Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PORTRAIT MAN WITH HAT

Date

1981

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Description

PORTRAIT OF MAN WITH MUSTACHE & HAT (BUST RIGHT PROFILE) SIGNED BR CORNER "NIITSITAIPOIYA '81".

Subjects

INDIGENOUS

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PORTRAIT OF SCULPTOR CORNEY MARTENS OF COALDALE AB. TITLED "THE SCULPTER". ARTIST IS A NATIVE AMERICAN FROM THE KAINAI RESERVE, SOUTH WEST OF LETHBRIDGE. REFER TO P19820006000-GA & TO ATTACHED BROCHURE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. . *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. SHE FOUND THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT HENRY STANDING ALONE IN HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY AND THE ARTIST'S RESUME BROCHURE IN THE PERMANENT FILE: HENRY STANDING ALONE, NIITSITAIPOIYI, WAS BORN ON APRIL 20, 1935 ON THE BLOOD RESERVE IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. HE LIVED IN LETHBRIDGE UNTIL THE AGE OF SEVEN WHEN THE DEATH OF HIS PARENTS RESULTED IN HIS ENROLMENT AT ST. PAUL'S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL. IT WAS AT SCHOOL THAT STANDING ALONE BEGAN DRAWING COMPULSIVELY, OFTEN CREATING CARIACTURES OF HIS TEACHERS. WHILE CONVALESCING FOR OVER FIVE YEARS IN A TUBERCULOSIS SANITARIUM IN EDMONTON, HE BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH OILS THROUGH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF A DOCTOR WHO RECOGNIZED HIS ARTISTIC TALENT. IT WAS DURING STANDING ALONE'S HOSPITAL STAY THAT ONE OF HIS PAINTINGS WAS ACQUIRED BY THEN-GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA, VINCENT MASSEY. UPON THE IMPROVEMENT OF HIS HEALTH, STANDING ALONE SPENT THE NEXT FEW YEARS WORKING FOR THE HUDSON'S BAY COMAPNY, IN COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING, AND FREELANCING. IN 1960 HE RETURNED TO THE BLOOD RESERVE, ONLY PAINTING CASUALLY UNTIL THE LATE 70S, WHEN HIS ARTISTIC PRACTICE BECAME A FULL-TIME PROFESSION. STANDING ALONE'S WORKS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY THE ALBERTA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, DISPLAYED ACROSS ALBERTA AND AT THE AMERICAN INDIAN ESKIMO EXPOSITION IN MIAMI IN 1981, AND THE COVER OF A LEATHER-BOUND BOOK PRESENTED TO PRINCE CHARLES WAS HANDPAINTED BY HIM. FROM 1992-1997 STANDING ALONE PORTRAYED THE CHARACTER SAM KIZHA ON THE POPULAR TELEVISION SHOW 'NORTH OF 60', AND REPRISED THAT ROLE IN FOUR SUBSEQUENT MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES INTO 2005. HENRY STANDING ALONE DIED ON MARCH 5, 2010 AND IS BURIED AT ST. PAUL'S CEMETERY ON THE BLOOD RESERVE. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF THIS PORTRAIT'S SUBJECT, CORNELIUS MARTENS, WAS DEVEVLOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM HIS OBITUARY AND AN ENTRY IN SUZANNE DEVONSHIRE BAKER'S BOOK 'ARTISTS OF ALBERTA'. CORNELIUS 'CORNE' MARTENS WAS BORN IN 1918 IN THE UKRAINE, AND IMMIGRATED TO CANADA IN 1925. HE MOVED TO COALDALE WITH HIS FAMILY IN 1936 AND IN 1954 MARRIED BARBARA RENFROW. MARTENS WORKED AS THE SET DIRECTOR FOR CJLH TELEVISION UNTIL 1971, WHEN HE LEFT TO PURSUE ARTISTIC BRONZE SCULPTING FULL-TIME. FOR OVER 40 YEARS MARTENS WORKED IN HIS STUDIO ON HIS ACREAGE, ASSISTED BY HIS WIFE. HIS SCULPTURES ARE HELD IN THE COLLECTIONS OF THE ALBERTA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE, AND RIVEREDGE FOUNDATION. HIS SUBJECT MATTER WAS GENERALLY COWBOYS AND THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE WEST. MARTENS DIED ON JULY 29, 2009. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE MATERIALS.

Catalogue Number

P19820007000

Acquisition Date

1982-01

Collection

Museum

Less detail