My Country Tis of They People You're Dying

MY COUNTRY TIS OF THY PEOPLE YOU’RE DYING

RadiatorAr ts Curated by Erin Joyce Projects

The exhibition is generously suppor ted by a Social Justice Grant from the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation and fiscal sponsorship from New York Foundation.

E J P C

Radiator Ar ts 10-61 Jackson Ave LIC, New York 1 1 106

R O R T

I N Y C E O J E S

Curated by Erin Joyce Projects

About the Show: Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere have a spiritual and mystical connection with the land. The land is par t of the Indigenous tradition and religion, from creation stories, to the way in which Indigenous peoples live their lives—the land is indivisible from Native America. Throughout the histor y of the United States and their relationalit y to Native tribes, the issue of land rights and ownership has been at the forefront of confrontation. From historic events like forced relocation from traditional lands, to contemporar y issues of unauthorized sale of tribal land, energy extraction, and contested landscapes, My Countr y Tis of Thy People You’re D ying, is in reference to the song of the same title by Buff y Sainte Marie, and will feature ar t works by contemporar y Indigenous Nor th American ar tists examining the environmental impact of energy extraction, the impact it has on the collective Indigenous psyche, and the political framework that has and continues to enable unsanctioned land deals and the abuse of powers over the people. With issues in recent years such as the sale of Oak Flat on the San Carlos Apache Reser vation in Southeastern Arizona, First Nations tribes fighting pipelines through their territor y, and most prominently the conflict at Standing Rock in Nor th Dakota, the timing of this exhibition could not be more relevant.

The mediums represented in this exhibition will be mixed. A film installation by Steven J. Yazzie (Navajo) looks at the impact of uranium mining on the Navajo reser vation, on the Navajo people, their health, and the health of the land through stunning and poignant narrative and visual imager y. Nicholas Galanin’s ( Tlingit) God Complex, inspects the dynamics of power structures, the glorification of violence, and police brutalit y; redressing pop culture iconography with a religiosit y, echoing Western societ y’s worship of material over life.

Tom Jones (Ho Chunk) work, The Nor th American Landscape, is a series of photographs of plastic toy trees. The work utilizes the trees as stand-ins for the landscape of Nor th America and represents the areas American Indians continue to inhabit on this continent. It also comments on the destruction of the natural world replacing nature with manmade replicas. Other ar tists in the exhibition include ceramic sculpture by Cannupa Hanska Luger (Lakota/Mandan/Arikara/Hidatsa), and a video installation by Winter Count.

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lives a nd works i n Pho eni x . Ya zzi e re ce ived hi s B ac hel or of Fi ne A r ts d e g re e i n Int ermedi a a t A r i zona S ta te Uni v ersi t y and w a s na m ed th e 201 4 out st andi ng gr a du a te of th e Herberger Inst i t ut e for D es i gn and at

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A m ulti di sc i pl i nar y ar ti s t, Ya zzi e’ s b a ck g round as a painter ha s a n impa ctful effect on h i s w or k a s a vid e o ar t i st , al l owi ng p roces s a nd a pa in terl y l ens t o perm ea te the v i s u a l i t y of hi s w or k . C o lle c t iv e m e m o r y an d s o cia l awareness are m a j or them es i n hi s w or k, w h e re h e ad d re s s e s is s u e s fa cin g N at i v e Ameri cans a s w el l a s ou r broa der c u lt u re. Yaz z ie h as b e e n e xh ib it ed i n regi onal , na ti ona l a nd i nter na ti ona l ex h ib it io n s in c lu d in g s h o ws a t th e Museum of Mo der n A r t, N Y; the N a ti ona l M u s e u m o f t h e A m e ric an In d ia n , Toront o; IAIA M u s eu m of C ontem por a r y N a ti v e A r t , San t a Fe , NM ; t h e P h o e n i x Ar t Museum and the Tu cs on Mu s eu m of C ont e m p o rar y A r t , A Z. Yaz z ie h a s a lso rec ei v ed num erou s gr a nts a nd fel l ow s hi p s t o s u p p o r t h is ar t is t ic pr a ctice, i nc l udi ng fundi ng f rom the Mi d-A tl a nti c A r t s Fo u n d at io n , Nat io n al En d o wment for t he A r ts , T he N a ti ona l Mu s eu m of t h e A m e ric an I n d ian , t h e A r izo n a C ommi ssi on on the A r ts , a nd the J oa n M i tche ll A ward .

