The Denver Art Museum Collective

Another great Untitled for the books here at the Denver Art Museum!  Thanks to everyone who came by Untitled Show Down for a night of face-offs, heroic tales and victorious orchestrations. It was a blast!

Can we PLEASE bust off the coats and roll in the flowers now, Denver?  

#isitspringyet? 

James Koehler (American, 1952-2011)

Chief Blanket with Blocks

Designed 1991, woven 2002; number 8 in an edition of 8

Tapestry; hand-dyed wool, cotton

The DAM’s current Artist-in-Residence, Gregg Deal will be debuting a tour de force performance piece entitled “White Indian” at Friday’s Untitled: Family Matters

His three-part performance piece “White Indian” revolves around the issue of blood quantum and how it influences our understanding of identity.

Here’s the breakdown, as recently explained to Native News Online:

Part 1: The White Indian tackles the humor and seriousness of the American sub-culture of White Indians and our understanding of “Indianness.”

Catch Part One at 6:45 pm on Level Two of the Hamilton Building in the Contemporary Western Galleries

Part 2: Indian Pop explores the ways in which popular culture defines Indigeneity and the ways we consume it.

Catch Part Two at 7:30 pm on Level Two of the North Building in the Northwest Coast Galleries

Part 3: Indian Pedigree will center the conversation on how we quantify Indigeneity specifically through Blood Quantum and the views perpetuated by pop-culture.

Catch Part Three at 8:15 pm in the Level Three Atrium of the Hamilton Building**

Meet the Radcliffes. 

They’re a little upset that E! chose the Kardashians over them, so we’re trying to make it up to this proud bunch with a lot of attention at Untitled Family Matters. 

Keep  your eye on these guys as we dig into their family stories and dysfunctional dynamics.

Wait, actually, now that I’m looking closely... what the heck is up with all the peaches?  Did they run out of clothes for the baby? How many kids do you need!

Oh man Radcliffes, you are one awkward family...

Keep up with the Jones’s at Untitled: Family Matters as you design your own awesome Family Coat of Arms and pick up some screen-printing skills with print masters, Ink Lounge.   Insider tip: Coat of Arms aren’t just for families. Make one that shows off the place you call home (how cool is this 1876 Colorado Coat of Arms?!) or how about one all about you! Go ahead, brag a little at Untitled. 

Gregg Deal is a man of many talents and interests. He is a contemporary artist whose work tackles charged subjects like identity, cultural appropriation, and stereotypes-- to name only a few. He does not limit himself to a particular medium, but instead chooses the medium which will best communicate his point. 

These photos, for example, capture Deal during a performance art piece called “Ethnographic Zoo” in which he dons a headdress and chestplate and sits outside the Denver Art Museum. These items along with others represent stereotypical views about contemporary, indigenous identity. The irony is that these pieces (and others) were all made in China. This all too prolific image is not real now, nor has it ever been. It’s a social construct that Deal’s work strives to dismantle from the inside out. 

Come meet Deal at the DAM today at 1pm to hear about his practice and work first hand at “Insider Moment.”  If you can’t make it today, then come to our Untitled: Final Friday event on January 29th from 6-10pm to see his new performance piece “White Indian.” 

Check out his responses to our DAMCreative questions below to learn more about him and his residency at the DAM.

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What will you be doing at the Denver Art Museum?

I will be doing a three part performance piece called White Indian. Each segment will pertain to the way Western Culture interacts with Indigenous culture, as well as how we are perceived because of it, but also how we perceive ourselves. It will be mostly spoken word, meant to be funny, sad and serious all at once. The first segment will be about White Indians, because we all know white folks make the best Indians. Kevin Costner, Daniel Day Lewis and Johnny Depp to name a few. The second piece is about Indigenous people and pop-culture. The final piece is the most important that is about the way (as a result of the previous two), Indigenous people are essentially raised by western culture. In this final piece, I will be receiving a live tattoo in around a performance piece about blood quantum. The issue alone is a pretty incredible one as it is literally used to quantify Indigenous people both socially and federally, thus creating ramifications that have lasted for generations. 

How would you describe your work?

I’m a contemporary artist working in a variety of mediums. I am an Indigenous person, and many might label me as an Indian Artist. Being Indians isn’t a niche, but simply what I am. My voice in my work is decidedly Indigenous, to be sure, but I am a contemporary artist that is Indigenous. Much of my work deals with identity, decolonization, appropriation, historical context and stereotype. 

What inspires you?

Honestly, everything does. I spend a lot of time listening to music, watching movies, reading books. Me being a parent helps keep things interesting too. I am moved by critical thought and new ideas within old ones. That sounds way more boring that it is. Everything is moving, to be honest. Always thinking, always looking, always searching. I love old stuff, especially old Indian Americana, but I love new ways of looking at things too and reinventing concepts for today. As an artist that wields indigeneity, it all becomes pretty powerful. 

What is your favorite spot in Denver?

You know, I just moved here, so my time in Denver proper has been somewhat limited. I’ve been hard at work at the DAM, so in many ways it has been my home away from home. I do love Denver University, but college campuses are always filled with such a great spirit among students. I do love the downtown area and the surrounding area of the DAM. Cities always inspire me. 

What is your favorite artwork or collection in the Denver Art Museum?