Eriberto Oriol/ Photographer-Artist-Los Angeles CA
Mike Miller / Photographer-Los Angeles CA
Lyncia Begay/ Painter -Flagstaff AZ
Rye Purvis/ Painter- San Francisco CA
Sam Gomez/ Photographer-Phoenix AZ
Thomas Breeze Marcus/ Painter-Phoenix AZ
Werewulf Micah Wesley/ Painter- Norman OK
Jasmin Rosales/ Photographer -Norman OK
Brandan Odums/ Painter- New Orleans LA
Jonathan Nelson/ Artist-Santa Fe NM
Luke Dorsett /Photographer -Phoenix AZ via Japan
Douglas Miles/ Mixed Media Artist-San Carlos AZ
The WHAT TRIBE Art show was born out of necessity. It appallingly begins with a barrage of stereotypes that are aimed at Native Americans. Whether Victoria's Secret hyper-sexualized headdress wearing Kloss super model or Gwen StefanI & No Doubt's red face rock & roll fantasy ( send up of The Lone Ranger ), or the Disney Lone Ranger film (Coming Soon) which features Johnny Depp (in Red face make-up) as archaic racially archetypical "side-kick". Pop culture is now rife with stereotype(s) and caricatures of Native People. The more we critique it, the more it seems to rear its institutionally racist head.
When Douglas Miles was asked to do a show at Denver University with the Native American Student Alliance, the What Tribe art show idea was launched. At DU, Native students were already battling racist Sorority parties. Douglas Miles of Apache Skateboards realized then that there is a whole generation that does not know what is or isn't racist and stereotypical imagery. He saw the need for a creative dialogue to occur. He decided it was important to create and curate an art show where artists could discuss the issue of "stereotypes" in their work. As the show was being curated artists were selected for the conversational power and or social commentary in their work.
From the L.A. Modern iconic work of Eriberto Oriol to the documentation of the history Of West Coast Hip Hop via Mike Miller's photography, to the Downtown Phoenix grit of Sam Gomez's photographic work, What Tribe is a complex eclectic mix of artists from various "tribal" backgrounds and cultures. From the streets of L.A. To the back roads of San Carlos Apacheria, institutional racism affects all people of All backgrounds. The What Tribe show is the place to start the conversation on how to replace ridicule with respect via art.
-Douglas Miles
Existence and Resistance Group Show at The Hive also during Art Detour 25 and Heard Market weekend.
The show titled EXISTENCE AND RESISTANCE featuring the work of Lynnette Haozous, Randy Barton, Tom Greyeyes and Thomas Breeze Marcus, opened at The Hive on Friday Feb 15th and will run through the second week of March. Saturday evening March 2nd The Hive will host a reception for all artists involved as well as family, friends and out of town visitors in town for The Heard Museum Art Market, as well as the Art Detour weekend. Existence and Resistance is also pleased to welcome the late addition to two talented artists Averian Chee and Jeff Slim. The show features a newer generation of Indigenous artists, and their interpretation of existing and resisting in a modern world with acknowledgement to various topics. As in all art, some interpretations are direct and others are found in metaphor and poetics. Come view the work and join us Saturday evening March 2nd.
Printed in Western Art Colletor March 2013 issue