Mountain Song, 2015 Steve n J. Yazzie Single channel video, 1 1min 1 1sec edition of 4

C a n n u p a L ug er, b. 1 979 i n N or t h D a kota on the S ta n d ing Rock Reser v a ti on, com es fro m

Mandan,

L a ko ta ,

Aust ri an,

Hi da ts a , and

A r i ka r a ,

N or w egi a n

d e s ce nt . Luger’ s work a i m s to u s e a r t a s a means of co m m u ni ca ti on, in ter pret at i on, and as a condu i t of u n d er s t andi ng t he wo r l d i n w hi ch we

in habi t .

Hi s

mul ti di s ci p l i na r y

pr a ctice ut i l i zes a v ari et y of m edi u m s to cre at e soci al l y c ons ci ou s w or k th a t h ybri di zes hi s i d enti t y a s a n A me r ic an Indi an wi t h gl oba l i s s u es .

P ie ce s i n t he exhi bi t i on ex pl ore the h um a n c ondi t i on and how w e na v i ga te ou r pl a ce i n t h e wo rld . I n an ag e in wh ich we are more c onnected tha n ev er w i th techno lo g y, d e v ic e s , an d s o c ial m ed ia , t he st ruggl e t o com m u ni ca te i s ex tr a or di na r ily p re v ale n t ; t h e ab ilit y fo r h u mans t o i nt erac t a nd coha bi t the s a m e s pa ce is d e c ayin g at a rap id r a te. Rat her t han al l ow i ng hi s w or k to center on the d ialo g u e o f I n d ig e n e it y e xclus i v el y, Luger ai ms to rem ov e the focu s onl y on is s u e s o f e t h n ic it y an d cultu re and bl ur t he l i n es of def i ni ti on bet w een w hat is “ Nat iv e A m e ric an ar t ” a n d what i s “c ont emp or a r y a r t. ” Lu ger ’ s w or k ha s bee n e x h ib it e d in San t a Fe , NM; Chi c ago, IL; Uni v er s i t y of A l a s ka Fa i r ba nks , A K; L a B ie n n ale d i Ve n e z ia Ve ro n a, It al y; El Muse o C u l tu r a l S a nta Fe, N M. H e i s als o in t h e p e rm an e n t co llecti ons of t he N o r th A m er i ca N a ti v e Mu s eu m Zü ric h , Swit ze rlan d , t h e Mu s e um of Cont empor a r y N a ti v e A r ts S a nta Fe, N M ; an d t h e Fre d Jo n e s Jr. Mu s e um of Ar t N orman, OK .

Champion, 2016 Cannupa Hanska Luger Ceramic and fiber

At What Cost: Extraction, 2016 Cannupa Hanska Luger Ceramic, steel, rubber, fiber, dimensions var y

Ceramic Knives, 2016 Cannupa Hanska Luger Ceramic, dimensions var y

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a r t-m a ki ng an d h is b o d y o f wo rk in clu d es sc ul pt ure, i nsta l l a ti on, v i deo, a nd new m ed ia. His c o n c e p t u al wo rk is o f te n prov ocat i v e a nd a ddres s es i s s u es of a u tho rit y, au t h e n t ic it y, Nat iv e A me r ic an represent ati on, a nd the com m odi ti za ti o n o f Nat iv e A m e ric an cultu re. Gal ani n bri ng s to hi s w or k a l i ber a ted s pa c e fo r e n g ag e m e n t wit h pe o ple of al l c ul t ures, a nd a p l a tfor m to w hi ch the y c an re lat e f ro m t h e ir u n iqu e c ul t ural perspecti v es . Ga l a ni n’ s a r t ha s been e x h ib it e d in Ne w Yo rk , a t th e C raf t and Fol k Ar t Mu s eu m i n Los A ngel es , the Fr ye M u s e u m in Se at t le , a n d th e N at i onal Gal l er y of C a na da . Ga l a ni n w a s i n t h e p re m ie re o f “ Yo u A re O n In di an Land� i n N ew Yor k i n A pr i l of 201 5.

God Complex, 20 16 Nicholas Galanin Mixed materials, dimensions var y Not for sale.

Tom J ones B o rn 1 9 6 4 , C h arlo t t e , N or th

C a ro lin a,

is

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A s s is t an t

P rofes s or o f P h o t o g rap h y at t h e Uni v er s i t y

of

W is c o n s in - M ad is o n .

