News Release Archive
N.S. MUSEUM--EXHIBIT FOCUSES ON PRESENT DAY ACADIA ----------------------------------------------------------------- The special exhibits gallery at the Museum of Natural History, Halifax is packed with Acadian archeological artifacts, a rare Acadian costume and paintings of life 200 years ago. But it is the work of Acadian artist Francois Gaudet that draws visitors back to the present. The exhibit, Acadian Portraits, is part of Celebrating Acadie, a seven week festival of Acadian exhibits and events at the Museum. Mr. Gaudet said, "I wanted to show contemporary Acadia. We seem to be tied up in the past. Since I can't photograph the future I chose the pieces the most up-to-date for the exhibit." "I find people really fascinating. A face is always changing, like a landscape. They pass emotions through their faces and it is my job to reveal those emotions. Together we can come up with something amazing," he said. Viewers can tell Mr. Gaudet's subjects enjoy working with him as much as he enjoys working with them. Acadian Portraits' subjects have allowed Gaudet to capture their personalities on film. For example, potter and painter Ronald Landry, wearing an old-fashioned hat and cropped beard, looks like he could tell you the stories behind the artifacts across the gallery. His wry smile and the creases around his eyes say his story would be witty and full of verve. Mr. Gaudet says his subjects are so comfortable with him because he is so comfortable with himself. His childhood in the Baie Sainte-Marie area is the foundation of a strong sense of identity. "Where we live is very close to who I am. An Acadian's life is marked by living by the ocean. It is the colour of Acadia that influences me." Mr. Gaudet returned to Nova Scotia in 1992 after living away for more than 15 years. "By moving away you lose part of your identity. By moving back you regain it all," he said. He uses his own photographs and a stock of photos left to him by his father. "My dad's work goes back 40, 50 years, maybe even more. I get to go back and forth between all those generations. It really reinforces my identity too." He alters black and white photographs with paint and anything else he can imagine. When he finishes he has transformed the photograph with his interpretation. Acadian Portraits features 18 pictures of Acadian musicians and artists who are currently active in Nova Scotia. Gaudet photographed the subjects with an icon of their art. Rose-Alba, a raconteur, hefts a model of the church that is central to the community she satirizes. Some of his popular work appears on the cover of a Rawlin's Cross CD and the promotional poster for the musical Evangeline. -30- Contact: Sheila Stevenson 902-424-6523 sab Feb. 11, 1997 11:15 a.m.