'Colonial Narrative and Landscape'

I had the pleasure of catching a great CBC interview with Sonny Assu and his recent work which intervenes Emily Carr works with Indigenous iconography. An idea which he was careful to emphasize was the 'colonial narrative' and the 'colonial landscape'. It resonated with me and the series I've been working on the last few years, I have always been thankful to have really thought this through before I started. Some say that I am overthinking it, and that art is art. But I strongly disagree. Contrary to one artist I know that takes complete freedom in her interpretations of the totems (and not Aboriginal herself), I have always stayed with recording close-ups (facets) of totems realistically, within a set time in their amazing lifespans, and not interpret them artistically. And, my art labels in my shows (or website) nod to the original totem(s), the masters who created them, and include background. Not allowing myself to interpret the totems or adapting the symbols and forms in other compositions, safeguards me against slipping into that 'colonial' vision or landscape. What is on my canvas is the totem, and the awe within me in its presence.

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We Come to Witness: Sonny Assu in Dialogue with Emily Carr
December 3, 2016 to April 23, 2017

Artist’s Tour: Sonny Assu
We Come to Witness: Sonny Assu in Dialogue with Emily Carr
Saturday December 3, 1pm & 3pm
In the Gallery, 4th floor

http://aboriginal.ecuad.ca/