Grant Hayter-Menzies - Woo, the Monkey Who Inspired Emily Carr: A Biography

Woo, the Monkey Who Inspired Emily Carr

Copyright 2019 Grant Hayter-Menzies

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the publisher or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from Access Copyright, .

Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.

P.O. Box 219, Madeira Park, BC , V0N 2H0

www.douglas-mcintyre.com

Edited by Derek Fairbridge

Indexed by Rebecca Pruitt MacKenney

Cover design by Anna Comfort O'Keeffe

Text design by Carleton Wilson

Printed and bound in Canada

Text is printed on 100% recycled paper

Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd. acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country.

Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. Lan dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de lart dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

We also gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Government of Canada and from the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Hayter-Menzies, Grant, 1964-, author

Woo, the monkey who inspired Emily Carr : a biography / Grant Hayter-Menzies.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-77162-214-1 (softcover).-- ISBN 978-1-77162-215-8 ( HTML )

1. Woo (Monkey). 2. Carr, Emily, 1871-1945. 3. Monkeys--British Columbia--Biography. 4. Human-animal relationships. I . Title.

QL737.P93H39 2018599.8'20929C2018-906170-7

C2018-906171

In honour of all the animals of Stanley Park Zoo and the Childrens Farmyard (18882011).

With thanks to those devoting their lives to saving and honouring the lives of our animal sisters and brothers.

With love to Rudi and Freddie.

In memory of Sweet Pea and of George.

We went to the animal fair.

The birds and the beasts were there.

The big baboon, by the light of the moon,

was combing his auburn hair.

You ought to have seen the monk.

He jumped on the elephants trunk.

The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees,

and what became of the monk,

the monk, the monk?

Have you ever watched a monkey at play? Have you ever looked one in the eye and held his or her gaze? Have you ever communicated with one on any level? If you have, you will have experienced a kind of recognition, a sense of kinship. A profound connection based on a curious kind of shared knowing. In fact, we share a staggering amount of similar genetic material with these extraordinary creatures. And yet for some bizarre reason we are still legally allowed to own them in this culture. That concept in itself tells us how far we need to evolve if we are ever to become fully compassionate stewards of our increasingly fragile planet.

In my work as an artist I have for the past few years utilized images of monkeys as metaphors, as examples of how we as a species behave. In fact, Ive often thought that we could explain a lot about human behaviour if we would only acknowledge the similar traits we share with wild simiansthings like tribalism, politics (yes, politics), our inexplicable aggression even while we tell ourselves we are so special and unique, even our concepts of sex and falling in love.

And Im not the only female artist who has been drawn to primates. Frida Kahlo included several of her monkeys as subjects in her paintings. And of course, the great painter Emily Carr and her monkey, Woo, who appears in two Carr paintings and numerous sketches, and is the subject of this book.

This passion for animals is something Im all too familiar with. But sadly, what ends up happening to many of these remarkable pets is a later life of alienation and confusion that often ends in tragedy. The vast majority of primate pets or medical subjects are euthanized and only a few end up in the rare sanctuaries.

When I became aware of Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Sunderland, Ontario (the only sanctuary for monkeys anywhere in Canada), and visited for the first time, I felt a sense of calling, a place where I could try to contribute in a meaningful way. I also felt a sense of injustice and urgency. Almost all of the residents there have sad histories but are now living out their lives in comfort and safety. Im thrilled that proceeds from the sale of this book will go toward helping the sanctuary. And Im so thrilled that such a wonderful writer has told this fascinating story of Emily Carr, an artist who was for far too long overlooked, and her beloved friend and muse Woo.

Anita Kunz, OC