The Tourist

Craft Council Gallery, St. John’s NL

March 13 – April 17 2020

i told the tourist that i live here all year round and he said wow

i slept with the tourist who wanted to be more #authentic

the tourist said that i didn’t have an accent and how glad i must be for that

the tourist told me that i would have more opportunity in montreal 

The Tourist is a new body of work by Jane Walker that puts into question the often-awkward transaction between culture producer and culture consumer. The concept stems from pressures on service industry workers and craftspeople to perform a cultural identity as promised by the provincial tourism strategy.

The double-sided anecdotal rugs play on miscommunication and performance that is inherent to tourism interactions. In her first solo exhibition since 2017, Walker considers the “authentic” product that is sought out by tourists, and her ongoing experiences navigating expectations of the “authentic” Newfoundlander.