Artist Statement
My current body of work re-conceptualizes various Edward S. Curtis photographs, in which indigenous portraits are renegotiated in a distorted lens. Meaning, Curtis’s nostalgic portraits are presently an illusion; whereas, the impact of modernity, assimilation, and complex identity now distort contemporary Indigeneity. I am interested in renovating Curtis’s photographs by investigating irregularity in portraiture, where I use a glazing technique to paint his photographs surreal. My goal is to continue adding to this body of work and explore the discourse of perception in relation to traditional and contemporary Indigenous identity.
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