The Resettlement of Grand Bruit

Solo exhibition

Christina Parker Gallery, 2010

Grand Bruit had remained one of the last true outport communities of Newfoundland and Labrador since the major resettlement programs between 1954 and 1975. Enduring the ebbs and flows of the fishery, fur markets, and the out-migration of its youth, Grand Bruit struggled to survive since its settlement in the early 1800's. An incredibly isolated town, Grand Bruit is situated on the south coast of Newfoundland between Rose Blanche and Burgeo, accessible only by helicopter or a 3.5 hour passenger trip. Having finally decided to resettle, the town’s last ferry set to sea on the evening of June 30th 2010. I was lucky enough to experience the town for a week this past Spring before it did.

I was motivated to focus on Grand Bruit for my first solo exhibition because I could relate to its isolation, its loneliness and the ultimate desire to find a better way of life; elements that encouraged my own resettlement from Alberta in 2002. Resettlement can be a tremendously stressful event, full of anticipation of the unknown, the loss of what’s left behind and the hope of a better way of life.

Visiting the town gave me an opportunity to explore its reasons to move on, and in turn try to understand the circumstances surrounding my own desire to move on.

I chose to paint the entire community because, to me, it visually memorializes a time and place for all of us to recall and, thus, understand our own reasons for making change. My paintings of Grand Bruit document a place steeped in tradition and built on a sincere way of life, much of what Newfoundland represents to me. I worked to capture the many perspectives of the town in a way that incorporates the promising nature of impending change, and the simplicity of its current existence.

In experiencing this body of work, I hope the viewer may recall the different choices of their past, and what has been left behind. I wish for them to reflect on the great place that Newfoundland is, and appreciate the resettlement that has occurred to get them here. The decision to leave behind a certain chapter of life is a difficult choice to make, but when one decides to move forward with all their heart, the reward can be greater than imagined!

All paintings from this exhibition are held in private collections.

MIKE FANTUZ

MIKE FANTUZ