Exploring the Depths of Brandy Saturley’s Let Your Backbone Rise

Brandy Saturley’s Let Your Backbone Rise (2016) is a captivating self-portrait that blends surrealism with profound cultural and personal symbolism. Viewed from behind, the artist stands against a striking mountainous backdrop, arms raised as if adjusting a hat, set against a dreamlike landscape. This piece, rich with influences and meaning, invites viewers to delve into its layers, drawing from the mountain paintings of Lawren Harris and the symbolic backbone adorning her red coat.

Influence of Lawren Harris’s Mountain Paintings

The painting’s backdrop is a direct nod to Lawren Harris, a cornerstone of the Group of Seven, known for his abstracted depictions of Canada’s rugged landscapes. Harris’s works, like Baffin Island (1931), infuse nature with spiritual depth through clean lines and bold colors. Saturley incorporates a segment of this painting into her own, transforming Harris’s soft peaks and icy waters into a surreal setting that echoes the Canadian wilderness. This homage reflects her five-year retrospective focus on Canadian themes in Alberta exhibitions, where she “paints with Lawren Harris” through a pop-art lens. The geometric mountain forms and vibrant hues mirror Harris’s style, while hints of Rockwell Kent’s introspective landscapes add further depth, portraying human solitude against nature’s grandeur.

Symbolism of the Backbone on the Coat

The figure’s red coat, a central element, is steeped in meaning. It recalls the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s red serge uniform, symbolizing national stature and authority, while also nodding to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band jacket, infusing a pop culture twist. The coat’s vivid red contrasts with the cool landscape, radiating vitality.

Most striking is the white backbone design running down the coat, exposed like vertebrae. This motif embodies resilience and the “backbone of a nation,” reflecting Canada’s enduring spirit. For Saturley, it also marks her personal ascent as a female artist during her 2016 career peak. Paired with white gloves and a formal French twist hairstyle, the figure exudes confidence, suggesting vulnerability turned into strength. Saturley describes this self-inclusion as “looking for herself in the world,” weaving personal growth into a broader Canadian narrative.

Let Your Backbone Rise: A Bridge Between Past and Present

Let Your Backbone Rise exemplifies Saturley’s “Pop Canadianisms” style, merging historical influences with modern resilience. By honoring Harris’s legacy while adding contemporary symbols, she creates a bridge between past and present in Canadian art. This painting is more than a visual feast—it’s a celebration of identity, heritage, and the artist’s journey, inviting viewers to see themselves within its vast, symbolic landscape.