In a large and brightly lit glass display case located in the Multiverse Gallery within the Museum of Anthropology, Dionne Paul’s Her First Day of School and His First Day of School (2013) is printed onto paper and hung on two sets of strings. These two photographs are hung separated from each other and in a vertical manner, one on top and one placed on the bottom. The coloured photographs of the boy and girl become the background for the overlay of the black and white photographs that are placed strategically in the middle of each photograph. The striking coloured background photographs show the girl and boy in a modern household with their bright faces and smile. this colour background is contrasted by the perfect black and white overlay of historical school uniforms on top of what would have been their modern clothing. Following the photographs, the very edges are more overlays of film strips that once again contrast the new to the old. The artist’s statement is placed at the bottom of the display case and describes the unfair hardships and tragedies that occurred to children that were sent off to residential schools in 1975 Canada. The work itself includes strong visual cues that suggest how close these dark events happened to the modern day, they happened only a decade ago. It also contrasts what it should be like to send your child off to school, shown through the big smiles and bright faces of the coloured photographs and then the black and white photographs offer an insight to what it was truly like for the children in those horrible situations.
Interestingly, Her First Day of School and His First Day of School was the only display case to show a contemporary artist and work, everything else around it is historical artifacts and artworks making it seem special or out of place. The giant canoes, as well as ceremonial masks, dominate the surrounding exhibit. Glass cases directly behind this photography piece also house and contain multitudes of basketry. This display also among one of the only ones to have an entire display case to only two works, the importance of this piece really shows through. As well, given the history and context given about the two photos of a girl and a boy, it can be the gallery or artist intentionally put the contemporary piece among all the historical artifacts and ceremonial items. Perhaps the artist was trying to add emphasis on how the history of Canada’s Indigenous people’s was very culturally vibrant but at the same time also has times of pain and oppression. By putting this dark piece of history next to the colorful ceremonial masks, clothing and even the weaved baskets was a powerful way to stress the importance of acknowledging the good and the bad within the history.
For myself, the overall context and historical meaning of the exhibit did not need anything other than the two photographs for me to understand what the artist was trying to convey. Since elementary school, the school’s curriculum began teaching about the Indigenous people’s history and residential schools was a topic that occurred numerous times. However, individuals that are older than me may have a harder time understanding the work, especially if they have not had education in these topics. As disappointing as it, I have learned that after these dark events occurred Canada tried it’s best to hide that fact that any of it even happened which led to many people becoming uneducated and oblivious to what truly happened. So, I believe older generations would have a harder time understanding unless they learn about Canada’s grim history.
Overall, the exhibit itself provided a powerful place for Dionne’s works to reside. Putting emphasis on the good and bad is a compelling as well as an educational way for people to begin to learn about the dark past that Indigenous people’s had to endure.