INDIAN CANDY

2013

C-prints mounted on aluminum

Dimensions vary

The intention of this work is to bring forth ancient pathways, Wild West histories, and popular iconography, and situate the works in vibrant juicy colours, as to say – this critical knowledge is delicious and sweet!

There are still parts of American Indian histories in Canada and the United States that are buried – I am attempting to bring forth a reversal of a whitewash of history, by using vibrant colours to beautify the history, and turning historical discourses and research documents into critical contemporary art, that has been influenced by pop art, political art, and shared and contested histories -all within the realm of pop. There is an element of seduction – the surfaces, which are sleek and slick, the colours, which are celebratory and fresh, then the context and discourse settle in; a style of artistic flow within my practice for the last 20 years.

The works are printed on c-print Endura paper then mounted on aluminum with UV laminate. The gloss finish further explores my intention of considering the fetishized consumerism of indigenous art and culture as a glossy surface, with layers of meaning underneath. The slickness, the flatness, the vibrant colours and scale variations, combined, are attempting to make a highly aestheticized comment on ways of knowing and being in the world of knowledge, spirit and art.