Artist Statement
An Interview with Sean
What is your overall vision? Why do you make art?
Because I do not want to disappear. my ancestors fought to get me here. They bled and died and laughed and cried to give me a chance to survive and after all that they went through the least I can do is thrive. Keep our culture alive. Promote it and share it. Defend it and spare it from erasure.
Stereotypes are not just mean and derogatory, By lumping us all together or ethnic and cultural distinctions are erased from the historical record. Our contributions to world history are obliterated by western constructions of our identity. I make work to counteract the False narrative that native voices no longer exist that our aesthetic is lost and that we are a figment of the past.
What is your work about?
Dedication to the preservation of our cultural legacy embracing the philosophy of our aesthetic and representing a transition into the future so that other native artists Ihave a pathway to follow and non-natives can learn to appreciate the richness of our Contributions to the World.
Why did you create this work and where did it come from?
I am a Renaissance Indian. I gain my identity not through the history of my tribe alone but through the Intersectionality of native peoples here and around the world. My area of special concern as a native historian is with art of the southeast mound builders, the southwest Pueblo dwellers, and the northwest longhouse people.
My historical investigations into the ancient art of native America (namely the Maya Aztec and Inca civilizations) are a further attempt to contextualize the history of the work that was made in Native America, And I have discovered many connections between these groups. I emphasize the Intersectionality of those overlapping connections and I trace the development of cultural styles and aesthetic traditions from the past and into the present pointing towards the future.
What is your philosophy of art making?
Use the tools appropriate for your situation and learn as many tools as you can to be a handyman. I’m like a studio musician in the visual arts I don’t have an aesthetic preference for one style over another though I have favorites.
I admire The spirit of street artists that expressed themselves in the public space without permission. But I was also trained in a school of community arts a mirroring tradition which includes the people in an area in the decision making around what will be shown in that area a radical democratization of space that would usually be use to advertise real estate or business and has been appropriated for the promotion of culture. I love punk rock and it’s antiauthoritarian vigor- And I love to hear a DJ rock the crowd and promote something bigger. We need to make art for other artists to promote our form but it is important to remember the audience that we hope to inspire and inform. We can live in a space in between- a new American dream.
What is the relationship between your current and past work? How does this work fit into your larger body of work?
Many natives follow cultural art traditions inherited from their direct ancestors and I applaud and promote specialization to preserve and promote those traditions. However Creator has chosen for me objectivity and Intersection Aliti and I have been gifted with curiosity and a natural inclination to see what we have in common rather than what distinguishes us. The common denominator in my work Is to illuminate perspectives, Illuminate hierarchies and perpetuate inclusivity. The same sign language my aunts a used with me is present and legible an ancient Mayans basis does in Westlake traces of not white culture or not just in central Mexico they are north of the Great Lakes. We had as natives more in common than we had that was different and I believe all humans have more in common with us than they are differing. There is only one race the human race that is my audience.
How do these ideas present and how are they perceived in the work?
Being able to speak articulately in a number of different visual native languages makes other indigenous people feel welcome and understood without being fetishized. Beethoven was considered no less German for speaking French or Italian Nor writing operas in other languages than his own. I am a citizen of the world, though a native of the southeast. understanding the aesthetic traditions of the north or south west coast are meant to be inclusive of all people and I understand that future generations will examine my practice and scrutinize it’s willingness to specialize yet understand it’s Intersectionality. We are all one people and responsible for carrying the traditions of all of our relations forward into the next generation.
What is the relationship with your work to contemporary art practice?
I don’t know what’s going on with contemporary Art markets and I feel alienated when I walk in the museums; I feel indoctrinated when I look at cultural centers and it’s hard not to feel alone and unseen. However I have never felt that my community did not support me economically, spiritually or emotionally and I long to get back on stage to bring the joy, laughter and shared experience that helps others feel less alone. I know our spirit is strong, and other beings are out there being and doing and making- designing a new reality. I believe we are at the precipice of a new understanding. I’m very excited about it. Covid -19 has forced us all to work in isolation and that has forced some hard decisions about what is relevant and necessary.
I believe that Art either comes from an artist understanding how to see their audience, or going so deep within the self that their internal exploration reveals something ultimately human-understandable and relatable to the audience that is our community.
What are the expectations of your audience? and the reaction?
I think my audience has come to expect me to push the boundaries of accessibility and information sharing. I feel mad love from my people and every time I have a chance to exhibit in a formal or informal setting I feel affirmed, validated and reminded that I am not alone and that our culture has a value worth preserving, celebrating, and sharing. It may take me longer to learn the tools than some, but what I will do with those tools is beyond what a pedestrian could achieve. Eternal thanks and gratitude for your time and energy.