The Redress series
Redress, “To remedy or set right”
I felt compelled to “redress” the 4 or 5 carvings of Indians that I found in my father’s workshop after he passed. He had a fascination with Native Americans; however, I found these pieces as overly simplified saccharine caricatures. In other words insensitive, tacky and dismissive.
Having lived in the Southwest for over 3 decades I’m sensitized to how native and African Americans are represented, distorted and disenfranchised. I’m thinking of the Aunt Jemima pancake syrup packaging, Uncle Ben’s rice as well as the former Cleveland Indians name and logo of Chief Wahoo.
Rather than leave these sculptures as is or to destroy them I chose to cut them apart and to shroud the forms in fabric, twine, paint and rust. In a way I was able to collaborate with my father and to push the figures to another more race aware level.
It’s “woke”. Empathetic, compassionate, aware and sensitive to other cultural identities.