Reshaping How We Look at Contemporary Indigenous Art
Contemporary Indigenous art histories draw from the past, contend with the present and look to the future in compelling ways using visual stories. Steeped in narratives of land and our relationship with it, contemporary Indigenous art continues to promote, nurture and respectfully forge good relations.
As Canada Research Chair in North American Indigenous Visual and Material Culture, Dr. Carmen Robertson is looking to generate knowledge in three broad areas by studying the work of Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau, examining the ways in which prairie beadwork shapes contemporary Indigenous arts and culture, and investigating Indigenous art theory.
Visual stories by contemporary Indigenous artists contain abstract concepts that speak to ideas and philosophies inherent in Indigenous art. By looking at Morrisseau’s art and beadwork by contemporary prairie beaders, Robertson and her research team aim to compile new ideas, readings and stories by Indigenous artists and thinkers that shed light on aspects of Indigenous art theory.
Ultimately, the answers that emerge from Robertson’s research will reshape how Canadians think about North American Indigenous art. Rather than considering contemporary art as either mainstream or Indigenous, as is most often the case today, her research will demonstrate that all visual stories offer viewers new ways to appreciate the power of narrative.