“Robert” English name (Artist’s Adult Son)
Niizho-miigwan/Two Feathers Ojibwe Name
2019
Fabric and Thread
47”H x 55”W (120cmH x 140cmW)
My son Robert dropped out of college to raise my daughter’s two small children after child protective services removed them from her care following drastic downward spiral with drug abuse. The images for these portraits are not intellectualized. What I mean by that is that I don’t approach a portrait thinking about what I want to say and then strategize how to portray or represent that. Instead they come to me like visions for me to decipher. Lightness and darkness have revealed themselves to be very thematic in this series of portraits and have presented a kind of continuity throughout this body of work.
Both my son and my two grandchildren have seen some dark days. But in this portrait, my son is ushering in the support of his traditional cultural teachings. The goldfinches are rushing in on all sides to support their journey, guiding them out of the darkness and into the light. Robert is facing outward, towards the children. I think perhaps it’s the children who are guiding my son, instead of the other way around. Being a father has led him back to his heritage and allowed him to fully embrace the depth and the beauty of living life traditionally. Fatherhood has inspired him to open his cultural toolbox and to appreciate all of the gifts within it.
Exhibitions:
“Identity” The Atrium at the Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, MN U.S.A Sept 21- Nov 5, 2023
“Identity” The Edge Center, Big Fork, Minnesota U.S.A July 1 - July 31, 2023
“Identity” Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins MN U.S.A. May 18 -June 17, 2023
“Identity” Great River Arts, Little Falls Minnesota U.S.A. Jan 1- March 1, 2023
“Identity” Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot North Dakota U.S.A Nov 1-Dec. 1, 2022
“Identity” The Whit Gallery, St. Cloud, Minnesota U.S.A March 25 - April 16, 2022
“Figure it Out” National Juried Exhibition, TAG120Art, Taylor, Texas US.A. February 6th -April 3, 2021
“Identity” Duluth Art Institute, Duluth Minnesota, October 2020 - January 2021
“Identity Portraits” Watermark Art Center, Bemidji Minnesota, January 10th -March 28th, 2020