The colour red dominates Dana Claxton’s new show at Winsor Gallery. It signifies a sacred colour to the Sioux people and, more colloquially, it evokes “Red Power”, contemporary burlesque, and Western notions of sexuality. Both overtly and slyly, Claxton calls up historical references, including the colonial subjugation of aboriginal peoples, the American Indian Movement of the 1970s, and Sioux visions and creation myths.

While walking the Straight through her show, the Vancouver-based interdisciplinary artist speaks about the ideas behind the works on view—and the striking fact that this is the first time she has exhibited her art in a commercial gallery. Despite the political nature of the large-scale photos, declassified documents, and single-channel video on offer, it is an elegant fit. Her works first seduce us with their beauty and amuse us with their humour, then thump us on the chest with their declarations of agency and identity.

— From Robin Laurence’s review for The Georgia Straight