by Fish Griwkowsky
Jean Paul Langlois is smiling in shades as he moves in on the finishing hours of his latest mural, a sparkling, two-storey impressionistic posed figure painting in Parkallen.
“I’ve been swimming in the North Saskatchewan River when it gets too hot,” he laughs. “People have been telling me I’m crazy, but it’s a great way to cool off. Think I’ll head there this afternoon …”
Over the last few weeks of heat and storms, with frequent visits from neighbourhood cats, the Vancouver-based Métis artist has brought his distinct and colourful style, which looks a little like something seen through a distorted reflection — and not improperly so.
There’s a wink in the way he portrays Indigenous life, intentionally borrowed from Hollywood — but in a way that’s certainly no stranger to historical art (including mural art) either: a kind of set-up-for-the-camera ideal Langlois is playing with very much on purpose, a sort of geological strata of appropriation.
“I guess you could say it’s a scene from an imaginary Western,” he explains, begging the question of what a ‘real’ Western might entail. But: “All of my work is appropriated,” he says, “usually from films and art history.”
On its own, The Conversation, as he’s named the wall, is meant to spark ideas and imagination — but also be just plain sweet to look at, which it is, a fine addition to the neighbourhood.
It’s been a busy couple weeks for new murals in this reopening city. AJA Louden and Evan Rast’s illustrated hip-hop lyrics went up front onto the dead Army & Navy, while Pete Nguyen’s beer-guzzling skull now sits on The Commercial three storeys tall. And this year’s Rust Magic International Street Mural Festival — happening but “low key,” according to co-founder Annaliza Toledo — hasn’t even begun yet!
Back to The Conversation, Langlois talks about how it all came to happen, part of a quest to find out who he is, it turns out.
Q: How did this mural come about?
A: I met Ben (Alway) from Second Skin Laser in Victoria, he’s been a patron for a few years. I stopped in to visit him last time I was in Edmonton and he had just painted his building this crazy magenta. I joked that we could put a mural up there and here we are, just over a year later, putting a mural up there.
Q: Who are we seeing in it, where do you picture them?
A: It isn’t really depictions of cowboys and Indigenous figures — this isn’t well-researched Cree and Blackfoot regalia — it’s actors in red face and what Hollywood called the ‘prairie indian kit.’ The images are taken from Western TV and films. There’s also an element borrowed from a Frederick Remington painting. It’s a Black cowboy and Indian exchanging words. So maybe that’s famous John Ware having a discussion with Poundmaker or something … (but) it’s nothing rooted in history. Hopefully it gives people an opportunity to discuss and make up their own story.
Q: You’ve gone on a bit of a journey exploring your own roots …
A: Both my parents were born here. My grandad went to Residential School in Alberta. Last year I did a pilgrimage to Valleyview, Watino and Grourard to reconnect with the Indigenous side of my family and hear some stories. My cousin still lives on the land his father homesteaded, and raises Tennessee walking horses. A colt was born while I was there. I also went to Lacombe to visit my mom’s Waspy family, the Cambells — it’s quite the dichotomy. It was a great trip. I rode the train from Vancouver and stayed at the Hotel MacDonald the first night. Apparently my uncle had his wedding there in the ’60s…
Q: How did you get into painting, I dig your shimmering style.
A: Thank you. Colour is my thing. I’ve been at it my whole life. I started getting more attention after moving from Cowichan to East Van in 2015. Now I have a few galleries and I’m part of the VAG (Vancouver Art Gallery) art rental and sales program. I have to give credit to the good people at Vancouver Mural Festival for selecting me in 2018 and teaching me mural painting. I always painted big, but this is a whole other thing. It’s closer to house painting than fine art, but it’s been fun doing one or two a year.
Q: Talk about your days in Victoria’s music scene — you were a singer, right?
A: (Laughs.) Long time ago. I was in an obnoxious noise band called Hump. Our only claim to fame was opening for Ween and getting the club shut down after peeing on stage. Everyone in Vancouver hated us. In Victoria we were boycotted from everywhere, even college radio. Then in the 2000s my day/night job was DJing as djplan. I wanted to play raves, but wound up playing grad parties and horrible nightclubs instead. I’ve DJ’d over a hundred weddings. I hate weddings. I’m a lot happier painting full time, I assure you…
fgriwkowsky@postmedia.com
@fisheyefoto