“The camera, in the hands of indigenous visionaries, becomes a tool or weapon that possesses the power to confront and deconstruct stereotypes, politics, and histories.” Among many of the talented and prestigious artists in this exhibition is local Oklahoman and Eastern Band Cherokee artist Shan Goshorn. Focusing on research to create her images, Goshorn’s work addresses “human rights issues, especially those that affect the rights of Native people,” said Goshorn. Goshorn has used a variety of media in her work, and has ranged from acrylic paintings to baskets hand-woven from photographs. Of her work, Goshorn states, “I think of myself as an artist who uses any medium that best fits the statement I am trying to express, whether it be film, paint, pastel, metal, glass, bead or paper splints.” In Our People, Our Land, Our Images, Goshorn has four doubleexposed, hand-tinted black and white photographs with images of her friends and family overlaid with landscapes and museum shelves. These works “address repatriation, or the act of reclaiming human remains, funerary or patrimony objects from museums and private collections,” Goshorn added. The experience of participating in this show was unlike a typical exhibition, “more like a retreat,” Goshorn told of her involvement. “We took a field trip to the Cache Creek Nature Preserve where all kinds of plants were deliberately being grown so local tribal members could harvest them responsibly for basket weaving and splint dying. The artists shared every meal and we talked about our work. Each artist brought twenty-five copies of a print and we had a massive print exchange so we each left with an entire portfolio of each other’s work. The actual exhibit was the bonus at the end of the three days. Wonderful but hardly the focus.” Organized by Exhibits USA, part of the Mid-America Arts Alliance, Our Land, Our People, Our Images closes May 25, 2014 at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Avenue in Norman. For more information, visit ou.edu/fjjma. n Laura Reese is event coordinator for the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. She is an artist, curator and writer based in Norman. She can be reached at events@ovac-ok.org. (top) Hulleah J. Tsinhnahjinnie (Seminole/Muscogee/Diné, b. 1954), Davis, CA, This is not a commercial, this is my homeland, Platinum lambda print, 33” x 28” (bottom) Shan Goshorn (Cherokee, b. 1957), Tulsa, Pawnee Woman in Field from the series “Earth Renewal/ Earth Return,” Hand-tinted, double-exposed, black-andwhite photograph, 24” x 30”
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