#233 Joan Quick-to-See, Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People) 1992In 1992 ( the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in North America), the artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Nation, created a large mixed-media canvas called Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People). For Trade, Smith layered images, paint, and objects on the surface of the canvas, suggesting layers of history and complexity. Divided into three large panels, the three part arrangement is influenced by medieval altarpieces. Smith covered the canvas in collage, with newspaper articles about Native life cut out from her tribal paper Char-Koosta, photos, comics, tobacco and gum wrappers, fruit
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#236 Pepon Osorio, En la Barberia no se Llora (No Crying Allowed in the Barbershop) 1994Before I introduce the peace, here is a quote from the artist:
"In 'No Crying Allowed in the Barber Shop,' it’s not so much about beauty but the contradictions of beauty. It’s an installation that you’re allowed to come into so that you’re surrounded by its seduction. But it’s also about the contradiction of male and female...the balance that it exist within the male and the female in all of us. It’s contradictory because when you come in, you expect to see a joyous celebration, but you also see a lot of men crying in the presence of a general public." - Pepón Osorio When Osorio was 5, he went to the barber shop for the first time. He was scared and he cried because of the sound of the hair clippers, and because his hair was difficult to cut for the barber since it was curly. Growing up, Osorio wanted to be an artist, but he grew up in a working class neighborhood, so he became a social worker. The artist has chosen to not speak much on this piece, but he says his goal is to provoke emotional reactions and connection. |
#237 Michel Tuffery, Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef 2000) 1994Pisupo lua afe (Corned Beef 2000) is a sculpture of a small cattle beast. It is made from flattened corned beef tins that have been joined together with dozens of rivets. For decades, pisupo (corned beef) has been a prestige food item eaten and gifted at feasts, weddings, funerals, and other special occasions in Samoan society. In this artwork, New Zealand artist Michel Tuffery comments on how an imported product has replaced local Pacific Island foods used in feasts and gift giving. Like many artists of Pacific descent living in New Zealand, the wider Pacific and its history are recurring themes in his work.
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