Northwest Passage-6

About Northwest Passage-6

A famous 19th-century exploration of the Arctic is the theme of Rick Rivet’s striking series of large abstract paintings called Northwest Passage. In 1845, against the advice of the local indigenous population, a British expedition led by Captain Sir John Franklin attempted to sail into the dangerous waters of the Arctic and became trapped in the ice. Two dozen passengers died including Franklin. This painting portrays the haunting image of a submerged vessel—rendered in black, suspended in the clear, cold turquoise sea, snow-covered hills in the distance under a moonlit night sky. Expressive brushstrokes in a dark palette, paint drippings and abstracted form add to the drama of the piece.

“I feel that my themes and the character of the work reflect a more universal interest which cannot be constricted within the narrow confines of terms such as ‘Western’, ‘Native’, ‘Hybrid’ or what have you. My art represents aspects of my own culture and history personally, and in the wider archetypal sense, includes all common human experience.” Rick Rivet

Richard James Rivet was born in Aklavik in the Northwest Territories to 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.