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C o lle g e

I L.

p h o t o g rap h s

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in

C h ic ag o , e x am in e

i denti t y a nd g e o g rap h ic p lac e wit h a n em p ha s is o n t h e e x p e rie n c e o f A m er i ca n I n d ian c o m m u n it ie s . He is i nteres ted in t h e way t h at A m e ric an In d ia n mat eri al cul t ure i s repres ented throu gh pop u lar/ c o m m o d it y c u lt u re , e.g . a r chi t ect ure, adv e r ti s i ng, a nd s el f- repres enta ti on . He c o n t in u e s t o wo rk o n a n ongoi ng phot og r a phi c es s a y on the contem po rar y life o f h is t rib e , t h e Ho -Ch unk N at i on of W i s cons i n.

H e i s cr i ti ca l l y a s se s s in g t h e ro m an t ic ize d

re pres ent at i on of N at iv e p eopl es i n p hotogr a p hy thro u g h t h e re - e x am in at io n o f h is tori c pi ct ures ta ken by w hi te p hotogr a p h e rs . Th is re as s e s s m e n t qu e s tions t he assump ti ons a bou t i denti t y w i thi n the A m e ric an I n d ian c u lt u re b y n o n-nat i v es and N a ti v es a l i ke. J ones i s a co- a u th o r o n t h e b o o k “ P e o p le o f th e B i g Voi ce, Photogr a phs of H o-C hu nk Fa m i l i es b y C h arle s V an Sc h aic k , 18 7 9 -194 3. Jones i s t he col l ecti ons of the N a ti ona l M u s e u m o f t h e A m e ric an In d ia n , Pol aroi d Corpor a ti on, S pr i nt C or p or a ti on, T he C h aze n M u s e u m o f A r t , Th e Nerman Museum, a nd Mi cros of t.

Th e Nor t h Ameri c an La nds ca p e, 201 3 To m Jones A Ca h ui l l a Landsc ape, 201 3, D i gi ta l P h o to graph, 2 5 ” x 2 0”, edi ti on 2/ 25 A Ho pi Landscape, 2 01 3, D i gi ta l P h o to graph, 2 5 ” x 2 0”, edi ti on 2/ 25 A Ma r icopa Landsc ape, 201 3, D i gi ta l P h o to graph, 2 5 ” x 2 0”, edi ti on 1 / 25 A Kwa ust ums Landscap e, 201 3, Dig ita l Phot ograph, 2 5 ” x 20” , edi ti on 1/25 A n A r ikara Landsc ape, 201 3, D i gi ta l P h o to graph, 2 5 ” x 2 0”, edi ti on 2/ 25 A S h a kopee Mdewakanton S i ou x L a n d s cape, 2 01 3, Di gi t a l P hotogr a ph, 25” x 2 0”, edi t i on 1 /2 5 A n A pac he Landsc ape, 201 3, D i gi ta l P h o to graph, 2 5 ” x 2 0”, edi ti on 1 / 25 A S o u thern Yokut s Lands ca pe, 201 3, Dig ita l Phot ograph, 2 5 ” x 20” , edi ti on 1/25

A Menom i ne e L an d s c ap e, 2 0 1 3 , D i gi ta l P hoto g rap h , 2 5” x 2 0 ” , e d it io n 1 / 25 A Ma m a l el ek ala L an d s c ap e, 2 0 1 3 , D i gi ta l P hoto g rap h , 2 5” x 2 0 ” , e d it io n 1 / 25 A J i ca r i l l a La n d s c ap e, 2 0 1 3 , D ig it al P hotogr a p h, 2 5” x 2 0 ” , e d it io n 1 / 2 5 A C hocta w L an d s c ap e, 2 0 1 3 , D ig it al P hotogr a p h, 2 5” x 2 0 ” , e d it io n 1 / 2 5 A Ute La nds c ap e , 2 0 1 3 , D ig it al P hotogr a p h, 2 5” x 2 0 ” , e d it io n 1 / 2 5 A S em i nol e L an d s c ap e, 2 0 1 3 , D ig it al P hotogr a p h, 2 5” x 2 0 ” A Kl a m a th La n d s c ap e, 2 0 1 3 , D ig it al P hotogr a p h, 2 5” x 2 0 ” , A H o-C hu nk L an d s c ap e, 2 0 1 3 , D ig it al P hotogr a p h, 2 5” x 2 0 ” , e d it io n 2 / 2 5

