy of McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton.
Mural by Norval Morrisseau for the Indians of Canada pavilion at Expo 67, 1967, photographer unknown. Courtesy of Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto.
Norval Morrisseau and Robert Houle in Beardmore, Ontario, 1978, photograph by Barbara Stimpson. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Paul Gardner and Robert Houle with their cats, 1988, photograph by Andre Leduc. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Rebecca Belmore’s Mawu-che-hitoowin: A Gathering of People for Any Purpose, 1992, at Land, Spirit, Power, photograph by Louis Joncas. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
Robert Houle in 2015 with his triptych Colours of Love, 2015, photograph by Patti Ross Milne.
Robert Houle at Assiniboia Residential High School, 1967, photographer unknown. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert Houle with Colours of Love, 2015, photograph by Patti Ross Milne.
Robert Houle at the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development regional office in Winnipeg, 1966, photographer unknown. Archive of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert Houle drawing in his Wellesley Street East apartment in Toronto, 1981, photograph by the Globe and Mail, Toronto. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert Houle at the site of Morningstar, 1999, with Shirley Madill, photograph by Ernest Mayer. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert Houle wearing a headdress, 1974, photographer unknown. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert Houle, with a work by Alex Janvier, at the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in Ottawa in 1969, photographer unknown. Archive of the artist. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert Houle working in the gallery at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1989, photograph by Linda Morita. McMichael Canadian Art Collection Archives, Kleinburg, Ontario. Courtesy of the artist.
A spread from the Montreal magazine Secrets des Artistes advertising Colours of Pride: Paintings by Seven Professional Native Artists, 1975. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives, Ottawa.
![Seven Grandfathers (Mahéen gun [Wolf]), 2014, by Robert Houle](/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/art-books_29_robert-houle-seven-grandfathers-wolf-contextual.jpg)
![Seven Grandfathers (Músh kooda pezhéke [Buffalo]), 2014, by Robert Houle](/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/art-books_29_robert-houle-seven-grandfathers-buffalo-contextual.jpg)
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