The earlier arts can be analyzed to help us interpret the previous direction that the cultural studies took in the past. The traditions have helped us to come to a general agreement about the primary role of art in our contemporary life, influence on the first world, and understanding the colonized inhabitants in the third world setting. Most of the artists used their ability to communicate the past suffering they went through while they were in the postcolonial period. The arts were used to show liberty away from oppression and presence of concerns, community, and own needs. The Community expressed their emotions through art which was appreciated throughout the nation as they understood the benefits of having the artwork. They brought about self-determination that allowed community rights that enabled them to decide on their cultural, economic, and political systems. This was the dream of most American Indians that led to the emergence of contemporary postcolonial American Indian Arts (Cahan and Zoya 17). A national organization was established to help nurture and maintain growing artists, who were indigenous and from America. The organization was for the cultural expression and self-determination. This essay will focus on three artists who managed to communicate with the Indians and triggered the postcolonial success.
The American Indian artists have all along been working to maintain politically charged art in a bid to redefine their cultures through terminologies. Politics was explained to people in the society in a way in which they could understand best, and this was through the use of art. This not only took part in the political regime but also in the cultural sphere of the community. They applied varied tactics to maintain their values, cultural identities, and traditions where they aimed at celebrating their sovereignty and independence of the Indian residents who dwell within the United States. The artists were very talented in expressing the oppression revealed in governmental organizations, which prevented the Indians from achieving their set goals and self-determination. Most of the self-determination was attained in the late 1990s when the subjects engaged in postcolonial concepts such as hybridity among others (Meier 12).
Focusing on James Luna’s “I’ve Always Wanted to Be an American Indian” work where he identifies the reasons why he always wanted to be an American Indian despite the challenges he tends to foresee and hear about. The cover page has an image that depicts a show board indicating the entrance towards “INDIAN RESERVATION” or simply “ENTERING LA JOLLA.” The road leads to where seems to be the dwelling of the Indians. The first line of this art shows how much the White man willed to become an American Indian, “Gee, I’ve always wanted to be an American Indian.” (Luna 17). After the confession, Luna introduces a picture of four females who have a smile on their face indicating that the life of being an American Indian is not as bad as depicted during the colonial days. Immediately below that photo, it shows a demolished building. This acts as a presentation of a life that was there before, but it no longer exists. The peace that was born there had perished, and it now appears like a deserted area that has no life left. The La Jolla is where Luna used to live, and he highlights that is one of the major seventeen reservations that are located at the north California. The reserve has a lot similarity with the Indian country as it applies most of the contemporary Indian art lifestyle. The place held the majority of the Luiseno Indians and had about 532 enrolled members. There is also an image of a Church, which served as the center for prayers to the Indian gods, and below it, there are four males who are smiling portraying American Indian life completeness. The “LEAVING LA JOLLA INDIAN RESERVATION” signifies the dissatisfaction and he went ahead to question the willingness to be an American Indian (Luna 19). The artwork was used as a reservation as it reflected into the lives of the Indians and how they lived in all the spheres of their lives. Thus ranges from the political system, the economic and social spheres as well as the cultural and religious beliefs. These were all described and put into place for reservation through art for the future generations to learn from and understand their ways.
The other artist to be analyzed is Lisa Corrin. She tries to deliver on the importance of having a museum where the artifacts are kept and the place secured for it to be visited and make people remember what the past had for them. Lisa stresses the vitality and sense of belonging that comes with a well-reserved museum. The museum acts as the pivot that ideologically shows the power relations, cultural identity, representation, and how history can be used to communicate voice or silence. The museum acts as a place where culture is compared with another and offers a religious environment. Lisa ascertains that artifacts and arts, period and style, low as well as high, the marginal and dominant; are the major pillars that a museum relies upon to ensure the culture is maintained, “Society’s most revered beliefs and values.” (Corrin 329). The mining museum is a departure from the Wilson’s method of working in several ways. The projects presented an opportunity for him to preach the museological message in a traditional museum way. Therefore, this artist tries to attest the role played by museums to reveal the post-colonial way of lives for the American Indians by providing artifacts that will help them remain informed.
Jimmie Durham, who was a contemporary poet, artist and performer was well as an activist. He fought for all residents both at community and international levels. He was an articulate writer whose arts have been considered to have conundrums merged with multiculturalism and indifferent politics. His art was much broad and complex, multilayered and frequently reconnected with culture and political histories. The poem makes it clear that this issue has to be discussed,“It would be impossible, and I think immoral to attempt to discuss American Indian art sensibly without making the political realities central. One of the realities is the racism manifested” (Shiff 33). Apparently, Durham works are overly refuted by the monolithic who totalize meaning and tend to be essentialists. This can be attested after an interview that he held and said, “There is culture arrogance that some of the artists are not aware of. There’s always the idea that they can solve some problem or that they can come up with some answers, and that’s just a different of the old missionary attitude.” (Shiff 40). His art remains a challenge to understand for it leaves a chain of questions. These questions bring about controversy as each and every person understands the art differently and interprets it differently. He embraces confusion to tackle the problems that were left after the post-colonial aftermaths. The arts helped us understand the postcolonial artwork that has been there to enlighten about the American Indian livelihood (Phillips, Ruth, and Christopher 61). The artist is able to tap into each and every understanding of the art and explains it in different ways in which all kinds of people would understand and get the right meaning of their art. The artwork remains the primary link to the discrimination topic that was experienced in North America. Therefore, the work evaluated above is essential for to help understand what it takes to live in postcolonial days. Durham's artwork is an epitome of great art within America and also in India. He has built greatness in his art and what is delivered through them.
Of the above-discussed arts, Jimmie Durham’s is the most interesting for he uses the poems that have stylistic devices that give more touch regarding the post-colonial days. We also see that he fights for residents both at residential and international level something that makes him outstand from the rest of other artists. Jimmie Durham’s art is much broad, more complex, and multilayered which makes his work to reconnect with different cultures unlike the other artists discussed. He also talks about political realities like racism something that other artists do not mention in their work,“It would be impossible, and I think immoral to attempt to discuss American Indian art sensibly without making the political realities central. One of the realities is the racism manifested” (Shiff 33) .The artist is very talented and delivers the message as intended through his art.
Works cited
Cahan, Susan, and Zoya Kocur. Contemporary art and multicultural education. Psychology Press, 1996. Print.
Corrin, Lisa G. "Mining the Museum." Museum Studies: An Anthology of Contexts (2012): 329. Print
Meier, Rhonda. Re-membering the colonial present: Jimmie Durham's serious dance. Diss. Concordia University, 1999. Print
Luna, James A. "I've always wanted to be an American Indian." Art Journal51.3 (1992): 19-27. Print
Phillips, Ruth B., and Christopher B. Steiner. Unpacking culture: art and commodity in colonial and postcolonial worlds. Univ of California Press, 1999. Print
Shiff, Richard. "The Necessity of Jimmie Durham's Jokes." Art Journal 51.3 (1992): 74-80. Print
