'A quintessential true, genius artist': A look inside a Yellowknife icon's art exhibit

Walt Humphries has seen and done it all. Since he first arrived in Yellowknife in 1964, he's been a writer, prospector, explorer, painter, and become part of Yellowknife's pantheon of great characters. 

Through it all, he's been painting and "doodling" in a style all his own, creating pieces that speak to and about his life in the North. That work is being celebrated this week at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, with a showcase called Life's Like That.  

Humphries toured the exhibition ahead of Thursday's opening night with Sarah Swan, who co-curated it with Bill Braden.

Swan and Humphries spoke about the pieces separately, and each explained what the pictures meant to them. Humphries spoke as an artist and raconteur, while Swan brought in her background as an art critic. 

Life's Like That 

This picture came from Humphries' time living in Yellowknife's Northlands trailer park. It's one of his early efforts at depicting life as it is, when other artists focused on showing a picturesque version of the city.  

To him, this is a reflection of feeling stuck on the chain while everyone runs free.

"It's one of those things in life," he said. "Why me? Why am I chained? Why can't I be out there playing?

I've always tried to capture views and scenes people haven't experienced before.- Walt Humphries

"I've always tried to capture views and scenes people haven't experienced before or haven't thought of before," he said

For Swan, this piece shows how Humphries is able to find a unique perspective — inside the doghouse — within an everyday scene. 

"Here we are deep in the doghouse," she said. "This is just an excellent example of a unique and imaginative — almost childlike perspective. We get to be that dog." 

Fall Camp

As a prospector, Humphries has spent thousands of hours alone in the bush out on the land. This is his way of showing one of the many fall storms he's lived through. 

"When you're out by yourself you have lots of time to think and contemplate," he said. "I've spent so much time in bush camps, I know them well."

Swan sees this as a piece that's at times humorous and poetic, with the grit of everyday life in the North. What's special about this for her is that it's not a perfect winter scene, instead it's a true look at a common night.   

He doesn't have a pretentious bone in his body. He's a quintessential true, genius artist- Sarah Swan, co-curator, Life's Like That

"Normally art that's made in Yellowknife is a little pretty, perhaps it caters to tourist appeal," she said. "Walt has decided to tell the truth.

"This is kind of funny, it's ironic, it's saying this is what I think beauty is," she said. "He doesn't have a pretentious bone in his body. He's a quintessential true, genius artist."  

Diamond in the Rough

Humphries describes this piece as "one of my more abstract and modern art pieces."

It's his way of capturing the essence of the Northwest Territories diamond rush in the 1990s and the sudden changes that happened once diamonds were discovered.

It's strange. It's bizarre.- Sarah Swan, Co-curator, Life's Like That

"All of a sudden people were focused on diamonds. It was the thing — they are worth a lot of money," he said. "But to me, I like the diamonds in the rough before they're cut and polished.

"It's just a pretty sparkly mineral." 

When Swan looks at this piece, she sees a cartoon that's as strong as anything else in Canada. It's a painting that provokes strong emotions in people — just like diamonds themselves. 

"The piece is drawing us in. It has an incredible focal point. It's strange. It's bizarre. It's ominous and funny," she said. "It's our strange fascination with evil diamonds, but the diamonds are beautiful."