Image: Wendy Red Star, Catalogue Number 1941.30.1
In case you hadn’t heard, November is Native American Heritage Month, and in recognition of that celebration, The Amon Carter Museum is exhibiting a new collection called Speaking with Light: Contemporary Indigenous Photography. I recently checked it out, and strongly recommend that you do the same. The show highlights many examples of truly incredible art by more than 30 Indigenous artists. The museum’s website indicates, “Through approximately 70 photographs, videos, three-dimensional works, and digital activations, the exhibition forges a mosaic investigation into identity, resistance, and belonging.”
The exhibit is vast and fascinating. The collection and its overarching themes elicited a very emotional response for me. The stories that accompany the pieces run the gamut from painful to delightful. I was particularly intrigued to learn that over 60,000 native American people live within the DFW metroplex and represent over 200 Indigenous Nations. The companion publication, a gorgeous hard-bound book states,
Will Wilson by: Mouty Shackelford
“The exhibition acknowledges that Indigenous photographers have taken over the conversation about how our lives and cultures are represented.”
One of the co-curators is Will Wilson, who is a chief of the Navajo Nation in Santa Fe. Will’s knowledge and expertise were pivotal in creating this dynamic exhibition. Over many, many years, non-Indigenous photographers have taken photographs that fit an all-too-common narrative about the Native American experience, and this misrepresentation only served to perpetuates a fiction that is not authentic, which in turn has made many in the native communities suspicious of photography. Will’s contribution of his own photography, and his critical eye for authenticity makes this exhibit and photography collection both empowering and representative of Indigenous people’s culture.
In the curated collection on display, there are photographs that date back to the early 1800’s, as well as examples of the present-day experience. One of the most intriguing features of this exhibit for me was the augmented reality content that is attached to some of the photos. You are instructed to scan a QR code, aim your camera at the image and that person talks to you. I listened and watched Senator Enoch Haney talk about being the only full-blooded “Indian” that has served in the Oklahoma legislature. This added technology doesn’t distract from the photography in any way, rather, it is an incredible bonus feature that really allows you to feel more connected to the experience, almost as if you had your very own private tour with a docent.
The show is made up of three main categories and there are many moving images to see. Here are just a few of my favorites:
Get Comfortable by: Nicholas Galanin
From SURVIVANCE – “Get Comfortable” by Nicholas Galanin, 2012. Image of a road sign that says “Indian River” with the word ‘River’ slashed out and now reads, “Indian Land”.
Evolvers by: Cara Romero
From NATION – “Evolvers” by Cara Romero, 2019. This image conveys the dynamics of our cultural landscape. When describing this piece, Cara says that it “speaks to the development of wind and wind energy infrastructure in the greater Mojave desert, and the protection of sacred sites.”
Ryan RedCorn by: Everett Waller
From INDIGENOUS VISUALITIES – “Ryan RedCorn” by Everett Waller, 2021. The subject of the photo, Ryan RedCorn, is an accomplished writer, producer and actor. He is an Osage Nation native and speaks the language. The hit Hulu show, “Reservation Dogs,” is one of his many projects where Indigenous people are featured both in front of the camera and behind the camera as well.
It is often stated that a picture is worth a thousand words, and great photography like this has the power to imbue the viewer with a sense that you are peeking inside the lives, the culture, and struggles (good and bad) of the people that are featured. Individually, any one of these pictures would have this effect. But taken as a whole, the Speaking with Light collection gives me the sense that I am seeing more than just individual people; I am seeing a People.
On view through January 22, 2022 – Virtual exhibition online at www.cartermuseum.org
Article by: Mouty Shackelford, mouty@artsyscoop.com