A r tis ts ’ St at ement : Wi n ter C ou nt i s a u n io n of pri mari l y Indigenou s a r ti s ts cultiva t i ng

awarenes s ,

honor

prot ect i on

and

res p ect, for

l a nd

a n d w at er, for al l t he l i v i ng thi ngs th a t h av e l i v ed here, a nd for a l l th e livi ng t hi ngs t o c om e. Du e to th e immi nent t hreat to w a ter a nd la n d in St andi ng Roc k, N D w e a re cur re n t l y

foc usi ng

our

col l ecti v e

wo r k around t hi s pl ace. I n 201 6, w e g a th ered audi o and v i deo a t the O ce ti Sakowi n camp, Mi s s ou r i a nd Ca n n o nbal l Ri v ers, Lake Oa he, the DA P L rout e, t he B akk en oi l f i el ds , Lake

Sakakawea,

and

the

l a nd

h o ld in g al l t hese t hi ng s . ‘ Toda y w e s ee na tu r a l cy cl e s o f life d is ru p t e d b y t h e e xtr a cti on and t ranspo r ta ti on of w ha t w e ha v e com e t o c all re s o u rc e s f ro m th e la nd. T he N at i ons of a l l l i v i ng thi ngs a re bei ng d e s t ro y e d in t h is p u rs u it .

We a cknowl edge t hat the need to p rotect w a ter an d lan d is in c re as in g in e ve r y p ar t of t he worl d . A s hu m a n bei ngs w e a re res p o n s ib le t o t h e an c e s t o rs a n d d esc endant s of al l l i v i ng thi ngs for how w e l i ve. So we b rin g t o g e t h e r o u r minds as ar t i st s t o cu l ti v a te gr a ti tu de a nd res pec t fo r wat e r, lan d , an d t h e in ter d ependenc e of al l thi ngs l i v i ng i n thi s w or l d. T h ro u g h o u r wo rk we b in d to g e th er our di v erse a nces tr y a nd cu l tu res , to hono r an d p ro t e c t wat e r an d la n d . As ar t i st s we t el l s tor i es , s tor i es l ea r ned f rom e ac h o t h e r, f ro m lan d , wa ter and al l our rel at i v es . We a re l i s teni ng, w e a re wat c h in g , we are h o ld in g u p refl ect ors, wav i ng f l a gs , s i ngi ng the hor i zon a nd t e llin g t h e s t o r y o f h o w we a re now. As ar t i st s w e a re m a ki ng v i s i ons a nd a s kin g h o w we c an b e , wh at we ca n make for our c hi l dren, a nd ou r gr a ndchi l dren’ s c h ild re n .’

Crisis, 2016 Winter Count Collective Single channel video, 3min 2sec Not for sale.

Er in

J oyc e

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cur a to r, ar t c ri t i c , an d s chol a r of co n temporar y ar t

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Cul t ural

S tu di es

at

No r th ern Ari zona Uni v er s i t y. J oy ce a ls o s er v es as t he Vi ce C ha i r for Bea tificat i on and Publ i c A r t for the Cit y o f F l agst aff, Ari zo na . J oy ce ha s s e r ved as a consul t an t for S X S W on th e impl ement at i on of a r t du r i ng th e fe st i v al , was t he i n ter i m S p eci a l P ro je ct s Edi t or at GOO D M a ga zi ne, a n d was t he i naugura l a r t edi tor fo r A s lan Medi a Inc . E r i n i s a l s o a co n tr ibut or t o Sal on, Gnov i s J ou r na l , S H FT, a nd conte n t writ e r fo r t h e M o d e rn A r t Ir a q Arc hi v e. Eri n h ol ds a Ba chel or of A r ts i n the His t o r y o f A r t f ro m t h e U n ive r si t y of N or t h Tex a s , s tu di ed contem p or a r y a r t at So t h e b y’ s I n s t it u t e o f A r t London, and a M a s ter of A r ts i n M u s eu m S tu d ie s f ro m Jo h n s Ho p k in s U n ive r si t y. J oyc e’ s proj ects i ncl u de ex hi bi ti ons a t R ad iat o r G alle r y in Ne w Yo r k, IAIA Museum of Contem por a r y N a ti v e A r t i n S a nt a Fe , Ne w M e x ic o , WA A S Ga lle r y i n Dal l as, LIGHT YE A R i n Brookl y n. T he-C on t e m p o rar y in M o n t e re y, Ca lifo r ni a, t he Museum of N or ther n A r i zona , a nd t h e C o c o n in o C e n t e r fo r th e A r t s. As a c urat or, J oy ce w or ks w i th a r ti s ts i n a v arie t y o f m e d ia, f ro m film works, i nst al l at i on, 2D a nd 3D m edi u m s , per for m an c e ar t , an d p u b lic ar t in s ta llat i ons represent i ng both em er gi ng a nd m i d- c are e r ar t is t s . Sh e s e e k s to b e n d t he not i on of how contem por a r y a r t i s pre s e n t e d an d u n d e rs t o o d , with par t i c ul ar foc us o n a r t a nd cu r a ti on a s a for m o f ac t iv is m . L o o k in g b o t h in s id e and out si de t he cons tr u ct of the m u s eu m a nd g alle r y as v e n u e fo r ar t pre s ent at i on, seeki ng to ref r a ct a r t throu gh the pr i s m o f t h e e n v iro n m e n t an d co n text s i n whi ch i t wa s crea ted.

