Above the Beach 7

About Above the Beach 7

Rick Rivet’s powerful series of contemporary paintings called Above the Beach is designed to address the environmental threats against the Arctic and its people. Pollution, climate change, the oil and gas industry, mining—all have had a profound effect on the indigenous way of life in the polar regions. The Metis artist has acquired an international reputation for his artwork which often offers a poetic, spiritual and historically relevant view of indigenous and Western cultures.

In this piece, Rivet uses his characteristic expressive brushstrokes to portray polar creatures–a lynx, wolf, caribou, fish, polar bear, and narwhal whale. All are fundamental to the survival of the indigenous people. The outline of a vessel is also evident and the black stain of an oil spill mars the turquoise waters. The colour palette is symbolic—the red line at the bottom of the canvas signifies pollution, white lines represent the different paths taken and green suggests the renewal of life—hope.

"When I was growing up in the North, I thought that animals were no less important than other life forms in the cosmos." Rick Rivet

Richard James Rivet was born in Aklavik in the Northwest Territories in a Metis family. He grew up on the land and his family lived by trapping, hunting and fishing. Rivet has four degrees from three universities. He completed his MFA at the U. of Saskatchewan in 1989 and began creating art full-time. Rivet has been the recipient of more than twenty awards, scholarships and bursaries including a Fellowship from the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, and the Andy Warhol Foundation Fellowship Residency Program for the Heard Museum in Phoenix. His work is held in private, corporate, and public collections in Canada and the US.