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MET WITH SUSAN POINT in her studio at Musqueam First Nation, situated between a neighbourhood in southwest Vancouver and the banks of the Fraser River. Musqueam, meaning "people of the grass," is where she lives and works. Having lived all her life on the Musqueam Reserve, Susan's life has been shaped by her family and community and the traditions which have sustained them as Salish peoples. Her world is reflected in the themes, motifs, and images that mark her unique Salish art. I had the opportunity to meet with Susan Point, where she reflected on the creative style and the influences on her work.
When I entered the studio, the space was neatly defined, with pieces of her work positioned in careful relation to one another. Waiting for Susan, I walked around the studio paying closer attention to the visual presentation and detail of the work. It was very clear: Susan Point is one who is meticulous and stylized in her space and the creation of her work. She has innovatively brought together the traditional elements of Coast Salish art with contemporary style in new mediums. In a recent book about the artist, Susan Point, Coast Salish Artist, her work has been described by Peter Macnair as visionary, innovative and exacting. "She has brought the two thousand-yearold Coast Salish art form - which many scholars see as the ancient prototype for the more recent formalized and intellectualized twodimensional art of the northern coast - to a position of admired and deserved appreciation, giving it new life and definition, an encouraging introduction to the new millennium" (p. 43). Our conversation took us in many directions. I am tremendously grateful to Susan Point for taking the time to share her insights.
THE ARTIST
J: Tell me about how you started out?
S:That's a good question. I think it was always something that I wanted to do. I got married young and had to find a job to support my family. I went to a 9 to 5 job every day. I just never had the time to do what it was that I really wanted to do. I had two children with my first husband. Then I met Jeff, my current husband, and I had another two...