Ray Swirsky

This oil painting depicts a scene of Canyon de Chelly (archival reference photo taken by Edward S Curtis) painted atop the map (archival reference map of the Territory of Arizona created in 1860). The combination of this image, depicting the movement of the Navajo people at a time when the indigenous people were being moved off traditional lands, with the map, depicting the European settlers view of this same land, creates an historic commentary of place and time that is both pleasing to look at yet disturbing by the context of what is captured in this scene.

The Sullivan mine in Kimberley BC was discovered in 1892 in the Selkirk Mountain range. The scene above is based on an old photo taken when the mine was first opened about 1909. The map in the background was created in 1890, showing the towns , trails and railroads at the time. It is important to note that the town of Kimberley did not yet exist, just the North Star Camp as the mine was being developed.

The Sullivan Mine in Kimberley was discovered in 1890. By 1909 is was fully operational becoming the largest Lead, Zinc and Silver mine in the world, operating for nearly 100 years. The new upgraded entrance shown in the painting was completed in 1915, still looks the same today as it did when completed. The map in the background, created in 1915, shows the railroads across the region as they connect to all the towns. By painting both the map and the scene together, a unique narrative is given that intertwines the people working in the mine with their surrounding towns and industrial development.

Based on an Edward Curtis photo from over 100 years ago, this scene depicts a Blackfoot Chief pausing along the Bow River East of Calgary. The combination of painting the map (from 1891) under the photographic image, creates a unique perspective of how the land was being explored, altered and claimed by the European settlers while the indigenous people of the time were being moved forceable from traditional lands onto reservations.

This oil painting is of Blackfoot Braves atop a ridge along the Rocky Mountains. The image is from a reference photo by Roland Reed. The painted map behind the scene is part of a 1891 map commissioned by the government of The Dominion of Canada that showed the locations and names of all reservations being created under the 11 Indian Treaties being negotiated at the time. The combination of the historic image with the map of how the land was viewed at the time gives a unique perspective of our North American history.

The bison, an integral part of indigenous life for thousands of years, was nearly wiped out by the arrival of the European settlers. The painted map in the background shows the locations of all the reservations under Treaty 7, part of a much larger map commissioned in 1891 recording all reservations under all 11 Treaties across the dominion of Canada being negotiated a the time. By combining the map and the image, a unique narrative of time and place is captured.

This amazing scene was originally captured by photographer Edward Curtis over one hundred years ago. By painting this scene atop of the painted map of the Treaty 7 region reservations, a narrative of the time is created that depicts the indigenous people at a time when they were being moved from traditional lands onto reservations. This scene is both beautiful and disturbing as the painting articulates different perspectives from the indigenous people and the European settlers of what the value of this land holds for the people of the past and those in the future.

Stolen Property, a scene that was likely common at the time. Horses were valuable and highly coveted. The painted image is based on a photo by Roland Reed from about 100 years ago, the painted map, based on a portion of the map commissioned by the Government of the Dominion of Canada in 1891. Combining the map with the scene creates a unique perspective on the land and the people at the time.

Wild horses were never native to North America. But the introduction of horses to the land and the invasion of European settlers across all lands forever changed the way of life of the original people of these lands. This painted portion of map, originally commission by the Government of the Dominion of Canada in 1891, depicts the reservations created under Treaty 7 and surrounding areas.

Nothing was more valuable to the indigenous people of North America than the bison. The combination of the bison and the historic painted section of this 1891 map showing reserve locations of the Treaty 7 region captures a moment in time when the land and people under Treaty 7 were undergoing severe changes that would forever change their way of life.