‘Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick’ is a portrait of Canadian art legend Beau Dick, an enigmatic carver from a small remote village on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia.
His remarkable masks have been celebrated across the global art scene as vibrant expressions of West Coast Indigenous culture and a sophisticated crossover into the contemporary art world. Dick had an unprecedented ability to tap into the collective memory of his people and breathe new life into age-old traditions. Beau Dick worked within an ancient tradition and rose to the ranks of international success. In 1986, Dick was commissioned to carve a mask to be showcased in Expo 86 in Vancouver.
The Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) in Gatineau, Quebec, acquired Dick's mask, and it remains on display there. In 1998, he was one of only seven Canadian artists to be invited to the reopening of Canada House in London, England, in the presence of Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Queen Elizabeth II. Recently In 2017, his Undersea Kingdom series was listed as one of the top highlights to see at Documenta 14 (Kassel and Athens).
This film strives to unearth the factors that made Beau who he was and his deep connection to identity, family, and community. Like a carver chipping away at a block of wood, Beau’s story brings truth and understanding out of the woodwork. The film Maker of Monsters illuminates a man whose art and life continue to transcend expectations and boundaries.