Dante's Heart
An Interview with Aaron Paquette
AP: Well, there's something invigorating about knowing you have the potential
to have a quick conversation with someone from New Zealand one day and
maybe Germany the next. The audience has become global and the more we
share and discuss ideas, the closer we become. I know some people worry
about the continuing homogenization of world culture, but I think that with all the
variety we offer one another, nothing of value need ever be lost. On the
contrary! All these new ideas and blending of concepts only foster a greater
diversity of thoughts and experiences.
DH: Your art has a very bold, graphic style. To me it seems to evoke
traditional Native American art, but also art Nouveau (especially “A Fearless
Heart”) and medieval art, especially stained glass (“My Golden Joy”). What
brings these styles together in your work, or, if I’m totally off-base, what visual
influences do you see playing together in your work?
AP: You're not off base at all! I'm a halfbreed. My father's family is First
Nations, and my mother's family is of Norwegian descent. The art forms from
both these cultures tend to the bold, both in colour choice and subject matter. I
was trained as young man in the art of Stained Glass and was privileged to work
on many churches, public spaces and homes. After that I apprenticed under a
master Goldsmith for a number of years. All of these experiences led me to my
current style and gave me a framework on which to hang my ideas.
A Fearless Heart (Aaron Paquette, 2008)
Back Page 3
AP: Well, there's something invigorating about knowing you have the potential
to have a quick conversation with someone from New Zealand one day and
maybe Germany the next. The audience has become global and the more we
share and discuss ideas, the closer we become. I know some people worry
about the continuing homogenization of world culture, but I think that with all the
variety we offer one another, nothing of value need ever be lost. On the
contrary! All these new ideas and blending of concepts only foster a greater
diversity of thoughts and experiences.
DH: Your art has a very bold, graphic style. To me it seems to evoke
traditional Native American art, but also art Nouveau (especially “A Fearless
Heart”) and medieval art, especially stained glass (“My Golden Joy”). What
brings these styles together in your work, or, if I’m totally off-base, what visual
influences do you see playing together in your work?
AP: You're not off base at all! I'm a halfbreed. My father's family is First
Nations, and my mother's family is of Norwegian descent. The art forms from
both these cultures tend to the bold, both in colour choice and subject matter. I
was trained as young man in the art of Stained Glass and was privileged to work
on many churches, public spaces and homes. After that I apprenticed under a
master Goldsmith for a number of years. All of these experiences led me to my
current style and gave me a framework on which to hang my ideas.
A Fearless Heart (Aaron Paquette, 2008)
Back Page 3
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