Ra d ia torAr t s (Radi c al M edi a tor for the A r ts ) i s a rec e n t ly o p e n e d v e n u e in L o n g Isl and Ci t y t hat g i v es s pa ce to a r ti s t s tu di os a n d t o R ad iat o r G alle r y.

Th e g a ll er y prov i des l oca l a nd i nter na ti ona l em er gi ng an d m id - c are e r c u rat o rs a n d a r t i st-curat ors an ex cel l ent op por tu ni t y to w o rk wit h an d le arn ab o u t th e o perat i ons of a m u l ti -di s ci p l i na r y or ga ni za ti on . R ad iat o r will re g u larly pre s ent cont emporar y a r t ex hi bi ti ons , p er for m a nce s an d v id e o p ro g ram s .

Ea ch curat or i s expected to w or k coop er a ti v el y, be f le x ib le , s e lf- m o t iv at e d , a n d in terest ed i n c ont r i bu ti ng to the ongoi ng needs o f t h is ac t iv e m u lt i- ar t s cen te r.

TAMAS VESZI Da n ie la Kost ov a i s a n in terdi sci pl i nar y a r tis t and curat or.

He r work has b e en shown at Kunst hal l e ( V ie n n a), Inst i t ut e for C ontem p or a r y A r t ( Sofi a), T he Q ueens Mu s eu m o f A r t (N ew York), C entre d’ a r t Co n temporai n (Geneva ) , Fonda zi one S a n d ret t o Re Rebaudengo ( Tor i no) a n d Kunst hal l e Fri deri ci a nu m , ( Ka s s el , Ge r ma ny) among t he other s . D a ni el a h a s o r gani zed numero u s p roj ects a nd co lla b orat i ons ac ross cu l tu res a nd d is cipli nes. She was C hi ef C u r a tor o f th e B i oAr t Ini t i at i v e a t R ens s el a er P o ly te chni c Inst i t ut e i n ( Troy, N Y) a nd Director of Iri da Ar t G a l l er y i n S of i a .

Ko s to va i s t he co-found er of Bu l ga r i a n A r tis ts in Ameri c a, D i rector of Cur a tori al Proj ec t s at R a di a tor Ga l l er y in Ne w York, and a bo a r d m em ber of th e in t ernat i onal exch a nge p rogr a m CEC A r t sLi nk .

T a m a s Ves zi is a m u l ti m edi a ar t is t w i th a n a ca d e m ic ba ckgrou nd

in

p a i nti ng. H e i s t h e fou nder of R ad iat o rA r t s . His ac t iv it ie s a s a com m u n it y in it iat o r b rid g e a ga p bet w een h is re s t le s s in t e re s t fo r the q u es ti on s o f e m b o d im e n t an d for m l es s nes s.

Ve s z i

h as

e x h ib it e d

hi s w or k i nt e rn at io n ally in C an ad a, H u nga r y, E ng lan d , G e rm an y, Fran c e , A u s tr i a ,

I ta l y

Uni ted

S tat e s .

an d

t h ro u g h o u t As

the

R ad iat o rA r t s ’

di rector, Vesz i h as c o llab o rat e d wit h the E m ba s s y o f I s rae l, A r t M ark e t Bu da p es t, a nd o rg an ize d in t e rn at io n al ex cha nges

wit h

La

C o u le u v re

Art

C enter i n P aris ( Fran c e ) an d B äc k e r S tr a s s e 4 Galle r y in V ie n n a ( A u s t ria) .

T a m a s Ves zi liv e s an d wo rk s in Ne w Yor k .

Radiator Ar ts 10-61 Jackson Ave LIC, New York 1 1 106

E J P C

R O R T

I N Y C E O J E S

Curated by Erin Joyce Projects